The military didn’t just order stripped down versions, they had special orders which those items were removed. Power windows and the like were upgrades then, and no, we didn’t ask for nor expect any upgrades.
You’re also being extreme when it comes to functionality. And we’re not talking about war zones, either. I wouldn’t be in anything other than a hummer in a warzone, and the only radio there would be so I knew what was happening on the battlefield. The things you see running around the street are by no means even a distant relative to the real military hummer.
I’m talking about driving from base A to base B doing regular duty…like delivering parts and the like. We had no reg’s prohibiting us from listening to radios, and many would bring their own with, only because they weren’t installed. So those practices are done. Regular vehicles, standard options as made for anyone else on the road.
As for the 21 year old, I’d rather have him listening to music than asleep.
Chaissos. …yes, the ambulance I drove in the military and the police cruiser I drove when a cop, both were restricted by our Chief and disp. regs in radio use. Obviously two ways can’t compete. We were NOT to use them under most circumstances, We were always “on call” in both these govt. vehicles. Obviously your experience is different… Hence the comment “we drove”. .
Some vehicles were special order, cruisers were obviously. Whether they were special order or not is immaterial, they were stripped of options found on civilian cars and trucks for the exact reasons I stated… So where is the extreme part?
You want to do delivery and listen to music…fine.
When ever I was in a govt. vehicle, a military ambulance, one a standard civilian convert and the other straight military truck or police cruiser, my expectations were a tad different then yours. No radio, no rap music, regardless of age, yes, even on the flight line on base.
I guess the original post was saying new cars are so good they are getting boring. Not sure, since my newest car is an '04. If boring means reliable, then that’s not so bad. If boring means you really don’t enjoy being in the car then that is a problem. Men in particular like to feel “bonded” to their cars and a boring car won’t stay in the garage long before it is sold and replaced with something that has more “personality”.
Agree quibix; even the cheapest car on the market is immensely safer than those old cars of yore. There is also a clip of a Renault subcompact colliding with one of those early 90s Volvo “tanks” The driver of the Renault would have walked away while the Volvo driver would have at least been seriously injured.
Compared to 1970,the price of a “mid size” Chevy Impala was $5471, in today’s dollars that’s $31,899, pretty close to the price of a nice modern Impala. By comparison, the mpg is double 1970, you can darn near breathe the exhaust it is so clean, the 2011 model car comes with AC, power everything, nice AM/FM/CD cruise, airbags, ABS disk brakes, handles better, will run way over 100,000 miles and not rust away and is WAAAAY safer. All 'round, a far better car for the SAME PRICE as 1970. Every other manufacturer has the same gains. When “stripper” cars have been introduced, their sales always flame out! All things considered, we are way better off.
The stripper cars of today are still worlds away from the luxo-barges of yesteryear. However, those who say they don’t need a radio or power windows will often tire of not having those features and trade the stripper car in for something with more bells and whistles, claiming they’ll never do that again