The Thinker's Garage Pondering Automotive History, Design and Culture
Celebrating the Volkswagen Up!
I am often asked what my favourite new car design is. My response that it is the base model Volkswagen often raises eyebrows, but there are plenty of reasons why the Volkswagen Up! is one of my favourite new cars. In an age where car design is often not much more than simply styling, the […]
On fashion, innovation and design integrity
We all know people who we would describe as “different”. Some of these people are different because they are true to themselves and aren’t really fussed by others. Others try really hard to be different to get attention or maybe even divert attention away from the fact they may actually be really boring. The latter […]
Analysis – Alfa 166 Pre & Post Restyling
The 166 was Alfa Romeo’s flagship sedan for almost a decade, yet is often forgotten or overlooked by enthusiasts. I feel the early shape 166 is underappreciated and sometimes misunderstood as a design and while I appreciate the facelifted model, I believe it is the earlier car which is the stronger of the two designs. […]
Jaguar – Heading in the right direction
As an English speaking person with a penchant for European cars, I find myself reading a lot of British automotive journalism. Recently, I have become accustomed to great hype and positive reviews when it comes to the press’s treatment of new Jaguar cars. And from afar it is easy to understand why. Jaguar, a British icon freshly […]
Alfa Romeo’s 4C – Why the Alfisti are excited
A lot of buzz has surrounded the launch of Alfa Romeo’s new 4C sports car, particularly among Alfa Romeo’s diehard fans, known as the Alfisti. On the face of it, Alfa returning to rear wheel drive and finally building an uncompromising and focused sports car are cause enough for celebration, but there is a deeper reason for the excitement because it […]
