16 Aug 2016 – Driven To Write

Theme: Colour Micropost

I mentioned mid-range colours earlier. Here’s what I meant. Sorry, it’s another Ford. Down the road there parked one in goldy browny grey too.

Is this colour available in the UK? A similar colour appeared on Ghia Mondeo Mk2s and on a special edition Ka Mk1.

As an aside, the new Astra and newish Corsa are only appearing with lease-me colours: black, metallic grey and red. That confounds my launch colour theory.

Thought two: in a run-out period could zany colours be a cheap selling point? Is a cheerful paint colour the Fiat 500s main selling point now?

Theme: Colour Micropost

This must have been a launch colour, chosen for its eye-catching hue.

I notice mid-range colours are the ones people like least: mid-blue, mid-green, orange and bronze or caramel brown. Continue reading “Theme: Colour Micropost”

More Ka Thoughts

John Topley penned this rumination on the Ford Ka when it went out of production. I thought you might like to take a look.

About the only point where I am not in agreement with John is what he refers to as the Ka’s discordant lines. What makes the shape work for me is that absolutely everything adds up to a strong unity. Amazingly, the alternative design was as wrong as the actual one is right. Continue reading “More Ka Thoughts”

Getting (back) Into the KA

To mark the 20th anniversary of Ur-Ka’s debut, we don’t write about it.

We’ve spilled a good deal of ink over the Ka on Driven to Write over the past couple of years – too much, some might say. But with the car’s 20th anniversary now looming, one has to be seen to be doing something. So rather than retread old ground, the opinions of the foremost UK auto journalists of the time will have to suffice. Failing that of course, there’s always the narcotic Laurie Anderson soundtracked launch commercial – which is notable for showing no footage of the Ka at all*. Continue reading “Getting (back) Into the KA”