So while some of you are probably shaking your heads, wondering what I’m on about, I’m sure that more than a few of my hometown friends and family members know exactly what I’m talking about, and can picture themselves heading to the Cobden Fair on a warm August evening! It’s nice to have a reminder of home, and while I’m not typically a pickup truck fan, I now have a newfound interest in the 2017 Ford Super Duty!
Yesterday I had a “Wait a minute!” moment. Ford has just released pictures of their 2017 Super Duty work truck. Related to the new-for-2015 aluminum-bodied F-150, the Super Duty has a stronger chassis, drivetrains, and higher load and tow ratings, making it an impressive choice for a full-size work truck. But it wasn’t the horsepower, design, or pulling power that caught my attention. It was the farm in the background of one of the shots. Something about the red barn, silo, blue house, and scattering of trees rang a bell. I was SURE I had seen it before. At least I THOUGHT I was sure... Turns out no. It wasn’t the farm I thought it was, but it bore quite a striking resemblance at a glance. I eventually remembered the property I was thinking of. It’s in my hometown of Cobden, Ontario, a quiet village on the Muskrat Lake in the heart of the Ottawa Valley. Along Astrolabe road, which leads up to the fairgrounds on the outskirts of town, there is a small farm on the left side. There’s a red barn, silo, and blue house, situated similarly to the ones in the Ford Super Duty photo: No, they’re not identical. Far from it, when you compare the two photos. But all of the elements were in the Ford photo to spur my memory and make me think of this place I grew up close to. And the Ford Super Duty looks right at home in this rural setting; I imagine it will find more than a few fans amongst the farmers and contractors in and around my hometown.
So while some of you are probably shaking your heads, wondering what I’m on about, I’m sure that more than a few of my hometown friends and family members know exactly what I’m talking about, and can picture themselves heading to the Cobden Fair on a warm August evening! It’s nice to have a reminder of home, and while I’m not typically a pickup truck fan, I now have a newfound interest in the 2017 Ford Super Duty!
3 Comments
Even from a distance I knew something was off with this Jeep. It had the round headlights, large front fenders, and slotted grille of the real Jeep, but it clearly wasn't the regular Wrangler. As I got closer I saw that it wasn't a Jeep at all, but instead a Chinese copy of the legendary American off-road vehicle. It wouldn't be the first time a Chinese brand has blatantly copied a foreign vehicle (the Porsche Macan and Land Rover Evoque both have evil twins lurking the roads of China), but this is the first time I've seen this 'Cheep Jeep'. Built by BAW (Beijing Automobile Works), it carries the name 'ZhanQi BZ6', and is advertised as the civilian version of BAW's military vehicle. It's a 5-door SUV without many creature comforts; they really are like the original Jeep in that sense. 4x4 is standard, and you can choose from a gasoline or diesel engine. Neither engine is very powerful, as this machine is clearly designed as a low-cost option to pricer 4x4s from Jeep, Toyota, and Land Rover. While I don't like that this is such an obvious copy of the Jeep, I DO like this type of rugged off-roader. With luck, when the time comes to redo this vehicle, BAW will be a little more creative and design something unique. I am seeing more and more real Jeep Wranglers around Shanghai, so there clearly is a market for such vehicles. And in typical fashion, while I had never seen one of these before, the same day just a short while later I saw a second one! This one was a topless model in bright yellow. So come on BAW, quite copying over the shoulder of the classmate in front of you and build a real Jeep competitor without being a creep!
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
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