Automobile Enthusiasts

twice and the catalytic converter was replaced once. It still has the original clutch and gets 30 mpg. It also runs as clean as it did the day it was sold. They no longer build personal automobiles to this standard since that would mean fewer new cars bought, and it would lead to the financial collapse of the lending and insurance industries.

The fashion of trucks as personal transportation came out of 2 situations in the recent past. Gulf War 1 established the HUMVEE as the premier macho machine capable of overcoming any modern obstacles such as wet leaves on an otherwise well paved road when taking the children to school or going to work. The other condition was how environmental and insurance regulation applied to domestic trucks. It seems that they were under-regulated regarding fuel economy, emissions and safety standards in the last part of the previous century, which made them cheaper to build than typical domestic cars.

Dressing up the trucks and selling them as the answer to modern social dilemmas produced enormous profits for American manufacturers. A trend they have continued to exploit to this day.