Will there ever be long term hits like these again?

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones

Mercedes SL
Porsche 911
Chevrolet Corvette

These bands and cars have had long term followings that seem to never end.

Which is why all the manufacturers are continually searching for the next big thing.

In hopes they can land the next big one.

But are they all trying to do the impossible?

The question we want asked is...Will there ever be long term hits like these again in the car business?

Today's consumers are extremely fickle and have a myriad of choices.

Just go to Starbucks and listen to your friends ordering drinks.

Does anyone ever say...I'll have a coffee?

Not likely these days...a typical order sounds like this...I'll have a decaf, no fat sumatra mocha, ground in the andes, roasted by peruvians, foamed by victoria's secret models with a twist of lemon!

We have some many choices and get bored SO easily.

Should it be any different in the car business.

What's the flavor of the month? SL55?

No, that's not cool anymore...gotta have the SL65!

Maybe we're going back to the old days...every four years came an entirely, radically different model.

We here at Auto Spies certainly think so.

We think NOTHING will last anymore.

If you're a car company and you get four good years out of your car, be happy!

Do you agree with us?

Post your comments below.

Matthew1 - 5/6/2005 1:07:41 AM

+1 Boost

Many designers want to merely re-create past hero cars by using design cues from etc.

They need to stop looking into the past and into the future. The Big-Three seem obsessed with retro, with the Ford GT, Chrysler 300C, PT-Cruiser, Chevrolet SSR....etc.

What many manufacturers need now is a fresh direction. BMW has experimented with it, with mixed results. The over-conservative consumer was not impressed, many die-hard BMW fans gave a lukewarm reception, but I think refinement of the theme would be very successful, and I wish they would be a bit more brave.

New pedestrian and safety laws are making it hard for designers to be creative when it comes to vehicle design, and that is why the most out-rageous designs are reserved for small manufacturers exempt from such rules. Just look at the TVR Sagaris.

Retro-cool is not cool anymore.