Text 10903, 68 rader
Skriven 2010-09-30 23:09:00 av Dale Shipp (1:261/1466.0)
     Kommentar till en text av Michiel Van Der Vlist
Ärende: Re: Renault Dauphine
============================
 -=> On 09-30-10  10:46,  Michiel Van Der Vlist <=-
 -=> spoke to Dale Shipp about Renault Dauphine <=-

 MVDV> During the lessons in the Dauphine, the instructor told me 
 MVDV> not to go faster than 80 km/h (=50 mph). That was not a 

That sounds ok for city streets, but I rarely go out that I don't get on
highways and/or freeways with higher speed limits -- not to mention that
most people drive 10 or more mph over the "speed limit".  The speed
limits on highways today are still less than they were in the late 50's
and 60's, which is when the Dauphine was sold in the states.

 MVDV> problem than and it still is not a problem now. In Europe
 MVDV> there is a general speed limit for trucks of 80 km/h. So 
 MVDV> with a slow vehicle, you just stick to the right lane and 
 MVDV> move along with the trucks.

 MVDV> There are also speed limits for vehicles with trailers. 
 MVDV> They vary from country to country. Mostly between 80 and 
 MVDV> 100 km/h. No problem.

 MVDV> Are there no general speed limits for trucks and trailers in the US?

Not in most places.  If you try to drive at the speed limit on most
interstates, you may well find an 18-wheeler crawling up your tailpipe.

There are a few places with lower speed limits for trucks -- often in
hilly windy roads, but not on normal highways.

 MVDV> Still... Even if you have a point and the low speed made it 
 MVDV> unsuitable for the US highways, I think it is unjustified 
 MVDV> to call it "junk". It would probably have been suitable for 

I did not call it junk.  I merely observed that you were giving an
argument as to why it was not suitable for the American road and driver
of the time.

 MVDV> a city vehicle though. He who wants to go faster than 90
 MVDV> km/h for sustained periods, made the wrong choice with the 
 MVDV> Dauphine.

If that was an informed choice, true.  However it is not uncommon for a
sales person to gloss over weaknesses and only speak to what the
customer might think are good features.  Car salesmen have an especially
bad reputation in that regard, often well deserved.

 MVDV> Perhaps the sales people should have advertised it as a city
 MVDV> vehicle.... 

And then it would not have sold.  People here do not buy a car that can
only drive in the city.  There is too much open road.

 MVDV> But then... it does not explain why the VW Beetle was 
 MVDV> success in the US. It had the same problem. Especially the 
 MVDV> early models.

I have no idea about that.  Let someone with VW experience speak to you.

                               Dale Shipp
                  fido_261_1466 (at) comcast (dot) net
                              (1:261/1466)


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