Coming next year: the Ford Analog. A solid, old-school, easy-to-work-on, steel panel car with no plastic, no computers, and no screens.
This is my dream car. Sadly, it’s just a dream so far. I believe in market research and evaluating personas, but sometimes… just sometimes, I want someone to build exactly what I want to drive. I was tempted to say “stick shift only” but that would be pandering to my fellow old-dude curmudgeons.
I drive a new car and an old Toyota pickup, 1993 to be exact. New cars are a mystery to me. They seem to have a magic black box under the hood that I can’t even squeeze my hands into, much less fix. But my pickup has a very forgiving 22R engine. (Come to think of it, I may have forgotten to change the oil in the 2010s). I can reach in and fix anything. It’s simple. Also, the pickup doesn’t think for me. It never beep-scolds me or decides when I want my headlights on or my wipers wiping or my doors locked. I’m an adult and I can do that by myself, thank you very much.
The new Ford Analog will return us to simple. Need to change a headlight? You can reach in with your hands and swap out a light without removing the bumper. Need to change the oil? You can grab the oil filter without engine spelunking. If a solar flare EMP fries every computer, the Analog will ask, “What’s an EMP? I’ve got no chips to fry.”
Yes, take my money and bring back some low-tech solid.
The Elements of Simple 