I’ve got to give a nod to Mercedes’ Super Bowl ad, which seems to have gotten lost in the hype surrounding the other ads and Christina Aguilera’s butchering of the national anthem. It was cool to see Mercedes roll out some vintage iron in honor of their 125th birthday, like the SL (230, I think) that had Janis Joplin tuned in on the radio or the 300 SL that was rounding up sheep. The Patent Motorwagen being passed by their latest concept was also a cool visual, but the idea of sentient motor vehicles is the stuff of nightmares if you ask me. Video below.
If you don’t believe me, try reading the Stephen King short story “Trucks”, or his full length novel on the subject, “Christine”. If movies are more your taste, you could always rent “Maximum Overdrive”, although I wouldn’t sentence anyone to sitting through that bomb. If you can find it, the 1970’s TV movie “Killdozer” is yet another example why cars and trucks that think for themselves are a bad thing. Like Diddy, the best you could possibly hope for is wandering around a parking lot of abandoned vehicles, their tanks empty and their electronic brains filled with malice. Is that really something you want to do in your bathrobe, before your first cup of coffee?
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.