‘Unlike the 1940 Ford, Tesla is here today, gone tomorrow’
A British enthusiast of American old cars recently offered some perspective on how the world changes and the bits that remain the same.
Simple is best.
Reliable is durable.
See you in 85 years.
Vaughan pointed at his 1940 Ford and proudly announced: “That’s 85 years old. There’s no chance a Tesla will be standing here 85 years on. Not a chance.”
“Why?” I asked, wondering if Vaughan was making a political statement now that Tesla’s owner Elon Musk is controversially intertwined with Donald Trump’s administration and politics.
Turns out, Vaughan wasn’t talking politics but cars. As a member of Detonators CC, a London group of old car enthusiasts, he was explaining the reality of tech-heavy, software-loaded vehicles’ relatively short shelf life.
They just become too old and out-of-date to receive the upgrades necessary to keep them on the road, he said.
The 1940 Ford is an excellent contrast, Vaughan said. It’s easy to manage, in terms of engine and other parts. It runs well and there are no problems with running it. “But Tesla, no chance,” he finished.
Knowing almost nothing about cars, I accepted his explanation and waved a glad goodbye to the Tesla departing the area as a manifestation only of today.
Tesla is of this moment. That’s it. No more.
