The uniformity of individuality
12/11/2023
I have to start again with an old movie. Namely with the scene from "The Life of Brian", in which the supposed Messiah calls on his disciples not to follow him and to live their own lives. After all, they are all individuals. Naturally, the followers agree with him wholeheartedly. And to express this, they shout in chorus: "Yes, we are all different!"
Why did the memory of the British moving-image alternative to the New Testament come to mind at this year's Essen Motor Show ? Because the basic concept of the cars on display – although the bodies and paint colors were different – was the same almost everywhere. Whether pink Porsche, blue Nissan or brown VW – they all followed the same simple patent recipe: huge wheels, 255/duct tape tires and an air suspension – that's it. Even the "funny" stickers on the windows were identical on every other car.
It's a bit of a paradox: everyone seems to want to stand out from the crowd – but also not want to gather too much attention. Otherwise the others in this group of different people will think you are different. And nobody really wants that. But who can blame the wheel polishers and airriders? After all, there seems to be a lack of recognition for more unusual or elaborate modifications. Hardly anyone takes the time to really look at the cars anymore. They often just take a photo on their cell phone in passing and then post it on the Internet.
Let's not get the wrong idea: I'm not a blinkered advocate of the ex-factory condition. My cars – both young and old – are all modified a little to make them stand out from their model counterparts. But you can usually only see it at second glance, so they only reveal their differences to those who are really interested in them. In my opinion, creativity is the far more important aspect of visual tuning than mass appeal. But maybe I'm just not individual enough.
