At Random: A Reply to Acting Citizen’s Defense of FWD

By Paul Clark
(aka motomynd)

James, what a fabulous and informative article (“Old Enough to Understand,” November 26). I had no idea about the history of FWD. After reading your historical account, and having driven a few FWD vehicles, I’m not at all surprised the first attempt at FWD was slow and clumsy and ended in disaster. If only humanity had the wisdom to abandon the sordid concept, then and there, instead of resurrecting it and foisting it on unenlightened and unsuspecting drivers of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Not that the original Austin Mini wasn’t cute and charming, and a thrilling and fairly safe car to drive—at golf cart speeds.

Acting Citizen: Old Enough to Understand

FWD
(front wheel drive)

By James Knudsen

In his September column, “At Random: Things I Will Never Be Old Enough to Understand,” Paul Clark (aka motomynd), chronicled some things he doesn’t like or just doesn’t get. Front wheel drive (FWD) made the list, and from his column it seems to fall in the category of something he doesn’t like. As the son of an early adopter of the FWD train layout (see my “Fourth Saturday’s Loneliest Liberal: About the Panhard,” November 2014), I found this troubling to the point of offensive, and so, today’s defense.

At Random: Things I Will Never Be Old Enough to Understand

By Paul Clark
(aka motomynd)

Tailgating

Other than driving the wrong way on an interstate, tailgating is probably the most dangerous move a driver can make. Yet, if anything rivals the American obsession with sports in general, and football in particular, it’s tailgating. Let’s lay our lives on the line to get there one car length faster: good logic.

Fourth Saturday’s Loneliest Liberal: About the Panhard

Dad’s kind of car

By James Knudsen

“All that remains is the Panhard. But not for long. That is a story for next time...”
    Last month I ended my column with a sort of a cliff-hanger. I’d written about growing up in an ordinary town with unordinary cars, owned by an extraordinary father. I had planned to write about the final disposition of that vehicle, because it’s a good story. But the story became more complex and more completed. It recent days I’ve heard much, from many, about just how extraordinary he was. But first, let’s review that Panhard.

Fourth Saturday’s Loneliest Liberal: Cars

The ones my dad had me grow up with

By James Knudsen

I’m sure everyone has a tale to tell of how they were embarrassed by their parents. It was rarely deliberate. Parents are usually too harried with the tasks associated with being parents to have the time necessary to formulate a plan to make their children want to crawl in a hole and disappear from the sight of every teen/pre-teen peer they know or wish they knew. More often it is the case of an adult being who they are. Recent events have caused me to consider my dad and the way he went about being who he is.