Does character age better?
06/30/2021
I actually wanted to write an article on the question: "Is a good car still a good car?"
Over the years and decades, we car enthusiasts have probably all driven a wide variety of designs, some of which we remember particularly well because they made a big impression at the time or were simply really good.
The question is, of course, whether these cars are still "really good" today. Over the last ten years, we have driven hundreds of cars for zwischengas.com, some of which were also among those we coveted back then. Nevertheless, sometimes these cars don't look quite as good 20, 30 or even 40 years later. With some of them, we can hardly believe that we were so enthusiastic back then, while others almost feel even better today, or perhaps particularly interesting or unusual.
And it's not even easy to say why. What is certain is that a good sound has a considerable influence on today's impression. Perhaps that is why we are (still) so enthusiastic about the Alfa Romeo GTV6 in the new millennium. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up as soon as you start the car, and driving through a tunnel is pure joy. The comparatively imprecise transaxle gearbox with its long shift travel is accepted as an interesting challenge, the comfortable suspension characteristics are a plus, and the associated lateral inclination in bends is accepted. The ergonomics are perceived as refreshingly unorthodox.
These were not necessarily characteristics that made a car a "good" car at the time. They were more likely to be criticized, at least those that had nothing to do with the sound. Today, they are part of the character of the GTV6. And it seems that character simply ages better. Average, even if it was rated well, feels different by modern standards of comparison. And average also has to stand up to tougher comparisons. The GTV6 was something special almost 40 years ago and it still is today.
But we continue to observe ...
