October 12, 2007
Here, we depart from our informative focus to have a little fun looking at the past and pondering the future …
If time has taught us anything, it is that not all automotive innovations are embraced by consumers. Over the years, we have seen many false starts. Some make comebacks, and some fade into the junk yards. Here are few of our favorites of recent lore:
The Convertible Pick-Up Truck
This combination of fun and function was featured on the Dodge Dakota in the early nineties but generated only a small reaction. It took the basic regular cab pickup and added a soft-top that, when folded flat, made the car look a lot like a big long brick with a windshield.
All Terrain Wagon
This concept is currently trying to make a comeback among several manufacturers. But in the eighties, when it first tried to enter the mainstream, manufacturers found that it was a little ahead of its time. Back then, there were very few car buyers that saw a need to take the whole family off-roading. We wish the ATW all the best this time around!
Full-size Sedan Truck
How can anyone not love the originator of “business-in-the-front, party-in–the-back”? No, not the “mullet” haircut. I’m talking about the El Camino! It may not have been the first, but it lasted the longest. And with multiple generations, performance engines, and paint jobs that rivaled some of my tube socks, there will always be a soft spot in our hearts for the original “what’s that?” mobile.
Economy Sedan Truck
All it was trying to do was run with the big boys, but in turn, this little cutie-pie mainly made riding mopeds cool again. The Brat was truly ahead of its time: it took the great ideas of utility and economy and put them out there for a gas-starved county. But far too many couldn’t part with their V8s, needed to haul a bigger load, or still had not embraced the truck as a mainstream vehicle.
So, with each new generation of cars we see a wave of “inventive” ideas. Some become reality, some are overstated hints, and some disappear into history. Here are a few of the ideas we came up with:
Sport Utility Convertibles (convertible body on off-road suspension)
Yeah, yeah, we know what the initials spell, but just think how much fun it would be to drive the highway to the mountains in a responsive, well-handling car, then go rock-hopping, cross small streams, and chase bunny rabbits through the brush, all while taking in that fresh mountain air.
Exotic Minivans
It’s not that the minivan isn’t cool—it just hasn’t reached its full potential! 500-horsepower engines, 6-speed transmissions, gull-wing doors, and tires three feet wide on the rear. Just think, you might actually be able to get the kids to wipe their feet before getting in!
Convertible Sport Utility Vehicles
We also know these already exist (Jeep Wrangler, Suzuki Sidekick, Land Rover Freelander, and dozens more), but we don’t feel this category has truly been embraced and given its own designation. Looking at what the general populus sees as the standard SUV, the CSUV sticks out as much as the newer crossovers.
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