tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557947810239808242.post7604260065064642739..comments2024-03-28T15:09:23.711-07:00Comments on Car Style Critic: What Were They Thinking?: Jaguar XK150Donald Pittengerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11307228686847434740noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557947810239808242.post-23332531512433985192022-09-24T05:37:21.486-07:002022-09-24T05:37:21.486-07:00As the proud owner of a Jaguar XK150, you may be w...As the proud owner of a Jaguar XK150, you may be wondering what the designers were thinking when they created this vehicle. While it's a beautiful car, it's also one of the most difficult to keep on the road. Jaguar XK150s are notorious for their electrical and mechanical problems, which can often be costly because are <a href="https://mycarrepairdubai.com/jaguar-repair-dubai/" rel="nofollow">jaguars expensive to repair</a>. If you're considering buying an XK150, or if you already own one, here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to its upkeep.<br /><br /><br />First and foremost, Jaguar XK150s require regular maintenance and repairs. Even if you only drive your car occasionally, it's important to take it in for service at least once a year. The sooner you catch any potential problems, the easier (and less expensive) they will be to fix.<br /><br /><br /><br />Second, be prepared to pay for parts and labor.bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10807621951988785799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557947810239808242.post-65866659020336979172021-08-23T04:06:41.724-07:002021-08-23T04:06:41.724-07:00"William Lyons surely abandoned his good tast..."William Lyons surely abandoned his good taste with this one." <br /><br />Not as much as GM did with any '58 Buick or Olds. They looked like monsters from the deep lagoon, grossly offensive to my 11 year-old eye. And that feeling did not dissipate with time.<br /><br />On top of that was the '58 Lincoln, a cross-eyed gargantuan lump of iron that exuded no grace whatsoever. And with scallops behind the front and to a lesser extent rear wheels that typified late '50s Detroit iron -- tacked-on geegaws and gingerbread. The fits and finishes were dreadful as well. No precision-crafted performance there, just pure junk. '57 through '59 Chrysler products dissolved in three years in our climate in Eastern Canada, as a further example of "what in hell were they thinking?"<br /><br />In fact, I don't think they were. Thinking, that is. If one goes to:<br /><br />http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Oral_histories.htm<br /><br />There one finds some actual oral interview histories online of many US designers, conducted in the 1980s. Most are about Ford. And that outfit was about as badly organized as can possibly be imagined, ego-trip city. For decades.<br /><br />I began to read the transcripts at first to get some insight into things like compound curvature, surface development, shutlines and so on to get some insight into, you know, actual design. But what did I discover? That it was all by guess and by golly from beginning to end. Infighting, egos, just general BS and arbitrariness.<br /><br />I was fortunate to go and study for my masters mechanical engineering in London, England. That was in 1969. The Jaguar XJ6 had just been released, and frankly made any Detroit car look like the crap it was. The XK120, the E-Type and the XJ6 were the Lyons masterpieces. Obviously British component manufacture engineering was pretty lousy, but the English Fords had doors, hoods and trunk lids that actually fitted together, not the thrown-together rubbish we were fed in North America, added to blowsy wasteful design.<br /><br />The most out-of-its-place car I ever saw in my entire life, occurred in 1970 in London. I was strolling with a Canadian friend not far from Hyde Park Corner, when a 1970 Camaro drew up alongside us, and the American driver and his wife were lost and needed directions. Of course, they would pick two foreigners to ask! That Camaro exhibited wasteful design to its core. Wide but no room inside, and looked like a whale, as big as the Jaguar but with minimal space for two, replete wuth GM plastic beige interior. Quite disconcerting in fact to stare into this thing as we bent down to chat with the driver. He was so panicked by the traffic, close-quarter driving and steering wheel on the wrong side, he kept us chatting for several minutes when he discovered we were actually North Americans. Now, back in Canada, the Camaro looked great in context, an actual cohesive design, although the door fit was never much better than amateur hour and the glass therein rattled like a cheap K-Mart liquor cabinet. In London, the Camaro merely looked ridiculous.<br /><br />So, after reading a few of your entries, I realize that the commentary and depth isn't what I'm personally looking for, either. But I'm sure it's satisfying for you, and that's just fine. Carry on!<br /><br />Bruce Armstrong<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com