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Was thinking about an old girlfriend whose first car was a 60s model American Nash Rambler 4 door sedan with inline 6. She loved the car saying it had character. It's character included front doors that didn't unlock from the outside so she'd lock the front doors, leave the back doors unlocked, and happily climb over to the front seat. There were two spots on the dash marked with tape. She'd pull the knob to turn on the headlights and then hit the spot with the first tape then the lights would come on. She'd turn on the factory original "all transistor radio" and hit the second spot for the radio to come on. She had the screwdriver to pop the trunk. Starting the car was an anti-theft process. Stick key in, turn key halfway, pull the key as if trying to pull it out, then turn the rest of the way while kicking the gas pedal.
Perhaps a certain level of imperfection leads to a feeling of "quirkiness". What do you think?
Not always, but I guess it depends on the context in which it's being used. Character can apply to new cars too. What has more character, a Porsche 911 or a Dodge Grand Caravan?
Not always, but I guess it depends on the context in which it's being used. Character can apply to new cars too. What has more character, a Porsche 911 or a Dodge Grand Caravan?
Agreed. In the case mentioned here, it definitely seems to point at the cars flaws although different cars in general can have a different character/personality.
One person's idea of quirkiness is another person's idea of a PITA.
For example many people loved the VW Beetle but for me I couldn't stand the thing. I could never get comfortable with their pedals, though was okay with the same arrangement in a 911.
Central key in a Saab- quirky or a PITA?
If a car has character it can help you to forgive some of its shortcomings, and this comes from the experience of driving old Jaguars.
For me, something that gives a car "character" can't interfere with the reasonable operation of the vehicle.
For example, I skinned a tire on a long road trip[ last year and the tread didn't let go, so it beat the heck out of the side of my van by the time I got it pulled over. The black marks and scratches give it character, but having to unhook the gas filler tube so I can line it up with the hole where the fuel door used to be when I fill up then reach in and hook it back up again is just a PITA.
Same way with weird old man modifications. A compass permanently attached to the dash adds character; an air conditioning system that's been permanently disabled in order to gain a couple of miles a gallon just sucks on a hot day.
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