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badhuis
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1390 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:01 pm Post subject: modern cars - easy to identify? |
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When I was 15 I could identify almost all cars on the road. Up to about 12 years ago I still could do that.
However nowadays I struggle to know what type and even what make of car I see. Those SUV types, mid class, high on the wheels, very popular, they can be a Toyota, KIA or Renault and I would not know it if it was not for the make emblems.
On my way to the office, once per week, on the motorway you see all these new leased cars. Many of these do not have any type badges fixed. Mercedes especially is worrying, I simply do not know (or recognize) what types of Mercedes there are anymore. They do have a modern station wagon that looks quite good, not too bulky and even stylish, but I do not know what exact type this might be.
I have to confess my "modern" car (13 year old X-type) also does not have any badges at the rear. It was an option not to have them and the first owner choose not to have any. As there are not many X-type estates on the road (here in the Netherlands I never saw another one since three months) I can imagine many do not know what type of Jaguar it is. _________________ a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7113 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, 15 year olds today have a much harder life than we had!
When I was 15 (and I'm sure this applies to many other forum members too) I could identify lots of different cars with my eyes closed. That would be difficult today and with all electric cars it's even difficult to tell if they are there with your eyes closed.
Peter
p.s. This is clearly a job for artificial intelligence. Perhaps facial recognition or more simply just number plate recognition.
p.p.s. Lag from hitting submit to seeing my update 35 seconds. _________________ http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Posts: 1210 Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 9:10 am Post subject: |
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I agree! When travelling in my father's car I enjoyed recognising and noting the various makes and models that we encountered. That was in the 1950's.
If I happened to witness a crime involving a motor vehicle, I would have little hope of explaining the make and model to a policeman these days. _________________ Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking. |
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52classic
Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 493 Location: Cardiff.
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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Me too! I'd say that from about 1955 through to the early 90's it would be a rare occasion if I could not name make and model of any car on the road, but no longer.
More worrying is that I don't really care. I find it very difficult to whip up any enthusiasm for modern cars which may go some way to justifying why we don't have one in our household any more.
Under the bonnet it is a similar story, I no longer recognise any of the bits which used to be second nature...... " Where are the HT leads son?"
Do you mean the coil packs dad?" |
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Ellis
Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 1382 Location: Betws y Coed, North Wales
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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"No definable shape" is how I view new cars these days. In my village there is a VW Up, a Skoda Citigo and a Seat Mii and I only recognise the owners by the different colours. All three are all but identical which of course they are.- same body except for the badges.
One of my mother's friends bought a new car on the 1st of March. It looked like a Vauxhall to me, had a letter which looked like a "H" on the bonnet.
"Honda?" I ventured. No. "It's a Hyundai i10" was the reply.
"Oh".
I looked at my daily drive, a Land Rover Defender 110 with a warm glow of satisfaction. Everybody knows what a Land Rover looks like. _________________ Starting Handle Expert
1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet |
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Peter_L
Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 2680 Location: New Brunswick. Canada.
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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Our Dodge Journey looks a bit like this. We are on our third and to be honest as far as the engine goes I have only ever "fiddled" with the yellow bits.
http://www.autos.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-Dodge-Journey-Crossroad-AWD-TS-10-1024x682.jpg
.......... and yes, back in the 60's through the 90's, I could spot most models from nearly out of sight. Now... as mentioned above, I am not that bothered.
I once heard it said that if computers design cars then they all have to look the same. I would agree that the comment is fairly near the mark. |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7113 Location: Edinburgh
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Ellis wrote: | Everybody knows what a Land Rover looks like. |
Yes, of course they do..
_________________ http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon |
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D4B
Joined: 28 Dec 2010 Posts: 2083 Location: Hampshire UK
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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Ellis wrote: | Everybody knows what a Land Rover looks like |
Yes Ellis, I know what mine looks like
Inside and out!
Steve |
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Ellis
Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 1382 Location: Betws y Coed, North Wales
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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peter scott wrote: | Ellis wrote: | Everybody knows what a Land Rover looks like. |
Yes, of course they do..
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That's not a real Land Rover Peter.
That is an upmarket Sports Utility Vehicle with mega technology which will be used for nothing more adventurous than the school run or trips to sports clubs. The badge is for effect only.
The last real Land Rover built at solihull was the last Defender which rolled off the production line on January 29th 2016.
(And I still can't copy and paste from Photobucket to add a photo for effect ) _________________ Starting Handle Expert
1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet |
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Peter_L
Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 2680 Location: New Brunswick. Canada.
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Ellis"
(And I still can't copy and paste from Photobucket to add a photo for effect )[/quote]
You may have to ditch PB. See thread about it on here. |
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peter scott
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7113 Location: Edinburgh
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1950 Location: East Yorkshire
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 9:36 am Post subject: |
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Another modernist problem for me is, do we really know what we are buying?
IE, what make is it really?
When a Jeep is really a more expensive FIAT? [for example?]
Or a Nissan is a Renault in a Kimono?
Every time one swears never to buy a certain make again..they get you...every time!!
At least, when one bought a Ford Anglia..one knew one wasn't going to get a Morris Minor in disguise!!
Didn't BMW once have the option of NOT having any model badging on the car?
I wonder how many actually took up that option? Not many Brits, I would think? |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2017 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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I suppose as manufactures consolidate or share components and have to comply to more and more legislation, it's enviable that designs both mechanical and body shape are going to a common place.
I also think that the quality gap that existed between the premium and non premium manufactures has got much closer over the last few years.
Dave |
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MrWhite
Joined: 09 May 2017 Posts: 105
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Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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Ditto all the above for me too. I thought those Land Rovers were awful when they came out, until recently I saw a convertible one, I mean who would buy such a thing?
Also why is it that Sports Utility vehicles always need twice as much space as their actual width and no matter what you are driving, their owners seem to feel it is their duty to prove they are faster than you? |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:10 am Post subject: |
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peterwpg wrote: | [quote="Ellis"
(And I still can't copy and paste from Photobucket to add a photo for effect ) |
You may have to ditch PB. See thread about it on here.[/quote]
Crossing the threads so to speak but the only way I can paste now is to open the photo and click on the IMG code (bottom of four on the right). Sometimes I have to right-click and copy sometimes it copies automatically. But what worries me now is how to open another account and get all my photos across from photobucket. |
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