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WOW that is one pretty Lancia and it sounds pretty good as well. Its nice to see when people can appreciate cars from brands that dont get as much attention as others. I know modern cars have the performance but there is something about owning a classic car like this one in the article. It just takes you to another place and to see the smiles it gives people, makes me envious just thinking about it 😀
I will plead ignorance about this wonderful car. It is a stunning example of design. I tend to agree with Mr. Giaimo that today’s cars are very reliable and easy to driive. However, I feel that we are missing some of the connection to driving as today’s cars seem to wrap you in a protective cocoon. I only wish we could have greenhouses like the one on the Zagato and other of that era.
Reliability is not a bad thing. My old Datsun was as reliable as if not more so than any modern car. I am a fan of the interpretation that a car should start every morning. You can enjoy that execution of the engineering as much as you can enjoy the flaws of a vehicle’s design. Is something lost? I am not sure. A “difficult” car can lead to a great connection with a vehicle and it can also kill that connection too.
Modern cars are lost when it comes to “knowing more than the driver” such as ESC. However, not all that is modern is bad.
Valid point. I cut my teeth learning to drive a manual with a Datsun 510. That car was about as reliable as any car could be (I am talking about mid 1980’s when I started to drive).
I love getting into my daily driver Honda. It is a supremely reliable machine and as a whole is brilliantly engineered. The downside is that cars tend to become “numb or disconnected” in their efforts to insulate or protect the occupants. An aircooled VW is a common example or an engaging experience in my opinion. It sounds like you are going 80mph when you are actually going 40 and there is a direct connection with the driver with that car. Is it perfect? No, but there is an endearing charm to driving a car that is mechanically simple. I also agree that reliability also plays into my prospective in looking at an older car (despite my longings, a Maserati BiTurbo will not grace my driveway)