Quote:
Originally Posted by Laird Scooby
Someone once said to me that Volvo took a good, simple idea, over-engineered it then complicated the bejesus out of it. I don't think they are wrong. 
However, Volvo are also guilty of the other extreme, take a simple idea, bodge it together and call it good.
Whether it lasts or not is another matter but because they've made it simply and cheaply and is (generally) a relatively unimportant part or function, it's of no real consequence as it's cheaply and easily replaced or even upgraded to something that will last.
Fortunately the over-engineering tends to be on the things that do matter like brakes, suspension, steering and so on.  |
Good point Dave. I couldn't help thinking that it it had been a Ford there would have just been a bolt in each end and no complex mechanism.
I recall something similar, I suppose 20 odd years ago when my daily driver was a XJ40 (a car I liked a lot). One day there was a pool of ATF on the garage floor from the PAS. The local Jag workshop diagnosed a pipe that had failed (with a 'these ones always fail, the new ones are much better' - not a good thing to tell a customer with such an expensive car). The part cost something like £200 (25 years ago).
The new part arrived and it was a thing of great beauty - all stainless steel and apparently required a special Jaguar spanner to fit it. I remember thinking I'd like to take it home and display it on the mantlepiece rather than have it fitted under my car.
... again I couldn't help thinking if it had bee a Ford it would have been a length of rubber pipe with a jubilee clip at each end costing £12 (I think Ford acquired Jaguar at about the same time).
:-)