Is that a Pontiac Firebird? (or Firebirds 2) It looks like one. Even though they had a separate cockpit for driver and passenger I always wanted to try one. How often can you drive a car with a turbine engine.
In the Early '90's WB put out a darker toon of Batman. The cars were future retro, looking basically 1930's/40's but with modern light bars on the police cars, and Dick Tracy style near future design.
About a year later the new Dodge Ram pickups hit the market with their retro stying, and soon we saw the same styling in the Prowler, the Durango and the PT Cruiser.
Personally I'm for this style. Like those speakers you pointed out which look like the back end of a 1940's Buick.
Answer: damn cool, yo. With a rocket on wheels like that, you couldn't get fined for DRIVING too fast in da 'hood. But I did get many tickets for flying too low, and "orbiting inside the atmosphere". Dang, the cops were clever back then, word!
"Quick, Brick! To the Beige-Mobile!" Nana-nana-nana-nana... Phat-Man! Hey, move outta mah way, you joker. Roads are fulla' clowns...
About a year later the new Dodge Ram pickups hit the market with their retro stying.
Alex, I purchased a newer Dodge Ram Truck just this year and I fail to see any retro stying at all. They look completely different from the older Dodge trucks.
Terry, I was talking about the 93/94 RAM, the ones 12 months after the Batman series. After all those big squared off trucks from the 80's they were a breath of fresh air.
The Retro styling I was refering too was how the front fenders/wheel arches are stepped down from the hood/bonnet. The radiator took on a hint of eliptical curves on the outer edges. Combine this a step side, instead of a fleet side, and you start looking more old fashioned.
The Durango, when first introduced, redefined the shape of the SUV, which was getting decidedly square, see the Isuzu Trooper (also rebadeged as an Opel) the Toyota Land Cruiser (which used to be a Jeep/Land Rover competitor - still is in Australia) and the Explorer, Suburban and Jimmy of the early 90's.
If you look now, you'll see Dodge is moving it's look again. Sure the Challenger is retro, looks like the '73 that never happened. The Charger has a chunky retro look, as does the Magnum, but going for a 3/4 size, but 1/2 height look of say an old Hornet. Then they have a the Calibre, and Neon which are competing with the look of Saturn and Toyota in the small car/small hatch market.
We've been looking at this retro architecture for a decade, and so it seems contemporary and common place.
The Prowler and PT Cruiser were the most that way, and the Chevy SSR and HHR are also tres retro.
Terry, I was talking about the 93/94 RAM, the ones 12 months after the Batman series. After all those big squared off trucks from the 80's they were a breath of fresh air.
Oh, okay. And yes, they were a breath of fresh air Alex. Good observation.
I think my original comment was about a contemporary re-envisioning of the pasts concept of the future which is now, and how that lead to a self fulfilling prophesy.
Anybody picked up the book "Where's my Jet Pcak" by Daniel H Wilson. I saw it in the bookshop, but my kids dragged me the other way.
One thing I remember (can't find it now) is a 1950s advertisement for GE, that included "the home of the future." All sorts of labor-saving devices (few of which came to pass) and lots of plastic wrap around the furniture. Everything gleamed with streamlining and chrome. Funny thing, though, in the ad no thought was given to the traditional role of the female as the home-maker. So GE ballyhooed how, in the future, everything would be "so much easier for her" that she would be able to clean more quickly, cook hubby's dinner more efficiently and nutritiously, wash the rugs without having to even go outside, etc.
Didn't occur to them that "she" might not want to stay at home doing the housework.
Aside: frankly, I never saw the insult in it. I love domestic chores. I am not a well-organized cook, and I don't really take much care to keep groceries in order to "make meals," though I'm perfectly competent with simpler recipes and have a few specialties. But aside from that, my home is spic-and-span, to the point that sometimes visitors comment that they feel it's like a hotel room. I'm male and see no shame in it. I have always hated office work, find it demeaning, boring, dull, mostly an obvious dead-end, not something I would "want to do with my life." And yet there are just hordes of women out there clamoring for an opportunity to "break in" and get the chance to ... file all day, and suck up to the boss?
Is that a Pontiac Firebird? (or Firebirds 2) It looks like one. Even though they had a separate cockpit for driver and passenger I always wanted to try one. How often can you drive a car with a turbine engine.
ReplyDeleteIn the Early '90's WB put out a darker toon of Batman. The cars were future retro, looking basically 1930's/40's but with modern light bars on the police cars, and Dick Tracy style near future design.
About a year later the new Dodge Ram pickups hit the market with their retro stying, and soon we saw the same styling in the Prowler, the Durango and the PT Cruiser.
Personally I'm for this style. Like those speakers you pointed out which look like the back end of a 1940's Buick.
"How does the future look from the past?"
ReplyDeleteAnswer: damn cool, yo.
With a rocket on wheels like that, you couldn't get fined for DRIVING too fast in da 'hood.
But I did get many tickets for flying too low, and "orbiting inside the atmosphere".
Dang, the cops were clever back then, word!
"Quick, Brick! To the Beige-Mobile!"
Nana-nana-nana-nana... Phat-Man!
Hey, move outta mah way, you joker. Roads are fulla' clowns...
About a year later the new Dodge Ram pickups hit the market with their retro stying.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I purchased a newer Dodge Ram Truck just this year and I fail to see any retro stying at all. They look completely different from the older Dodge trucks.
A car with a turbine instead of rattling pistons - wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHow often can you drive a car with a turbine engine - as often as you like, just fill'er up. Lol, I'm with you, though.
Terry, I was talking about the 93/94 RAM, the ones 12 months after the Batman series. After all those big squared off trucks from the 80's they were a breath of fresh air.
ReplyDeleteThe Retro styling I was refering too was how the front fenders/wheel arches are stepped down from the hood/bonnet. The radiator took on a hint of eliptical curves on the outer edges. Combine this a step side, instead of a fleet side, and you start looking more old fashioned.
The Durango, when first introduced, redefined the shape of the SUV, which was getting decidedly square, see the Isuzu Trooper (also rebadeged as an Opel) the Toyota Land Cruiser (which used to be a Jeep/Land Rover competitor - still is in Australia) and the Explorer, Suburban and Jimmy of the early 90's.
If you look now, you'll see Dodge is moving it's look again. Sure the Challenger is retro, looks like the '73 that never happened. The Charger has a chunky retro look, as does the Magnum, but going for a 3/4 size, but 1/2 height look of say an old Hornet. Then they have a the Calibre, and Neon which are competing with the look of Saturn and Toyota in the small car/small hatch market.
We've been looking at this retro architecture for a decade, and so it seems contemporary and common place.
The Prowler and PT Cruiser were the most that way, and the Chevy SSR and HHR are also tres retro.
Terry, I was talking about the 93/94 RAM, the ones 12 months after the Batman series. After all those big squared off trucks from the 80's they were a breath of fresh air.
ReplyDeleteOh, okay. And yes, they were a breath of fresh air Alex. Good observation.
Alex said...
ReplyDelete"We've been looking at this retro architecture for a decade"
So, what you are saying is, retro is modern.
Okay, now I finally get it. ;-)
Post-futuristic-retro?
ReplyDeleteI think my original comment was about a contemporary re-envisioning of the pasts concept of the future which is now, and how that lead to a self fulfilling prophesy.
ReplyDeleteAnybody picked up the book "Where's my Jet Pcak" by Daniel H Wilson. I saw it in the bookshop, but my kids dragged me the other way.
One thing I remember (can't find it now) is a 1950s advertisement for GE, that included "the home of the future." All sorts of labor-saving devices (few of which came to pass) and lots of plastic wrap around the furniture. Everything gleamed with streamlining and chrome. Funny thing, though, in the ad no thought was given to the traditional role of the female as the home-maker. So GE ballyhooed how, in the future, everything would be "so much easier for her" that she would be able to clean more quickly, cook hubby's dinner more efficiently and nutritiously, wash the rugs without having to even go outside, etc.
ReplyDeleteDidn't occur to them that "she" might not want to stay at home doing the housework.
Aside: frankly, I never saw the insult in it. I love domestic chores. I am not a well-organized cook, and I don't really take much care to keep groceries in order to "make meals," though I'm perfectly competent with simpler recipes and have a few specialties. But aside from that, my home is spic-and-span, to the point that sometimes visitors comment that they feel it's like a hotel room. I'm male and see no shame in it. I have always hated office work, find it demeaning, boring, dull, mostly an obvious dead-end, not something I would "want to do with my life." And yet there are just hordes of women out there clamoring for an opportunity to "break in" and get the chance to ... file all day, and suck up to the boss?