2005.10.26 又是在飛機上…
10/26/05 3:19pm On the plane again…<br/><br/>The 1950’s and 60’s marked the height of two decades of American automotive history and manufacturing. The 50’s signaled the adolescence of the modern automobile while the mid sixties was the beginning of the American “muscle car” era. This was an era of automobile design and manufacturing that was distinctively “American” embodying many cultural, political and social overtones. These “muscle cars” built during the mid sixties to the early seventies (spanning a period of less than ten years) were masculine, big, loud, rude, powerful, environmentally unfriendly (by today’s standards) but, most importantly, undeniably sexy. Henceforth, the name “muscle cars”. While the Europeans were building sleek and elegant BMW’s, Mercedes Benz’s and Ferrari’s and the Japanese polishing the art of the “economical” automobile, the American’s philosophy was “big is better”. Yes, perhaps, on hindsight this period of automotive history was excessive and a bit immature it, nevertheless, spawned a generation of passionate and diehard muscle car afficionados. I am one of those people. <br/><br/>If you’ve watched Tom Cruise’s “Vanilla Sky” then you’ll notice him driving a Highland Green late 60’s Ford Mustang Fastback through the streets of New York. A few years back, another car flick called “Gone in Sixty Seconds” starring Nicholas Cage featured a customized dark gray Ford Mustang Fastback by the name of “Eleanor”. These cars took on a personality by themselves and often stole the scene from even the leading ladies in the films. Almost 40 years ago, there was a movie that started it all starring Steve McQueen titled “Bullit”. It was a fairly typical cops and robbers movie but the legendary car chase scenes were what made it something unforgettable. I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I first watched the movie (maybe 7 or 8 years old?) but I never forgot the car chase scene through the hilly streets of San Francisco. Steve McQueen drove a Highland Green Mustang fastback chasing the bad guys who drove a mean black Dodge Charger. The entire car chase scene was probably fifteen minutes long but somehow it just didn’t feel long enough. While the cars careened through the tight and twisty alleys and streets after flying over the deep crests and dips of the rough San Francisco metropolis, the seeds of automobile lust were deeply planted in my young mind. <br/><br/>The muscle cars of that era typically all had large displacement V8 engines starting from four to five liters (4000cc to 5000cc) and upwards. Your typical four to six cylinder engines of today usually range from two to four liters. Horsepower ranges were typically from 250hp all the way up to 400hp plus! In comparison to today’s modern cars, these muscle cars from almost 40 years ago still hold their ground though today’s cars are much more efficient in both performance and gas mileage. A modern car may have a smaller engine and still be quicker than a larger displacement muscle car, however, the experience behind the wheel is grossly different. True, the cars of yesterday handled quite poorly compared to modern cars loaded with technology such as ABS brakes and traction control devices. However, it was the crudeness and rawness of the muscle cars that made them dangerous, soulful and exciting. The technology we have today only widens the distance between man and the machine. Yes, cars now are safer, more reliable and efficient but they are also infinitely boring and merely transportation devices. <br/><br/>I clearly remember one warm 28 degree day in LA when I was driving my Mustang Fastback that didn’t have power windows, power steering, power brakes, GPRS satellite navigation, air conditioning, cup holders, xenon lights, or bluetooth in-car telephone systems, etc… Yes, the brakes and steering were hard to operate and my face and back were wet with sweat but the sensation and indescribable high I got from driving the car down the highway was something you’d never experience from driving a modern sedan or sports car. Sure, opening your laptop and sending out a Valentine’s card to your wife is convenient but wouldn’t she rather receive some beautiful flowers and a hand-written note from you? So much for technology and convenience, right? <br/><br/>This bygone era of the muscle car has forever gone and will probably never return again. With the scarcity of crude oil, constant rise of gas prices and focus on environmental awareness, these muscle cars are now considered impractical and “unfriendly” to us. However, they symbolize an era of design, passion and personality that will forever inspire us if we allow it to. While most of the world insists on driving computer engineered square boxes with four tires attached, I’d rather spend just one hour in a ’70 Mustang fastback with a 428 cu. in. Cobra Jet engine “laying some rubber” on the asphalt from an intersection. If the driver behind me ever catches up to me then all he’ll see is the big grin on my face…<br/><br/><br/>2005年10月26日 下午3點19分 又是在飛機上…<br/><br/>1950年代與1960年代可說是美國汽車工業史上的黃金二十年。50年代象徵現代汽車工業的發展起步，60年代中期則是美國「肌肉車（muscle car）」紀元的開端。在這段時間裡，許多獨特的美式文化、政治及社會意義具體延伸至汽車設計與製造的概念中。這些從60年代中期到70年代早期（整個時期不超過十年）生產的汽車都是非常陽剛、龐大、喧噪、粗獷而強力的，若以今日的標準來看，那其實是不環保的；但是最重要的一點是，它有令人敢以抗拒的性感。正因如此，它便被喚為「肌肉車」。當歐洲的寶馬 BMW、 賓士 Mercedes-Benz、法拉力 Ferrari等車廠致力於製造豪華優雅的車款，日系車廠鑽研精練「經濟實惠」的美學之際，美式哲學則是標舉著「數大便是美」的態度。是的，若從現在的角度回顧，這段時間在汽車發展史上或許是有點極端而不成熟的，然而，它也孕育了一群激情、死忠的肌肉車迷。我便是其中一個。<br/><br/>如果你有看過湯姆克魯斯（Tom Cruise）主演的電影【香草天空（Vanilla Sky）】，你會發現他在戲裡面駕駛著一輛60年代末期出廠、草綠色的福特揭背式野馬（Ford Mustang Fastback)馳騁紐約街頭。幾年前，還有一部汽車電影是由尼可拉斯凱吉（Nicholas Cage）主演的【驚天動地六十秒（Gone in Sixty Seconds)）】，裡頭有一台改裝定做的暗灰色福特揭背式野馬，名為“艾琳諾（Eleanor）“。這些自我性格強烈的車子在影片裡經常喧賓奪主，甚至搶走不少女主角的光彩。大約四十年前，由史提夫麥昆（Steve McQueen)主演的電影【警網鐵金剛 (Bullit)】算是這一切的肇始者。那其實是一部非常典型的警匪電影，然而其中的飛車追逐傳奇片段，卻使它成為令人難忘的經典名片。 我不太記得我第一次看這個電影的時候是幾歲（可能是七、八歲吧？）但是我永遠都忘不了那個在舊金山起伏街道，飛車追逐的畫面。 片中，史提夫麥昆駕駛一輛草綠色的福特揭背式野馬，追捕由歹徒駕駛的全黑道奇Charger（Dodge Charger）。整個追逐場面大概長達15分鐘，可是卻會讓人有意猶未盡的感覺。隨著車子飛越舊金山崎嶇不平的市中心，搖搖晃晃地穿縮在緊隘曲折的巷弄胡同中，對汽車的愛戀因子便如此深植在我的心中。<br/><br/>那個時代典型的肌肉車都會有大排氣量的 八缸引擎，大概都有 4000cc到 5000cc，甚至更多。今日一般的四缸或六缸引擎的排氣量，通常都是 2000cc到 4000cc。肌肉車標準的馬力範圍則是從250匹到400匹不等，甚至更多。相較於現代的汽車，這些40年前生產的汽車依舊在車壇佔據一席之地，儘管現代的汽車在性能與行駛里程數方面都表現得更為優異。現在的汽車引擎通常比較小，卻可以跑得比這些大排氣量的肌肉車還要快；然而，醉翁之意不在酒，方向盤之外，還有更多截然不同的體驗。確實，昔日的車輛極難操控，不像現在的汽車裝載ABS煞車系統或循跡防滑系統等科技設備。然而正因為這些粗糙、原始的特質使它們變得危險，充滿靈性與刺激性。現代科技只會讓人類跟機器的距離越來越遠。現代的汽車確實比較安全可靠，效能也比較高，但是它們也是了無生趣，充其量就只是交通工具罷了。<br/><br/>我清楚記得一個在洛城的日子，戶外溫度大約攝氏28度，我開著一輛揭背式野馬。那輛車沒有電動窗，沒有動力方向盤，沒有動力輔助煞車，沒有GPRS衛星導航系統，沒有冷氣空調，沒有杯座，沒有氙氣車燈，沒有內裝藍牙電話系統…等等。煞車跟方向盤都很難控制，我的臉和背佈滿了汗珠，但是當我開上快速道路時，我內心興高采烈的程度是你在現代的轎車或跑車身上完全無法體驗得到的。打開手提電腦，寄一封情人節賀卡給你的老婆確實相當方便，但是如果她能夠收到你送的一束美麗的花朵或一封手寫的短箴，她應該會更快樂吧？那是科技與便利無法比擬的，不是嗎？<br/><br/>昔日的肌肉車時光早已消逝不復返。由於油價持續攀升、環保意識抬頭，這些肌肉車顯得不實際且「不友善」。然而，它們著實表徵了一個時代的設計、熱情與性格，這些將永遠激勵我們，賦予我們靈思。這世界多數的人都想要開著電腦設計的四輪方盒子，而我只想要有一個小時的時間，開著一輛裝載 428 立方吋眼鏡蛇噴射引擎 的70年代揭背式野馬，從交叉路口衝出去時，在柏油路面留下輪胎的痕跡！假如我後面的車能超上來的話，他只會看到我臉上掛著一個大大的笑容…<br/><br/>陶喆<br/>[align=right][color=#000066][此贴子已经被作者于2008-6-19 17:34:18编辑过][/color][/align]
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