Better Off Dead

摘要

As time marches on, new catch phrases seem to pop up every day. Back in the '60s, nobody had ever heard of the Lemon Law. It was just plain inconceivable that a car dealership would allow a customer to return his (or her) vehicle because it kept breaking down. These days, the Lemon Law seems to be in the news on a regular basis. Combined with countless volumes of other legislation, it's designed to protect the consumer when a manufacturer sells them an inferior product. Granted, anything with mechanical parts is subject to failure of one type (or a dozen). Over the years, Detroit has been known for automotive innovation, and leadership in design and engineering. However, there have been times when the terms innovation and reliability could not be mentioned in the same sentence. Countless creative ideas have been developed, manufactured, and sold to the public, where the end result was wrought with shortcomings. Take Ford's retractable hardtop of the late '50s, for example. This was a great idea that offered the best of both worlds. Its high-tech retractable roof system featured something like seven motors, related sensors, and assorted relays to do the job. However, if one item failed, the roof would stall, and remain in mid travel, unable to fully open (or close).