I don't know about you but there's something vaguely disturbing and simultaneously deeply satisfying in going for an M.O.T with an old car,like the DS,and having it pass or at least fail over a minor fault;the sort you can fix in half an hour,without getting your hands dirty,which is physically impossible for me anyway (ask me mum) and watch a chap roll in with a near new car and have it fail miserably.Yes,I know it's base and shallow but go on,admit it.You've been there.But don't you think it confirms a sneaking suspicion we all probably harbour;that they don't make things as well as they did?
Mercedes-Benz said as much a few years ago when they admitted they thought their cars were 'over-engineered'. That kind of means "We can lower standards;hopefully no-one'll notice" to me.Still,you don't see many Mercs at the roadside,same as Rollers.Now how's that for a spot of over-engineering?
Mind you,it isn't just cars you can apply that theory to. Take the family washing machine (pulleassse).What bright spark designed the thing with a plastic catch for the door? So you've got a full load of laundry cheerfully sloshing around and the catch gives up in mid rinse.Oh well,the kitchen floor needed cleaning anyway.And why oh why are the internal mechanisms of window locks made out of some kind of white metal,y'know the sort of stuff they made those toy revolvers out of when we were kids.Those broke as easily as,well,window locks.