Running Out Of Time!

"Groagun" (groagun) 03/12/2014 at 16:51 • Filed to: None

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During the Geneva Motor Show I was kicking around in my head, the idea that today is actually the 'Golden Age' of the automobile. While I know many believe that it was the mid 50's to late 60's. I think we are actually living the dream right now, today!

While OPPO and Jalopnik are fairly good sources of news for the auto enthusiast, Auto Blog is still a great place to go for daily news and coverage for such events just like Geneva. They do a fairly extensive post that covers all of the major debuts and wraps it up in one convenient place.

As I do with most show recaps, I write my two cents below and give a line or two on each of the cars. I encourage you to take a look and see if you agree with my comments. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! In my quick summary of the overall show I said this "....

The show itself seemed very densely packed and full of exciting news and premiers. While global economic conditions and political unrest still hamper much of the globe, it's great to see the car biz get it's mojo back.

We live in the true golden age of the automobile and personal transportation so get out there and enjoy because I'm not sure as enthusiasts we will truly love what comes next."

So what does come next? I'm not talking about electrified cars or any other form of propulsion: I'm talking about the actual personal freedom of driving anywhere, anytime in the cars/vehicles of your choice.

Much has been bantered about in the past year or so about the automated car. I think it is inevitable that we will end up there. Why?

Look around you, just in your own city. Global movements of population are increasingly filling space in large urban centers: in other words, people aren't moving to the country side anymore.

Density is the key here and already in some big cities we are at or over capacity for automobile traffic. Gridlock is the buzz word du jour. Speaking of/in French, I spent some time in Paris and London a short time ago and Europe is at the nexus of this problem.

Today there are several cities and towns that have banned car traffic, in certain parts, all together. Paris is so packed and so 'skinny' that smart cars and scooters are like cock roaches, they're everywhere and in the millions. I actually watched a group of Parisian business men, all in perfectly tailored beautiful suits, get off mopeds and motorcycles change out of their gear for riding on the street and proceed into the office building ready for work that day. It's just something you don't see here, yet.

NY, Boston, LA, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and several other major cities here in NA are on the same path and one might argue are already there. So what's next, the auto mated highway and the automated car.

Why? Because to continue the lifestyle we are accustomed to and to advance our society, we cannot afford to be bogged down in traffic, it's that simple. Upward mobility doesn't only mean personal freedom to move when, where and how an individual chooses, it also describes the state of economic health and viability of your city.

It's coming faster than you think and it will be messy at first, but make no mistake about it, it's going to happen. Embrace it when it does, you can't fight the numbers on this one.

So, get out there now and enjoy what the car has to offer and what extraordinary cars there are to choose from right now. I still believe that in the future will you own your own car, be able to personalize and enjoy the benefits it brings you. It may be electric or something else. None of that matters: what does is the ability to up and drive anywhere, anytime and by what every mode of vehicle you want.

The one saving grace, car ownership may be like owning a horse today: you keep as a prized possession, at a specialty place(stable) just for horses and you take it out when you want and enjoy the freedom of the ride in the safety of that environment. So your race car will be kept at a track and taken out when you want and enjoyed when you want, and without the other millions of morons on the road with you at the same time. Sounds good to me.

desertdog5051 > Groagun 03/12/2014 at 17:47

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Interesting points. It is inevitable, I fear.