Cars, Cars, Cars

Cars are around us all the time, but unless we're riding in an uncomfortable one, we don't think much about them.  The coverage in the national daily papers of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit gives us a chance to reflect on our relationship with this changing piece of technology.  Part of the fun of reading about new vehicles comes from the great writing that is inspired by well-designed cars.  The best American writer on cars is Dan Neil, who writes the Rumble Seat column for the Los Angeles Times.  (Scroll down and click on the car reviews link.)  He reviews the full range of automobiles, from economy, family, and lifestyle cars to sports, luxury, and super-luxury cars.   Check out this snippet of Neil's writing.  About the meticulously restored 1963 Ferrari Lusso once owned by the late actor Steve McQueen, Neil wrote, "in the Moneterey [California] sunlight, the metallic paint ignites with a pale opalescent fire, shimmering in shades of honey and oxblood....Unlike a modern car that has no scent of machinery about it, the Lusso is delectably perfumed with the smell of leather, fuel and oil. The whiteface gauges are as bright as a Hollywood smile."