Classics by the Beach: February, 2020

 

Has this spaceship cum oceanliner cum embodiment of 1950s American excess been given lead position in this month's Classics by The Beach edition of U M P H as some sort of cynical attempt attract readers?  You betcha it has!  If you're going to use 'clickbait,' as I believe this sort of thing's called, you'd be hard pressed to find better.   

You might wonder why there's not just one, but two, Series I Audi TT Quattros featured today.  First, I reckon they're amongst the German marque's most iconic designs and that, as attractive as the subsequent TT models may be, the first series stands as a defining point in Audi's transition to the uber-stylish brand that it has become. 

There's also the fact that the Series I TT has become an endangered species, having fallen victim to the dodgy Takata airbags saga that's affected other similar era models from the German manufacturer and many, many other car brands worldwide (https://www.caradvice.com.au/814735/audi-australia-takata-buyback/).  However, unlike other car makers, Audi won't be recalling the cars to have replacement airbags fitted; they've arbitrarily determined that it's cheaper to buy them all back - whether that's what their owners want or not - and will be sending them to the crusher.  

As well as being a waste of perfectly good cars - these two examples, in particular, being in really good nick - it's also a slap in the face for owners, who apparently have zero choice in the matter.  It's rumoured that Audi intend approaching governments around the globe to have the cars deemed unroadworthy, en masse, which will see them subject to a statutory write off, rendering them unregiserable in all markets in which they've been sold.

Fortunately, Morris Minors are properly low-tech and are likely to be on our roads as long as there's fuel - be that petrol, ethanol or bovine flatulence - to power their venerable internal combustion engines.  And failing that, I'm sure there will be some enterprising types out there willing to retrofit them with electric motors if needs be.  Come to think of it, this probably applies to all the cars shown today that aren't Audis!  

Whatever this fabulous old car is - a De Soto, perhaps (?) - it won't be falling foul of any tech glitches, either!  It is the very essence of robust simplicity and I think it's all the lovelier for it!

So commiserations to all Series I TT owners and those of other affected Audi models.  It's a sad day when a manufacturer can override the rights of the purchasers of their products, long after they were sold, even if it's supposedly in the name of safety.  (The safety of Audi's bottom line, more like!)  

And it's un-Australian, too!  I think this sums it up best:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gls09kO-8DE .

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)