April 29, 2009

The American Machine

Saw the new Camaro the other day. It was the first time I had seen one out on the street. I was unimpressed. Not that the lines aren't sleek and the proportions fair, but because I had seen it before. A LOT. Not seen IT, but it, as in what it stands for. Yes, I get it, things were better "then". Design was better "then", back when everything was made in the USA and everyone cared about construction detail and quality. I get it ALL, but what about originality? Have we lost sight of what made us, us? Now it seems we are playing catch-up and cutting corners just to scrape whatever bits of cool are left on the sides and between the gears of the American machine. It's no front page news that the machine is broken. It was hand made by people who cared and bled for its creation, but the damn thing is old and needs serious repairs. I just can't help but to feel that the problem won't be solved by covering the cracks with a little paint that has been mixed to match the original color.

But hey, until then, and until I get off my ass, stop bitching, go learn how to design cars, get a job at Chevy, move my way through the ranks, design an original piece of iconography, and change the way we all look at American design... enjoy the new Camaro. Or argue like I do, that the original... was just flat out better the first time around.









Give me a Yenko or a clone and I'll be good all day. If you don't know the story behind Steve and his dealership, look it up. It's rad how a guy found and exploited a loophole and was able to create some of the most iconic and most badass muscle cars of the time.