Home Vintage Asylum

Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

Obsolete technological and commercial lines : Vintage, Classic, and Retro




PAINTING: Farm of the Future


digepix,

I think terms like Vintage , Classic and Retro , are fairly loose, and personal judgments- there's no codified rules. And, I have to say, I don't like to use any of these terms!

For me, vintage is a matter of technological level more than age alone. I think of an object as vintage when it contains design qualities- technology and form that are no longer used in that configuration and containing components and materials that have been surpassed. Vintage also can refer to an era of special accomplishment- vintage wine or watches for example where the item may still be made in the same way today but the old production was of the highest craftsmanship.

Especially if a design used effective technologies that still produce a level of result that competes with the modern object- obsolete on some levels but enduringly useful, it might be called Classic . On that level, I'd consider the Audio Research SP10 to be in the "classic" category. However, that's a term I try and never say out loud! Objects that still work, but at a low level I just refer to as Old ,..

When old technology is revived or copied it's Retro rather than vintage. For example, with the McIntosh MC275 there are vintage ones and the reissue is retro.

Actually, along with classic, the term retro grates- it's glib and commercial slang, but we've been passing through an age where this term is too common not to use. How about all the retro cars: 2002-Thunderbird, new Mustang, reissue Ford GT40, Camaro, Panther, PT Cruiser, Challenger, Magnum, Fiat 500, replicars, etc. In architecture, most production housing contains many "retro" elements- they're Colonial or Spanish "style", or whatever.

In my book, retro is to a large extent degenerative to design progress- it's declaring that a company has to rely on a nostalgia for it's best-sellers of 40-50 years ago rather than being able to design something new that excites. Retro tendencies seems to me a condition of insecurity and fear. Why couldn't McIntosh design an "MC299" good enough to tempt MC275 originals owners to lust after it? Why couldn't Ford make a modern mid-engined People's Supercar that gives Ferarri 430's a run for 1/3rd the price instead of a 1965 replicar with Ford Focus build quality? Why did Chevrolet make the new tub o'lard Camaro?


Cheers,

Bambi B



This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Sonic Craft  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
  • Obsolete technological and commercial lines : Vintage, Classic, and Retro - Bambi B 04/10/1008:46:02 04/10/10 (1)

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.