What are the next collectables? What should we keeping?

[Taily]

No wonder Holden is going under. Why would anyone buy a Kia ???

Because from what I understand of new car sales most people buying new cars are of an age that want tech savvy gagets like self park, blind spot monitoring, parking cameras/sensors, adaptive cruise control, voice activated entertainment apps that can go online/synch with your phone while you're out and about, auto lights and wipers, every power option for anything that moves (or is likely to move) in the car, heated/cooled seats that give their poor overworked derriers a massage on the 2km blast home from the gym, light sensitive mirrors, those LED day running lights, auto opening tailgates, keyless entry, 500 cubby holes to lose stuff in, 50 inch ferris wheels wrapped in licorice strips, 8 speed paddle shifted overstressed 1.2 ltr engine that delivers 12Nm of torque and revs to something just short of a telephone number blah blah blah the list goes on.

On the other hand it wasn't all that long ago we had to option aircon, power steer, central locking, power windows and even a radio, so I guess times change and certain technology becomes a standard included item such as ABS, IRS, airbags etc. These type of tech advances I get. I just seem a little bemused by what the people who swallow the "a new car must have" bollocks various marketing companies and even motor writers seem hell bant on making their own preferences known in print.

It seems the market has moved away from a decent, safe and "engaging" drive that had a few niceties fitted to make the car to your own taste. I know I am a dinosaur in so far as wanting a bit of grunt, some reasonable and predictable handling, good brakes and room in my car to stretch out in and effortlessly cruise from say Sydney to Brissie or similar. Air and steer and a few safety items are a given, but I'm happy enough to actually want to drive and park my own car (rather than a computer) so really have no need of much of the techy gagetry. Actually Ford, I'll do you a deal - strip $10K of the gagetry out of the last XR8 and give us an extra 10psi over the standard offering from the blown V8 and just watch how many of them go marching out the door a bit like the V8 Redline that I read there is a 4-5 month backlog/waiting list on.

Why would anyone buy a Kia? I might suggest it is a different generation making their decision based upon what techy gagets they get chucked in - and they want it all for nothing too.

[Flamenco_not_Flamingo]

various marketing companies

That's it right there Tailey, nailed it, creating a perceived need and developing a void which the consumer just has to fill.

Using what ever the buttons required to motivate :- emotional, status,safety, belonging etc.

It's not about creating a product, its about creating a market.

There is nothing new under the sun.