Skip to main content

Have Kids Been Cheated Out of Their Moment with the Ford GT?

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company



The words of The Simpsons character Helen Lovejoy “Won’t somebody please think of the children!” comes to mind in a recent browse on Ebay.

Ahead of the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I recalled a press release from Ford announcing a promotion with model builder Revell. Having built so many models as a kid and continuing to construct sets to this day, it’s a good feeling to see the pass time is still in existence. At the Detroit show, a custom-built scaled Snap Kit of the 2017 Ford GT was offered to a specific audience of younger automotive enthusiasts. “Letting kids build their own Ford GT is a great way to introduce them to the Ford brand and create new enthusiasts,” is part of what Ford Licensing manager Mark Bentley said ahead of the Revell Make n’ Take model kit program at the show. Unless a significant sum of kids have chosen to gain PayPal accounts and sell their specialized model kits in on-line auctions, I believe what I’ve seen a situation where adults are profiting against the joy and enlightenment that some future car lover would feel.

As someone who remembers my youth as a kid who loved cars and now old enough to realize there is a serious concern that the diehard appreciation of automobiles is in danger of slipping with the generations following, I find we should do everything possible to make motoring a welcoming, vibrant field of exploration for young people. It distresses me to observe so many of this North American International Auto Show limited release models being posted for sale on Ebay. The Ford GT Snap Kits have attracted some very adult dollars. A review of completed listings on Ebay has shown there is at least a dozen that have sold for hefty sums. With one selling just under $40.00 Canadian, there are also examples of the Ford GT Snap Kits selling above $100. When that type of money is being spent by Ebay buyers, there is an unlikelihood these kits will be constructed in the manner intended. Fortunately for those who truly want to explore the Ford GT at a smaller scale, retail versions of the kit due in stores in April with a purchase price of $14.99 US.






Since I am an active user of Ebay who frequently uses the on-line auction service as a resource to locate items I would otherwise not find, I recognize my sharing of discontent could be I personally ‘biting the hand that feeds you’. However, sometimes I am stunned and appalled by how Ebay could bring back out the worst demons found within the otherwise acceptable system of capitalism. Clearly, our modern society is built on the realization that something one possesses (a skill, persona as well as an item).

It would just be a shame to know some child was unable to partake in the total excitement of a modern supercar in their own way due to a greedy quest for a quick buck.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Canadian Star Car: Red Green's Possum Van

Clip of Possum Van during a Red Green Show season 1 scene transition.  It could be argued that the car someone regularly drives can be reflective of their personality. The level of character traits found in our automobiles can range from subtle to flamboyant as practicality, style, power, brand loyalty and other details are factors influencing our vehicle affection. On the big screen and silver screen, an automobile (frequently popularized as a Star Car) can be used to affirmatively to expand on a human character. Batman’s Batmobile, the Dodge Charger called the ‘General Lee’ in Dukes of Hazzard, the Volvo P1800 featured in the 1960s television version of The Saint, the Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond in some of the most famous spy movies are some popular examples where vehicles play a major role in reinforcing the appearance of fictional individuals. Due to the budgetary constraints of Canadian media productions, the presence of native Star Cars is rare. However, one success...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Is A Column Shifter and Why It Is Regaining Relevance?

Pictured here, the opulent multi-colour interior of the 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible included a dazzling chrome column shift lever. (Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada)  The important role of a transmission paired with an internal combustion engine has been established for more than 100 years in facilitating the efficient flow of power through the drive wheels. Eventually through the evolution of automobile design, the familiar placement for a gearshift lever was mounted on the floor. However, for a time, it was also popular to find a gear shifter behind the steering wheel attached to the steering column. The Birth of Three on the Tree Although column shifters would become synonymous with automatic transmissions, the first appearance of the gear shift behind the steering wheel came with a manual gearbox. Referred to in brochures as remote control shifting, the 1939 Plymouth introduced the shifter positioning behind the steering wheel. The novel remote control shifting ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The 1967 Indy 500: When An STP-Sponsored Turbine Almost Changed Racing

Photo Credit: Uncredited Photographer/IMS LLC Racing has always been the ultimate proving ground for automobiles. Not only has competition promoted innovations big and small, race cars have also influenced overall vehicle appearance. At the 1967 Indianapolis 500, the STP-Paxton TurboCar fielded by the late Andy Granatelli provided a shocking example of how much racing at the speedway evolved over 56 years. Ever since the first 500-mile event was held at the 2.5-mile rectangular oval Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1911, the winning Marmon Wasp with a rearview mirror paved the way for what would be a grand showcase of automotive development. Accompanying “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” advancements in automobile technology showed greater sophistication with every passing decade in the quest for more speed. During the 1920s and 1930s, American race car designer Henry Miller offered groundbreaking engines to the Indianapolis 500. Miller also gave front-wheel drive technology it...
Post a Comment
Read more