Saturday, January 24, 2009

Dream A Little Materialistic Dream

First of all, let's just get this out of the way:

  1. I realize the worldwide economy is in the tank and I should be thinking about hoarding gold and Campbell's soup in my basement, as well as the common good of my fellow man.
  2. There are horrible injustices going on every day in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Toronto and many other third-world countries.
  3. I should be out there, somewhere, in dreads and a bloody, sweat-stained Che Guevera t-shirt shouting leftist slogans and brandishing an AK-47, ferociously trying to make a difference in the world while disavowing all things material.
  4. They say that Little Mosque on the Prairie is a really good show. I should be watching it.

Guess what? It ain't gonna happen. None of it. Beside being too old for ­­!Vive La Revolution¡, I like stuff. It makes me forget about all the horrible crap that's going on in the world, if only until the bills come in. Kind of like Xanax for the soul. Not surprising for a guy who came of age in the 70s and 80s, with the golden promises of a life better than that of our parents. The members of Douglas Coupland's Generation X (birth years approximately 1961-81), myself included, are the first generation to succumb to lowered expectations. It's also not surprising that I often daydream about the open road, cheap gasoline and unencumbered travel in a safe world that doesn't exist anymore (and may never have). Box cutters, anyone?

There, it's out of the way and I can just show off a few pics of the car I'd like to own, which Ford will never import here in its current form.
They're far too stupidly cautious, don't trust their customers and a few vehicles like this might actually create some genuine enthusiasm for their products, thereby increasing their profits to slightly above zero. Wouldn't want that in a worldwide recession / depression...

See below for more ranting on this same subject.

Is it wrong to be thinking about something like this when we all seem to be in batten-down-the-hatchbacks mode? Or is this form of escapism harmless? Not sure, but damn, that is one sweet-looking ride that is right for this stressed-out century. 35 mpg and enough room for guitars, amps, beer and the family, if the mood should strike.

I need only ask one question:




Why not, Ford?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll tell you why not. There are football fields full of unsold "product" of the current Focus which is nothing more than an Escort retread from the pre-Focus days. Ford refuses to take any bold steps since abandoning the original Focus concept, and their "Edge" is the least risk taking vehicle in automotive history. It's the opposite of Edge in every possible way. The $35k and up price of it and the new Flex are also sales deterrents.

When seven year financing is presented as an option ,you need to know that car prices are simply getting out of control. When the cheap and dangerous Chinese imports arrive, people will risk their lives in these deathtraps to save a few bucks. Well to save a lot of bucks, actually.

The modestly equipped Escape I have my eye on is $35k. C'mon you guys, those prices are not affordable to the average guy. An Escape should top out at $22k, or at least be on par with what they pay in the US, factoring in the exchange rate. We're being gouged in Canada again after they relaxed their prices briefly.

Creaulx said...

According to my Good Buddy who works for Ford, the new Focus should be unveiled this fall for North America... Not a moment too soon, and let's hope it's not too late. The real question will be how much they've screwed it up form the Euro version.