Driven to Write has a thing about brightwork. We also have a thing about quality.
The 1990 Lexus LS400 famously had nitrogen-filled tyres because mere air caused a resonance. Despite the car’s astonishingly careful conception, these aren’t much loved and few are they now in number. It’s successor (above) is a crouton in the same soup bowl.
Yesterday I got a chance to see one and do a brightwork check. Lo, the sideglass brightwork is made of one part per pane. That means there are no joins. Bentley can’t manage this. The rear screen is one piece too, tied at the base where the clip is least apparent. Somebody really sweated the small stuff which makes it great stuff.
This serves, perhaps, as a sharp contrast to yesterday’s Sedan de Ville which is simply home-made in comparison. And Mr Amko Leenarts at Ford – he’s the new chief designer- might want to think about the difficulty of reputation-building. If the relentless pursuit of perfection can’t take a brand to the top, then the current relentless pursuit of the middle-rank definitely won’t cut it.
Driven To Write 
one of my dream cars. since they came in very small quantities to Brazil, I think my consolation prize is likely to be a Kia Opirus (Korea’s take on generic Buicks and Lincolns).
The Opirus is not too bad – how about an XG30 instead?
The XG30 (350?), definitely a better design was never sold here. Besides, Hyundai is seen as the “nouveau riche” badge of choice down in Brazil.
Also, if I could find one, the Mazda 929 would fit the bill.
Richard, I just read what you wrote about the Opirus. Weren’t it a car made for being as unexciting as it gets, I’d say I got excited about it.
I think the final-but-one 929 was a terrific car, but there’s no doubt the original was in a different league. Notwithstanding its praise in some quarters, I still reckon these are underrated; it’s not just about the refinement and build quality either. I think the styling has aged well, and they drive better than you might think. An LS400 finished 14th outright two years running in the Targa Tasmania, which might not sound like much, but is pretty impressive when you realise the TT, even back then, was attracting a battalion of high-po machinery (the top three in 1994, for example, were a 911, RX-7, and a Lamborghini piloted by Sandro Munari).
…’the original’ = LS400, obviously.
Whilst awaiting the green man to show the other day, a GS wafted past serenely and positively oozed class without being ostentatious. Yes the driver was a more mature male but I admired him for not choosing German. And it was the bright work that caught my eye; thus on returning home with the urgent paprika, a brief surf revealed just that – perfect, unjointed silvery strips that really do work for me. I’d love my Octavia to have these. But that’s about as likely as spotting another GS round ‘ere.
This period was a good time for the pursuit of quality in design. That you mention the GS reminds that there is an MG GS and there was once a Citroen GS. Isn´t that a funny thing.
Citroen GS, yes.
MG GS. No. Just no.
And yes it is a funny thing which is why I keep returning here