It seems to me that cars these day are getting more & more technically advanced. Like computers, phones and TVs the latest technology to make life "easier" is being introduced at a rapid rate of knots.
How many of your cars functions do you use on a regular basis ? Cruise control on the motorways in the UK is an on off affair most of the time. ESP ? When was the last time you turned it off ? Heated seats, do we really need them?
There used to be a time when a cheap car was seen as just a tool. Something you bought to get you from A to B or sometimes get as far as C. Today the options of basic budget motoring are limited. Most manafacturers are keen to offer air con & electric windows in even base models.
Now I know the 2CV was a design statement that originated in the 1930s, but it was a vehicle that had everything you needed, but made do without such things as wind up windows, or central locking. Can we not have a modern equivalent ?
The Tata Nano is the closest thing around today which has been built to a price. But its main aim is to get the people of Asia off their Honda motorcycles and into a four wheeled car. A modern equivalent of the Reliant Regal of the 1950s, which got the British public from motorcycles into a 3 wheeled car ! And then followed by 4 wheeled versions such as the venerable Mini.
What I would like to see is a stripped down basic 4 seater, following the BMW train of thought. If you want something you pay extra for it. A bit like Easyjet motoring. Cheap initial purchase but the more you want the more you will pay.
So ulike in the 1970s where even heaters and seabelts were on the options list. Things like aircon, radio, electric windows, or even packs of equipment could be supplied. Do you really want to pay £2000 for a sat nav when all you ever do is drive to the office and back ??
And cheap doesn't have to mean nasty. There must be a way of avoiding the horrible tinny metal and shiny scratchy plastics, and switches that feel as if they will come away in you hand . With fuel costs rising even more can someone produce a car which has more substance that style, yet will still appeal to a broad market of first time and cost concious motorists ?
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