amateriat
We're all light!
Lots of individuals and organizations like to throw block parties/"happenings" in my Fair City. But, a car company?
So, I'm between computer tech-gigs this evening, and my first job wraps up early, so I call my client for my next job and see if I can come by earlier than planned. He says "sure", but he's gettting on the subway from work right now, so it'll be about 20 minutes. So I kill some time, park my bike and stop at a pizza joint in Carroll Gardens for a slice and a drink. While chewing and sipping, I see an odd-but-cool-looking Volvo coming to a stop at a traffic light. Never saw one of these before; must be brand new, but I'd never heard about this one, and as much as I'm a bicycle-centric guy these days, I try to keep a finger on most things automotive, so this was strange. I carefully watch it as it drove off. It reminded me somehow of Volvo's old P1800, their first-and-mostly-last attempt at a serious sports car (as opposed to sporty adaptations of some of their standard-issue stuff). I continued noshing, finished, then walked out to get my bike and head to my next gig, which wasn't too far away.
Before I swung a leg over the saddle, another Volvo of the same model, but of a different color, pulled up to the light. Huh? This time I got a closer look. The licence plate was in black, and simply said "C30." Okay, somehting was up, but I hadn't a clue as to what. I forgot about it and started riding...
...until I came upon a sidewalk scene with at least three Volvo C30s, banners, faux velvet-rope accoutrments, a video booth of some kind, and people passing out brochures and such. two of these people approached me.
"Would you like to take a test-drive of the new C30? It won't be out until October, so this is a sneak peek!"
"I'd love to", I smiled, "but I'm an authentic New Yorker...I don't have a driver's license."
I did tell them i appreciated the new car's sporty-but-sensible design and dimensions, the fact that it appears, albeit in a small way (the rear deck-lid?) to emulate the P1800 wagon-of-olde, and that I felt it would sell quite well. But I was rather amused (pleasantly) by the marketing gambit: the almost Saturn-like joviality of it all, which even Saturn abandoned some time ago (Volvo is still owned by Ford, at least until they find someone willing to take it off their hands for some seriously-needed cash).
Anyway, the only camera at-hand was, yes, my dreaded camera-phone. Here's the hard evidence:
This blue number had the Swedish flag emblazoned on the roof. MINI-envy, anyone?
- Barrett
So, I'm between computer tech-gigs this evening, and my first job wraps up early, so I call my client for my next job and see if I can come by earlier than planned. He says "sure", but he's gettting on the subway from work right now, so it'll be about 20 minutes. So I kill some time, park my bike and stop at a pizza joint in Carroll Gardens for a slice and a drink. While chewing and sipping, I see an odd-but-cool-looking Volvo coming to a stop at a traffic light. Never saw one of these before; must be brand new, but I'd never heard about this one, and as much as I'm a bicycle-centric guy these days, I try to keep a finger on most things automotive, so this was strange. I carefully watch it as it drove off. It reminded me somehow of Volvo's old P1800, their first-and-mostly-last attempt at a serious sports car (as opposed to sporty adaptations of some of their standard-issue stuff). I continued noshing, finished, then walked out to get my bike and head to my next gig, which wasn't too far away.
Before I swung a leg over the saddle, another Volvo of the same model, but of a different color, pulled up to the light. Huh? This time I got a closer look. The licence plate was in black, and simply said "C30." Okay, somehting was up, but I hadn't a clue as to what. I forgot about it and started riding...
...until I came upon a sidewalk scene with at least three Volvo C30s, banners, faux velvet-rope accoutrments, a video booth of some kind, and people passing out brochures and such. two of these people approached me.
"Would you like to take a test-drive of the new C30? It won't be out until October, so this is a sneak peek!"
"I'd love to", I smiled, "but I'm an authentic New Yorker...I don't have a driver's license."
I did tell them i appreciated the new car's sporty-but-sensible design and dimensions, the fact that it appears, albeit in a small way (the rear deck-lid?) to emulate the P1800 wagon-of-olde, and that I felt it would sell quite well. But I was rather amused (pleasantly) by the marketing gambit: the almost Saturn-like joviality of it all, which even Saturn abandoned some time ago (Volvo is still owned by Ford, at least until they find someone willing to take it off their hands for some seriously-needed cash).
Anyway, the only camera at-hand was, yes, my dreaded camera-phone. Here's the hard evidence:
This blue number had the Swedish flag emblazoned on the roof. MINI-envy, anyone?
- Barrett
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