Re: alfa-digest V8 #19

[Dennis Lou <dlou@domain.elided>]

>Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 22:11:08 -0400
>From: "Ryan Fellini" <rfellini@domain.elided>
>Subject: Re: Dealing with Italians
>
>Anyway, to maintain the Alfa content, lets change the topic
>to automobiles.  I'd bet money on more people in the World
>being interested in owning Alfa Romeos (not to mention Fiats, 
>Maseratis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc.) over ANY US-branded
>machine.

Modify that statement to read "ANY *current* US-branded machine" and I'll
believe you more.  When I think of the '57 Chevy Bel Air, the Ford GT40's,
the Mustang GT350's, the AC Shelby Cobras, the '67 GTO, the '70 Olds 442,
'70 Dodge Challenger or the '69 Charger, I wonder if there really are
more people worldwide that are not interested in owning one than are.
(OK, maybe Hollywood doesn't like the Charger, c.f. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry,
Bullitt, Fast and the Furious...:-).  It would seem to me that USA earned
its reputation during the 70's when smog regs, fuel crisis and the Japanese
caught it with its pants down.

Similarly, I would imagine Italy got their reputation from the Berlinas,
Alfettas, Fiat 124's and 128's, Lancia Betas and Maserati Bitroubles.
Were Italian cars regarded as being troublesome prior to the late '60s?
How would one rank the reputation of the 8c2900's as opposed to a 
Mercedes 500k or a Cord 810?  How about the BMW 2002 vs GTV vs Datsun 510?
All of the cars I mentioned are way before my time.

-Dennis
Sunnyvale, CA
'85 GTV6

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