Robert Hall

The brand I see most likely to die soon that hasn't been announced is Mercury. Only 4 models for '10, all rebadges. Nothing new announced. I'm skeptical if Ford will keep it around. They didn't do any Mercury versions of the recent crossovers (Edge, Flex) or the Taurus..

Ah, hence the advantage to smallest possible footprint. Sounds like the Smart is the most ideal...RWD, 2 seater, available in a convertible.. Article on best city cars

Yes. Around 1957. It was their first 'fleetside'..Chevy Cameo equivalent.

I've never had an issue in large cities with larger cars (i.e. LA, Chicago, Phoenix)--was always able to park in garages w/ cars at about 200-215" overall length. You must be talking about street parking in NYC or something? Some place w/ undersized parking spaces?

Here's the first magazine 'first drive' I've seen of the Spark, from Car magazine (UK). Car magazine Spark review "first impressions of the Spark are of a competent car with a surprisingly grown up and spacious feel to it." 143.3 inches overall length, 1904lbs.

+1. Or a '69-70 Marquis ragtop...I remember seeing one of those in Florida as a kid, and another one here in Phoenix a couple times over the last year. I think I've only seen two of them in my lifetime! I'm sure the '49-50 Merc is iconic, it just has zero appeal to me..I just can't get into cars of that era.

Watching a Cube on the freeway in traffic last week a couple of times, I think some of it's details (the side windows in particular) are downright wierd....

Precisely. The mass market wants functional, reliable vanilla FWD generics, that's what sells in volume, along with equally dull trucks. Enthusiast-oriented cars are a very small percentage of the market.

This is going to be a cheap, sub-$15k car, so obviously, they are going cheap on the materials and details. I wouldn't expect anything to look 'hand crafted' at the bottom end of the market. Looking at the pics, it looks exactly like what it is--a productionized 5dr version of the Beat concept.

If the price and content are right, it will sell, esp. when gas goes back up. A percentage of the target market will like the radical styling. The Cube and Soul are selling well, they are just as radical. Just because you (or I) don't like the styling, doesn't mean others won't find it appealing.

Hot Rod magazine around 1980-82 had an article on a 32 Ford roadster w/ a rear mounted Citation engine and transaxle, IIRC. Here's one w/ a Aurora engine. Mid Engined 32 Ford

Or Saleen or SMS or Panoz. Maybe just a 'Domestic Other' folder to catch these smallest fish.

The magazines have reviews of pedestrian models all the time---n-way comparisons of family sedans, compacts, crossovers, etc. Obviously, cover stories of supercars and other performance vehicles get attention and sell magazines. But the magazines still run articles on the mainstream stuff.

How about Canada? You realize the US imports twice as much oil from Canada than Venezuela and about 3 times as much from Canada as Saudi Arabia..Mexico is 2nd only to Canada. US Oil imports

Or drinks and dinner at Earls or Bostons. Or some Western Pizza...yum. (I particularly like Earls).

They are going with an angry appliance look, to appeal to the generation that likes 'Transformers' movies.. I wonder what the Cadillac 'Art and Science' style version will look like.

'67-70 Cougar, definitely. Grew up with them, my Mom still has 3 ('67 and 2 '68s). I like the '69-70 Marauder, '69-72 Marquis and Monterey...pretty much any full size Merc from '61 into the '70s. I also like the '68-72 Montegos and Cyclones..there is a sharp orange '72 Cyclone around here that I see occasionally. I've never cared for the '49-51 Mercs...the humpy styling does nothing for me, I guess they primarily appeal to an older generation that remembers when they were common...I just can't relate to '50s styling in general, I find the '70s lower-longer-wider much more appealing.

That's one of CARBIZ's standard themes...he's repeated it several times here before.

Not only that, but it's a backwards bowtie...(would look correct from inside the car, though).

One of the best looking T-types I've seen was a dark brown. I always liked those cars in the blend-in, stealthy colors.

I used to have an office like that. When I was in grad school at the U. of Michigan, my office and lab was in the center of a building w/ no windows nearby. Often couldn't tell if it was 2pm or 2am..full of caffinated, exhausted PhD students typing away on their computers. And in winter, outside it was either dark or different shades of gray (little sun in a Michigan winter). Those were strange days..

I have windows nearby..with a view of a parking lot w/ palm trees and palm trees and desert on the other side. My department cube farm is mostly empty, most of the FTEs took PTO today, and a few of us contractors are here "making the sausages"..

Reality is complex. There are only shades of gray and many truths and many unknowns. I still haven't found what I'm looking for..still searching for truth and meaning in a complex reality. And bored out of my mind in my cube waiting for the holiday weekend to begin at 4pm. (Hadn't planned on working today, but had to).

obedience

Typo..I meant cruise control electronics. Tired today, got awakened at about 2am, really never went back to sleep.