AutoZine 20
 
20th Anniversary, no kidding!

AutoZine was born on the 1st September, 1997. It is amazing that after 20 years I am still writing here, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

Throughout the past 2 decades, there were ups and downs on global, local and personal level. Even in the automotive world, an industry started some 130 years ago, 2017 is very different from 1997. Back then, we heard nothing like autonomous driving, nor we could imagine global warming, if ever heard that term, significantly affect the development of motor cars or even lead to the extinction of internal combustion engines in the near future. Back then, human still changed gears faster than electronics, while any forms of electronic driving aids would just ruin driving fun and slow down lap time. Back then, General Motors was the unshakable No. 1, although it still produced 99 percent craps plus 1 percent Corvette. SUVs started prospering, but they were proper offroaders and trucks, not the compact crossovers we know today. The world has really changed a lot over the past 20 years, although this lonely author is still writing in much the same style with the same passion.

Are we going to see the next 20 years here? I think unlikely, if motor cars are to be replaced by electric cars from 2030 to 2040 as some countries planned. Autonomous driving will become popular earlier still. By that time, will people still drive? Will car makers still care about keen drivers? What will Ferrari and Porsche be building by 2037? What will Autocar and C&D be writing about? (or will they be still alive?) Will we still read text-based car reviews? It will be interesting to know all these, but by then I would be probably too old to adapt to the new world order.

But don't worry, we still have time left. In Chinese saying, the sun is the most beautiful in dusk. Enjoy the best of time and the worst of time!

AutoZine 20 Special

1997 vs 2017: The Changing Trends
1997-2007: The Casualties and New Boys
20 Most Beautiful Cars
20 Best Cars
10 Most Significant Cars
10 Unsung Heros
10 Flops
15 Surprises
A Road Test Report from 2037


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