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This sadly sums it up. I don't know why we aren't real drivers in the US. We like big with cup holders or something loud like a muscle car that says, "look at me, look at me". I wish our cars were driving machines like a Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but that would be Germany and a lot of Europe where people take driving a bit more serious.
This sadly sums it up. I don't know why we aren't real drivers in the US. We like big with cup holders or something loud like a muscle car that says, "look at me, look at me". I wish our cars were driving machines like a Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but that would be Germany and a lot of Europe where people take driving a bit more serious.
You do realize Mercedes and BMW offer reclining rear seats, massage front seats as well as a host of electronics that actually distract you from driving right?
If you had to choose three vehicles that best represent America, what would they be and why?
What three vehicles can best represent what Americans stand for, history , or even stereotypes.
Go!
1) Rolls-Royce (any model)
Nothing says "I make a lot of money so I can do whatever the heck I want with it no matter how selfish it may be" than a Rolls-Royce. Sure, we all think a classic Rolls is sexy, but then again, so are many other classic cars. This car stands for American greed more than any other in existence.
2) Half-ton pickup truck (any model)
Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra, etc.... it hardly matters which one you choose. No vehicle is more American than a pickup truck, and no pickup truck is more popular than a half-ton model. Americans will preserve their pickup trucks with a zeal not found for their regular cars. Let's face it - think about the number of 1980's-era Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge pickup trucks you see on the road. (I see them all the time.) Now think about the number of 1980's-era "regular vehicles" you see out there. Ain't many, that's for sure... and these days most of 'em sport antique vehicle license plates. Gas prices soared in 2008. What were the two best-selling vehicles in America for that year? The F-series and the Silverado. The utility of a pickup truck can never be disputed. Get one with a crew cab and you get family-hauling capacity, cargo-hauling capacity, and the safety of a large vehicle that sits higher off the road than a regular car, all in one package.
3) Toyota Corolla
Introduced at a time when Americans didn't think they needed small cars, then present for a time when Americans were desperate for small cars, now omnipresent because it is uber-reliable and very economical for just about any purpose, the Corolla represents America's increasing focus on conservation and efficiency. As Americans have recognized the need to be efficient, the Corolla has increased in popularity. What was once a laughing stock has now become one of the most popular small cars out there. Sure, other models have come and gone... the Camry, introduced in the 1980's, is one of the two best-selling cars out there... the Focus claims to be the world's best-selling small car... but the Corolla has been the rock - the one that is always there, claiming the same place in the automotive world that it always has. And that is why you see tons of them on the road.
Honorable mention:
Chevrolet Corvette
The speed machine. When introduced, it changed the whole automotive landscape. To this day it is still one of the most sought-after sports cars, over 60 years after it was first introduced. I've ridden in a Corvette. They're cramped and you can't carry much stuff in them, not to mention how the two seats won't haul a family. It's a terribly impractical car, yet it's still wildly popular. Thus, this car represents how Americans are obsessed with power and speed even at the expense of practicality.
Model T Ford- Represents America's need to drive in the first place and is responsible for starting the whole thing.
Jeep Wrangler- Represents America's need to drive over larger rocks and vicariously go topless in public. In a nutshell, symbolizes our belief that we are free, reality notwithstanding.
HMMWV- Represents America's need to blow $h!# up in various 3rd world hell-holes and take their oil so we can keep driving in the future.
But why stop at three? There are so many iconic cars, the list should be more like "1000 cars that represent America".
I forgot one. Nothing like spreading 'democracy' around the world, USA style, after say, a democratic election does not go the way Wall Street speculators want it to go!
Ford Model T (first mass-produced automobile available to middle-class people)
'57 Chevy BelAir (an icon)
Ford 4WD pickup (emblematic of the independent, can-do American spirit)
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choose 3 vehicles to represent America
