I know that most if not all of us on this board like Camaro's Firebirds, etc....

But, how do most Eurpean's in general view American cars?

I know that the Japanese in general, dont really care for American cars. Very few American cars are over there from what I've seen and they view American cars as being too big and un-economical (not fuel efficient etc...).

Just curious!

 

Regarding us Brits, we are in the minority that are interested in yanks, which is good cause we can get concessions on certain auto-related laws. The popularity of yanks peaked in the late 80's & I've often heard recently the US auto hobby in the Uk is now in decline. Youngsters are going for the "Riceburners" which I personally find bland & uninteresting. What I drive is distinctive & sets me apart from them.

Having said that, Chrysler have been extremely successful in sales of the P/T Cruisers & Jeep in the UK.

As for the Europeans...I've no idea.

And the Japs, well, no idea again...they are welcome to their riceburners.

 

Most of the people I know have visions of a Cadillac with horns on the hood when a n American car gets mentioned.They often cite yank cars as being big gas guzzlers with handling like an elephant on rollerskates!To be honest a lot(but definetaly not all) yank cars really do handle ****e.But when they see and ride in the Camaro they are humbled quickly.Handling isn't everything though and when some of them come to the European drag racing events and see yank cars running quicker times than bikes they are totally blown away.Besides you will always turn heads in a Camaro,mustang,charger etc,etc.Which is one thing you'll never do in a pile of ****e british car from the same era(hillman hunter,austins,minis,anglias,cortinas,etc.)
Things which I always here are "Aren't the parts very expensive and hard to get?" "Isn't insurance expensive?" To be honest parts are even cheaper than most Euro and definetaly jap cars and most are off the shelf.Insurance is also very cheap.:hail: :hail: :hail:

 

most people here imagine a huge gas guzzling tank when they think of an american car. i guess they're just jealous because their tiny fwd diesel econoboxes suck so bad.

 

I think even though a lot of brits think of Yanks as great big lardy gas guzzlers they are still awed by the sight of them........

All the young lads (17-18) round my way are into little buzz-boxes but whenever i see them they're always really into my car, i even took a couple of them out for a spin in the Z and scared the S**t out of them!!!!!!!!!! All they could say when they got out was "I can't believe it's so fast and handles so well!"

I think we need to educate the general public of the merits of American iron!!!

Also theres nothing like the sound of a thirdgen with open headers, when everyone else has a nasty farting noise coming from their exhaust....now that makes 'em look!!!!!!!!

C-ya

Phil

 

you get the usual jokes about 'smokey and the bandit' (wish I'd bought one of those t/a's!!) and 'dukes of hazard' (wish i'd bought one of those even more!) and yes a yank WILL drink more than a standard jap/euro econobox - but when you consider that a honda hrv (suv) wth a 1.6 litre engine will drop as low as 14mpg if thrashed my 13mpg from a 383 Z28 doesn't sound too bad really does it? you DO get a lot more attention than just about any other normal road car (and that includes the likes of ferrari and porsche)... as for performance when you tell tem what it's capable of (or show them!!) they are usually hightly impressed... and let's face it the V8's :hail: do sound sooooo much better than the normal 4 pots that most people have these days

 

American cars in Europe are
1) Ostentatious
2)Sound absolutely gorgeous (V8's of course).
3)Arrogant
4)Lots of car for not lots of money
5)an exhibitionists paradise!

I.e. everything really, really good!!!!

Unfortunately the majority do not think so. Which makes it all the better for us (especially me!).

Andy.

PS If I lived in America, would I buy an English car?........................................................................................................................................................No.

 

I feel generally that people in the UK are scared to stand out from the crowd. We are a bunch of conformists that fear to be ridiculed- we have to drive BM's or Vauxhaull's... I am fed up with reading any press on the 4th Gen Z/28's and Jeremey Clarkson (Britain's most revered and popular notoring journalist) hates the C4 Vette- what would he make of the 3rd Gens Then again who cares?

Generally the American cars are a little on the large side for our roads.. But then this isn't a problem as Euro boxes are getting much bigger too, with the Mk4 Golf nearly as wide as the IROC

On the flip side I think people are slightly in awe of our cars. They reckon we must drive everywhere towing an oil tanker and spares must cost a bomb. They wouldn't buy one but they respect that we have. You quite often get a coach full of kids giving you the thumbs up or admiring comments at petrol stations. You also get most things trying to race you (and secretly you know they think they have a chance) recently had a R32 Golf and an Audi S3 for example. What does surprise them is when you don't slow for corners (and not just due to our poor brakes )

I agree with all other comments made and the analogy of the Caddy with the horns on the front is very true and to be fair a few Brits share that dream! Just take a look around the SummerNats. Also the Wally-mobile or the wooden sided thing out of National Lampoons Vacation or the AMC Pacer....


Cheers,
Felix

 

when dad bought his Tahoe, we compared running costs to a Mitsubishi L200 pickup that Top Gear magazine had just aquierd, and were raving over.
the tahoe is,

the same size
faster
generaly considerd more reliable (400 000 miles minimum for the vortec 350)
more economical (yes, realy)
far far more powerfull
far more torquey
more comfortable
smoother
higher equiped
better ground clearance
better looking (everyone comments on that one!)
cleaner emmisions
quieter

the list could go on, but there just wasn't any contest at all. When it was in at the local garage for a service a while ago, the mechanic commented on "that handles soooo much better than a Range Rover, and its quick, too"
then consider that to get the L200 at the same equipment level as the Tahoe it would cost about 4000 pounds more!

oh, and the Mitsubishi is a 2.5 turbo diesel and makes less power and torque, but its still thirstier that the 350 vortec. go figure.

As for me, if i didn't have the Camaro, i'd prolly have either a Jaguar XJS V12, or a Maserati bi-turbo. I dont even need to compare those cars.(anyone say money pits on wheels)

 

Totally agree,yank trucks are head and shoulders above the jap stuff.Ford lightening truck 400hp,140mph, looks stunning and I've seen one embarrass many a car on the strip and street.The new dodge one has the engine and brakes from a viper- 500hp,150mph!!At the pod in May there was a black chevy pickup running 10's!:hail: :hail: :hail:

 

a friend of mine flew here (dallas,TX) from Holland to get a 2ndgen Fbody... according to him, theres a small but very dedicated crowd there...



i would imagine the Fbody groups there being like the Triumph Spitfire groups here small but very dedicated..



i own both a 91 camaro vert, and a 74(kinda) Spitfire 1500 Mark IV.... athough all the damn brit electronics have been ripped out in favor of stuff that actually works.

 

If the electrics work, that means it's no longer a classic

 

LOL!

well shes pretty much a daily driver now. optical trigger digital ignition, weber carb, monza exhaust, and windshield wipers that work IN THE RAIN!


one thing about brit cars ive never understood... you would think that if it rains so much there, they would know how to make a good set of windshield wipers.. lol





all in all though, im pretty much driving the spitfire here for the same reason alot of you drive camaros there.... its fun to drive, and its diffrent.. you dont see one everyday.

 

MrDude,

I've got a Triumph Stag too! Wih original Lucas wiring and electrics. It doesn't run of course but it is original Needs some work done to it, should keep me busy next year..

A good Spitfire over here is getting VERY rare and you hardly see them about now....

Felix

 

when i went to italy 4 years ago, i was amazed a the size of the cars... i knew they were gunna be small, but not that small! i was 5'10" then and my head stuck up through the sun roof on my grandfathers fiat. My grandfather used to drive a 59 impalla on the mean streets of Milan. My dad stayed with him one summer and he said the car was as big as the street itself! people would duck into doorways and little nooks on the side of buildings as he drove down the road. He also has a 70's bronco that he leaves in the US and he has a 72 camaro that, from the last i saw of it, keeps in good shape. Its weird cause no one knew he had a camaro, and my dad had gotten one also.. so my grandfather got one, my dad got one... i cant wait to get my new 5th gen!! hehehe. Its nice to hear about American cars on the other side of the pond.. Its sad that most of the Brit. companies are being sucked up by American companies... i.e. Ford gobbling up Land Rover, Jag, and AM.... dam Ford...