There is a tendency to view sports cars through one’s own cultural prism.  Americans may reflect upon that little convertible Corvette with its chrome rack on the trunk.  An Italian may be partial to a tiny Fiat Spider or a more upscale Ferrari.  Germans will wax poetic about the once-famed Bugatti and the other spectacular designs that have emerged from Stuttgard.  A Japanese advocate will point to fast and furious Mitsubishi Lancers with Evo packages.  The Englishman will espouse the virtues of the MG and remember his old Triumph.  Every nation that manufactures cars, it would seem, fancies itself at the forefront of the sports car industry.

The history of sports cars predates the mass production of automobiles.  Sports cars were originally just that, cars used for sport.  In races and rallies small design teams and manufacturers would try to best one another to demonstrate their project’s superiority.  This phenomenon was not isolated in any one geographic area.  Throughout Europe and the Americas sports car enthusiasts competed seriously with one another, testing the limits of car-builders and drivers alike.

The post-war era ushered in a new generation of sports cars.  Once the high-priced and hard to obtain toys of diehard enthusiasts and only the most wealthy, the sports car found itself outfitted with additional functionality and a price tag that made it more accessible to the average driver.  The rallies and races, of course, continued.  In fact, their popularity increased as major producers attempted to show the world they were the leaders in sports car quality.

Smaller, often private, races and contests soon supplemented the still-popular large, organized events.  In the U.S., drag racing pitted cars and their mechanically inclined owners against one another on everything from country roads to city thoroughfares.  Europeans were likely to test one another on winding country roads.  The sports car was no longer the domain of the expert alone.  As time passed, the reconstructed Japanese economy found itself at the forefront of an automotive revolution.  America’s concern with gas prices made the economy car an attractive niche for Japanese manufacturers, who seemed unrivaled in producing fuel-efficient, reliable small autos.  Eventually, the Japanese entered the sports car fray, as well.  Their understanding of reliability combined with great engineering talents produced many competitive sports cars.

Although there have been only a few nations who have become new automobile producers over the past few decades, the sports car phenomena continues to grow into new areas.  A perfect example of the universal appeal of sports cars can now be seen in Saudi Arabia.

Saudis are buying more sports cars than every before.  Maseratis have a unique appeal in Saudi Arabia, as customers seek a blend of sports car performance and luxury.  The elegant high-end Quattroporte is making a stir in Saudi Arabia as more and more younger Saudi drivers seek out a sportier alternative to the cars that have thus far lined Arabian streets.

From turn-of-the-century cross-country rallies to today’s wealthiest areas of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, sports cars are coveted possession.  They are not the unique love of any nation or culture and truly possess a unique global popularity. 

Cultural differences remain strong even in today’s more global culture.  Islamic and traditionally Christian nations may not always seem eye to eye on a variety of issues.  The French don’t always embrace U.S. foreign policy.  Less serious, the English still like their fish fried and served with chips while the Japanese may prefer a dinner of sushi.  We are a world of different people with different perspectives on any number of things.  Nonetheless, it appears as though one great unifying trait that stretches over oceans and across continents is the love of drivers for a sports car.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS