Re: [FWDLK] Keeping a secret....

In a message dated 12/11/2006 7:56:27 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, jrogers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

So yes, I too looked at new production cars as "old" stuff, but the
"waiting for the new" became a perpetual cycle...there was always
something "new" to look forward to, but the reality of "now" (needing to
replace a car for whatever reason) often trumps the desire to wait for
the new. Since the rest of my family weren't "car people," they
couldn't fully appreciate my knowledge of, or experience with,
pre-production vehicles. Of course I had to watch my tongue when I
visited with buddies who worked at Ford or GM!

Jason.

Along the same line of thought, In the 50's and 60's, new cars were always released in the fall, pretty much all at the same time. All our testing was done in "Mules", which were current year cars with later engines. The public never saw the cars until release. The storage lot fences were all swathed in canvas to keep the surprise until "Release day". All was secret in Detroit, not like now with the Internet, etc. Another thing was that the cars looked different from make to make, because they weren't all designed in a wind tunnel. (A raindrop always looks the same, no matter who makes it.)

BUT.... At the very last, we HAD to take some out on the streets for final test, and it was always a thrill to be the first to be seen in one of the "New Ones". People gawked at stop lights, etc., and asked "What is it". Detroit was truly MOTOR CITY!