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Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
The 20th century spawned a number of iconic long-selling motor vehicles, among them Ford's Model T, Germany's Volkswagen "Beetle" and Italy's Vespa scooter. In terms of total sales, however, none of them has come close to approaching the success of the Honda Super Cub, which has outsold the other three combined.
Designated model C-100, the Super Cub went on sale 60 years ago this week. Since then, it has enjoyed steady demand at home and abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia. Last year, Honda Motor Co.'s total sales of the Super Cub, including sports and commercial models adopting the same platform, shot past the 100 million mark; they account for about 30 percent of the 350 million motorcycles Honda has sold worldwide.
Rebutting the philosophy of "planned obsolescence" that some manufacturers have been accused of building into their products, the Super Cub's minimalist profile remains immediately recognizable, having changed only slightly over the past 60 years. And while nobody knows the exact number still in running condition, nostalgia buffs in search of an original C-100 have been known to bid over ¥300,000 on auction sites online — six times its 1958 selling price.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Tuesday August 07 2018, @06:14PM (2 children)
That's the most American thing I've read so far today (didn't hit that Trump post yet, though).
Ever been buzzarding over Asia ? Scooters are the SouthEast Asian vehicle of choice for a whole lot of very good reasons.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday August 07 2018, @09:17PM (1 child)
The primary one being that they aren't awesome enough to ride a real bike. It's not a racial thing though, it's cultural. American folks of Asian descent can be just as awesome as anyone else. Unless you're Jackie Chan or a ninja though, you're probably getting the shit end of the awesome stick if you live in Asia.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 08 2018, @02:49AM
When I was in Taiwan ~20 years ago, scooters were everywhere. It wasn't cultural, it was legal -- motorcycles with more than 200cc (or there-about) were either banned, or so highly taxed they they might as well have been banned. Might have been a wheel size limit as well, since all the scooters had typical small wheels. Huge import duties on any kind of motorcycle meant the scooters were all made in Taiwan. So cheap that they weren't repaired, just junked when they quit, common to see them laying in the ditch.
I told my guide that he was seeing "peak scooter" and it was time to start collecting some of them for a future museum, the various designs and "faces" made by headlights and front fairing were of wide variety and really showcased the local designers/stylists. When I was there the rules were about to open up, larger engines were about to be allowed and import duty lowered. My guess (at that time) was that the scooter era with all its wild and huge variety was about to be lost--but the Taiwanese I talked with scorned them like last years appliance. I haven't been back, I wonder if there are any left?