They say everything is cyclical. You think things are evolving when in fact they're just making a big loop. Janna Levin in her book, "How the Universe Got Its Spots," writes that the universe may not be infinite and that the topology of space may be curved, meaning if astronauts were to get in a rocket, blast off and go in a straight line, they would eventually reach Earth again. A friend of mine who lives abroad, seeing muscle cars return to prominence in the states, asked what was the reason for it. I don't know. Why did bell bottoms re-emerge? Why do governments repeat past mistakes? Trends exist in a curved space, or I guess the human race is a fickle bunch that gets bored easily.
I like to think that I'm not such a slave to cyclical trends by defining my aesthetic and keeping to it. For example, I prefer older vehicles with designs that have lasted many years. Here's my dream garage, not necessarily in order of importance:
1. '65 Aston Martin DB5
2. '50s MBZ 300SL
3. '70s BMW 3.0csi
4. '85 BMW 635csi (this one is in my real garage)
5. '60s Volvo P1800
6. '62 Maserati 3500GT
7. '60s Lincoln Continental
8. '00 Subaru SVX (OK, admittedly, not that old)
9. '03 Infiniti M45 (what can I say, this is already a classic)
10. '50s Jaguar XK 120
This list could on for another 10 cars, but most of them, like some vintage Bugattis and a few on the above list, are completely out of my league (even if I were to win the lottery this week). Unless I get lucky-like Automobile mag's Jean Jennings and have a car gifted to me (she received a pristine 3.0csi a few years back, and generously shared that story with the world, thanks a lot!)-most likely these beautiful machines will just be part of my list, not my garage.
Notice I didn't write down any new vehicles. Definitely there are some new cars I would like to have added, but they just don't have quite the same allure for me. For someone who feels compelled to customize a car, as I do, that works out great. But considering some of the really amazing rides that automakers are producing, it's difficult to pass up on new advances in technology for vintage quality.
That's probably some of the motivation behind the resto-mod trend that's becoming increasingly popular - at least for the guys who can afford for six-figure price tags. Resto-mod, a combination of restoration and modification, is the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, because it's such an expensive hobby to get into, it's really for a small percentage of car enthusiasts.
For most people, they'll probably settle for new cars. It's getting harder to argue with that decision. Look at, for instance, the Acura RDX and MDX. I'm not in the market for a crossover or luxury SUV, but if I were it would be tough to resist buying one of the two. Mechanically superb and technologically brilliant, they have everything most consumers would want; and it's all integrated, ready to go. Vehicles like these are helping to push the trend away from customized rides. Even among car audio veterans - I won't mention any names - the tendency is to keep the car stock. You know who you are!
But to bring it back to where we started: it's all part of a big cycle. Eventually, enough of the driving population will have stock cars and people will get really bored with that and companies will devise ways to customize these sophisticated and impenetrable vehicles; and we'll see a new, or rather not so new, tendency for modded rides. As for me, I'll continue to save my pennies for one or two of the more affordable cars on my list before giving in to the new car craze; but, I'll be sure to keep my vehicles locked in the garage when they become fashionable again. That's one way to stay ahead of the curve - which is probably just part of a circle...
Ben Oh - Editor