Have you ever swore off Unilever products after discovering that production of your favourite shampoo was moved from Brazil to Vietnam? When was the last time you heard buyers strongly condemning a housing developer for installing solar panels instead of connecting it up to the gas mains like the good old days? Are there groups of like-minded people who sneer at people who wear jogging shoes for anything other than jogging?
No? Then why do we show such an irrational passion and conviction towards our cars and motorcycles? Why do we snub carmakers for selling you cars built in different factories to those sold in other markets? Or start a tirade over technological changes like the 911’s electric steering and the V-Rod’s water-cooled engine? Not to mention going so far as to express the sore displeasure of others buying oversized SUVs when forgetting that most of our cars are already oversized for our own needs?
If a visitor from another planet with no foreknowledge of human society saw the sort of shrieking fuss we kick over pedantic issues related to our motorised transport, they would think our primate cousins were the more level-headed ones. After all, they seem all content with picking lice and the occasional infanticide.
In isolation, our motor obsession seems to evade all rational thought, but that is where the misconception lies. As it is with any great portion of human society, much of our fascination and passion for motors can only be properly dissected and examined in the context of the evolution of our own societies and the deeply rooted philosophies we hold.
The Motor Muse isn’t here to answer all your burning questions whether your next car purchase will burn a hole in your pocket, or burn rubber with the best of them, there are plenty of sites out there that do a far better job.
Instead, The Motor Muse is a collection of think pieces that delve into the intangible heart and soul of the motoring world. It is a repository of expositions on those unquantifiable qualities that make a car, or motorcycle, more than the sum of its bolts, fluids, and cogs, more than just a means to an end, more than the figures on its sticker price.
These musings will explore the ideas and concepts of how a self-propelled wheeled carriage and bicycle roared its way into our hearts and minds for the better part of the century, and how it has grown into something that continues to, not only save us from the drudgery of taking the train, but captivate our hearts, occupy our aspirations, and divide our loyalties.
So if you are looking for a different, more personal, take on the automotive world, The Motor Muse might just have what you are looking for.