Design VS Culture Effects

[mehran_mo]

Hi friends,

Here we discuss about the effects of the designs on cultures.
All of us here has a mutual favorite car style.
for example these cars are designed simple and its easy to fix so gradually you start to learn do everything in your life more simple and you would be able to fix the problems in your life easily cause dealing and facing with those stuff in your car lead your brain in that way.
So,
how did your car's design changed the way of your thinking or your lifestyle?

[Zundfolge1432]

I would say that people can gain confidence in other aspects of life by being able to solve and repair problems with their car, maybe that car is VW May be not. Some could trace further back even to childhood taking things apart and putting back together, key being the object works after you touched it

[HippyTom]

My VWs keep me grounded and connected to a simpler time in life and society. Nothing like a long country drive with the phone off and nothing but the doodling of the motor to get the heck away from the chaos of life and modern issues. I'm on a mission to simplify my life as much as possible.

[ALLWAGONS]

[marklaken]

Chicken and the egg - did you buy a vw because you are mechanically inclined, or are you mechanically inclined because you bought a vw?

I self-taught myself half-ass vehicle repair on an old vw because I was cheap, it was cheap, and it was constantly breaking down on me. Today, I apply those same basic skills to more modern vehicles because now I think I know what I'm doing.

That being said, I can't barely touch my wife's Subaru without breaking some plastic part. I miss metal parts.
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Wish List:
1967 Wesfalia SO-42 Parts Needed: Kitchenette, Cot Poles

'65 rear left beetle fender

15" Bus Wheels in fair condition

Mark Laken
Fort Collins, CO

[KTPhil]

Yes, undoubtedly the reverse is the stronger effect... the need for affordable transportation meant the VW was designed to a price point and thus was cheap, and simple. The cultural change, especially in the US, where the VW became associated with counter-culture of the free and easy, was not so much caused by the VW as drawn to it.

But I can see where the appeal of the simple and easy can put your mind in a better place. I'm less sure it can affect a culture collectively.

[Zundfolge1432]

[KTPhil]

[HippyTom]

The type I was designed from a very purpose driven perspective to meet specific criteria for number of people, bags, pricepoint, efficiency, etc. So function and purpose drove design to a great degree.

As for culture, I've always been in awe of the supreme Irony that Volkswagen embodies. It was the purpose driven brainchild of the most evil and hate-filled murderer in human history, yet became the counter-culture icon representing the Peace and Love movement for generations. How ironic is that? The product of evil becoming the symbol of peace and love. It gives me great joy imagining every time I start one of my VWs that irony pours gas on his torturous hell.

That's some pretty cool cultural dynamics when you think about it.

[mehran_mo]

[raygreenwood]

[HippyTom]

Thanks Ray!!!

The additional historical details are important for those unaware of the full dynamics.

Hitler was the political driver of the program to develop and build an affordable family car for the average German family which the VW was the final product. But he wasn't the designer, just the program pusher.

It was a great idea, one which he never actually saw into mass production and fruition beyond small numbers of initial prototypes. The VW plant was used for war machine production and was bombed in WW2. As part of the recovery effort after the end of the war, the allies rebuilt the plant and established production of VWs.

The VW was the product of his idea, hence I loosely refer to it as his brainchild. But perhaps the VW, it's part in post-war recovery, and its iconic ties to peace and love are the only positive thing to ever result from the most epic tragedy in human history. The power of people to make something, anything, positive out of something so horrific is amazing. It makes me smile every time I see one.

[modok]

Perhaps to Hilter we can attribute the requirement for the chassis to also work as a jeep, and to broadly resemble a Tatra, but that's about it.
The rest is Porsche take on it, drawing inspiration from many other prototypes and vehicles that already existed. The idea of a simple car for the people was a popular idea, in fact many of the iconic features predate the VW itself.

In old ford vehicles and engine there are many design aspects that were done how they were (flying in the face of reason), simply because the guy in charge wanted it so. I see the same in the VW.

The backbone chassis, torsion bar suspension, swing axles, affixing the crank to the flywheel with dowel pins, and a few more I'm sure not coming to mind. The last one off the line in mexico in 2002 all that never was changed. With hard work... you can make inferior designs work better than brilliant ones. or perhaps, they aren't as bad after all? no, they are pretty stupid ideas But we'll stick with it, by god we will make it work. Not giving up.

[Air-Cooled Head]

[mehran_mo]

[OB Bus]

When we bought our Prius in 2007 it was the first time I had ever purchased a car without looking under the hood. Why? There was absolutely nothing I could do to that engine.
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Larry in OB
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69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[Helfen]

[Zundfolge1432]