Argentinian Metal

"Telumektar" (telumektar) 10/12/2013 at 20:25 • Filed to: None

0

3

Sooo, today I went to a Japanese Festival with the intention of seeing some Japanese vehicles and other Japan-related stuff, as the invitation expressly stated that there were going to be some "Japanese vehicles and motorcycles" amongst many other activities and demonstrations (Martial Arts, Origami, Ikebana, etc.).

The festival was quite well-organized, everything was super tidy and well-presented, even the Martial Arts part was properly engaging and entertaining, they could have gone for a "safe" demonstration of basic moves and the like but instead the organizers let the clubs show their better-trained ones in some not-so-pacific engagements :D

The thing is the "Japanese vehicles" part was a TOTAL let-down, not only there weren't many cars and bikes but also the ones that were there were absolutely mundane. There was a Yamaha stand with a common city-bike and a simple dirt-bike and the other stand belonged to Toyota and no, there weren't any Celica rally cars or Supras, not even a GT-86, there was something that looked like a Camry (I wasn't very close to the stand) and an SUV.

AND THAT WAS IT!

Luckily, the Japanese Garden was nearby, so we (I went with a couple of friends) went in and took a while to appreciate some nice Japanese Art and smell the Sakuras.

Still, the trip Jalop-redeemed itself from the very begging, as while I was waiting for my friends' arrival I saw one of the prettiest Argentinian Ford Falcons I had ever seen. It was a little out of place but it sure did look special.

Sorry for the pics' quality, my cellphone's potatocam did what it could, plus I didn't want to look like a total creep taking photos from a car while people passed by.

DavidHH > Telumektar 10/13/2013 at 16:40

0

Argentina made Ford Falcons for years, up into the 2000s. They were great at burning low grade gasoline and withstanding bad dirt roads.

The bad part is when a white Falcon came to your home, with two officers, to violently question you about your loyalty to the state. This often ended with you being thrown from a plane into the ocean, or being part of the soccer stadium.

Now the white Falcon is a symbol of the disappeared and it's not well loved in Argentina, as too many innocent people died.

Telumektar > DavidHH 10/13/2013 at 17:11

1

You don't have to remind me of that, I'm Uruguayan. This was in Montevideo.
I tend not to put that in my posts so as not to be too repetitive.

Also, I'm pretty sure those the Police and Military used were mostly flat-green and other pastel colours. But mostly green.

And here it says they were made until 1991: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falc…

DavidHH > Telumektar 10/13/2013 at 17:45

1

I posted that for everyone else. I saw the Uruguay license plate holder.

My understanding of the situation is that it was usually a white unmarked Falcon, that would come for you. And the white Falcon has been used at least twice to make artwork commemorating the victims.

Wiki may be right at 1991, though. I read an article a while back about the Falcon and Maverick, and thought it was produced later. Ironically we had a Falcon and then a Maverick when I was growing up, both coming from a friend of my grandfathers salvage yard.