Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Domo Arigato!


Because my dad was an automotive design engineer, I inherited a love of cars that is probably not natural to most women. But while my dad loves everything about cars from the inside out, my interest is primarily in body styles. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I got a good sampling of some pretty exciting specimens, considering that what was on the roads those days dated back to the 60s at least. 

Much like my knack for naming song titles and lyrics from those eras, I have a pretty impressive talent of recognizing a car’s make and model before its silver emblem focuses in my field of vision. However…

Tonight, after returning from a dinner compromise of carryout, we noticed a classic in the rear and side view mirrors. When we turned and it went straight, I confidently declared it a 1970s-era Mach II. But Ben said he didn’t see a Ford logo on it anywhere. And I asserted, confidently, that the particular fastback style that we had seen was specific to the Mach, and then backpedaled slightly with, "As far as I know."

When Ben suggested that was probably Japanese, I said, “Huh?”

I had no idea. I did some research when I got home and… dig this circa 1970 Toyota Celica:  

  
And how about this be-otch?

I really had no idea the Japanese were making such badass sportscars back then. 

In my defense, until after my dad retired from GM, we were not allowed to look even half-lidded at other makes, let alone buy them. And, growing up in Detroit, it was unlikely that many foreign cars made it through the "Buy American/Local" stronghold of the city and its surroundings.  

You learn something new every day. And more to learn and more eye candy from all over the world here. Yum! 

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