berry@zinfandel.UUCP (Berry Kercheval) (04/18/85)
Dick O'Kane, in his book "How to Fix your Car", has a list of national characteristics of cars. This is a paraphrase from memory; I highly recommend the book to everyone. O'Kane is sort of the Dave Barry of automotive lore. (Note: these opinions are not NECESSARILY my own...) English: The english car is a game between the designer, trying to figure out how to get the starter onto the engine, and you, trying to figure out how to get it OFF. When it falls on your nose, you've won. (Polite applause) German: The German car is the product of many years of intense effort by the worlds finest engineers! Who are you, with your pitiful knowledge and crude tools, to attempt to repair it? Besides, it CAN'T break! Swedish: The Swedes build good, strong, strapping cars that can go over, under, around or THROUGH anything, so what does it matter that there are SAE, Metric AND Whitworth nuts all on the same engine. French: Ah, the French. Who can BEGIN to understand the French? -- Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900 (kerch@lll-tis.ARPA)