PJ O'Rourke on the end of the love affair with the car.
Discussion
God love PJ. He's a great writer isn't he?
"Forty years ago the pimply kid down the block, using $3,500 in saved-up soda-jerking money, procured might and main beyond the wildest dreams of Genghis Khan, whose hordes went forth to pillage mounted upon less oomph than is in a modern leaf blower."
But, typical grumpy 20th century American that he is, he thinks cars stopped being interesting after the Pontiac GTO.
"Forty years ago the pimply kid down the block, using $3,500 in saved-up soda-jerking money, procured might and main beyond the wildest dreams of Genghis Khan, whose hordes went forth to pillage mounted upon less oomph than is in a modern leaf blower."
But, typical grumpy 20th century American that he is, he thinks cars stopped being interesting after the Pontiac GTO.
And that is why the 'stang and Caterham are in the garage. Neither are particularly good at the mundane day-to-day tasks, but both evoke far greater emotion and involvement from driver, passengers and bystanders than the vast majority of modern, efficient, safe, clean, green vehicles.
As an example, last weekend I drove Bath to Peterborough for a stag do. I could have taken the Audi, sat on the M4, M25, A1(M) and got there in perfect comfort and probably fairly efficiently (given the vagaries of Friday motorways). Instead I took the Caterham, across the Cotswolds and Northamptonshire, avoiding the motorways, exploring bits of rural middle England. Same endpoints but far more fun, more adventure in the cross country, roof down, exhaust blaring route. I arrived hot, slightly sunburnt, tired and exhilarated. Brilliant.
As an example, last weekend I drove Bath to Peterborough for a stag do. I could have taken the Audi, sat on the M4, M25, A1(M) and got there in perfect comfort and probably fairly efficiently (given the vagaries of Friday motorways). Instead I took the Caterham, across the Cotswolds and Northamptonshire, avoiding the motorways, exploring bits of rural middle England. Same endpoints but far more fun, more adventure in the cross country, roof down, exhaust blaring route. I arrived hot, slightly sunburnt, tired and exhilarated. Brilliant.
Some great quotes from the man himself
Driving a pick up with a very attractive girl in the passenger seat,
She says to him "I've just shaved my pussy, wanna feel"
The best one is......
"People talk about Ferrari and Porsche being the best cars in the work, they are wrong, the best car in the world is the rental car, it's the only car you can drive at 90mph, throw it into reverse gear, screw the gearbox, say sorry and hand it back to the rental company"
Driving a pick up with a very attractive girl in the passenger seat,
She says to him "I've just shaved my pussy, wanna feel"
The best one is......
"People talk about Ferrari and Porsche being the best cars in the work, they are wrong, the best car in the world is the rental car, it's the only car you can drive at 90mph, throw it into reverse gear, screw the gearbox, say sorry and hand it back to the rental company"
PJ said:
Mr. Watt did research using draft animals and found that, under optimal conditions, a dray horse could lift 33,000 pounds one foot off the ground in one minute. Mr. Watt—the eponymous watt not yet existing—called this unit of energy “1 horse-power.”
Actually, horse-power is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a unit of power, not energy...[/pedant]
Sorry
The Wookie said:
PJ said:
Mr. Watt did research using draft animals and found that, under optimal conditions, a dray horse could lift 33,000 pounds one foot off the ground in one minute. Mr. Watt—the eponymous watt not yet existing—called this unit of energy “1 horse-power.”
Actually, horse-power is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a unit of power, not energy...[/pedant]
Sorry
Corrections & Amplifications:
Horsepower is a unit of power. This article incorrectly says that horsepower is a unit of energy.
The Wookie said:
Yesss, I just finished it
So you actually stopped halfway through the article to post your pedantic comment? Come on man! Immerse yourself in the passion and enthusiasm of his writing, let the little inaccuracy slide by while you appreciate the sentiment of the piece. 
Edited by ewenm on Wednesday 3rd June 10:50
Balmoral Green said:
malaccamax said:
God love PJ.
"Ferrari Refutes the Decline of the West"
If anyone has not read this article, find it and do so.
Cracking writer, best thing he's ever written.
Pair of wusses though - only got to 140 mph in a Ferrari.
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