Timeless Classics

With everything undergoing massive overhauls in today's dynamic world, the race for constant change is evident with its positiveness not always guaranteed. It seems practically impossible to stick on with traditional heritage in an offering with the temptation to harness the shifts in consumer preferences from time to time. But even today there are some things that stand strong in this aspect, here is a list of some of them which I have personally felt and compiled and think they deserve some recognition and treated as a example for all the corporations out there which adopt policies of unnecessary modifications and fail miserably in their industry.

1.Rolls Royce

The symbol of uber-luxury and traditional royalty has undergone imperceptible change in its character. Be it the gigantic size of their cars which give you the feel of a small apartment on wheels and the hefty engines that power them, neither the generous use of fine wood across their interiors nor the analogue displays meters.

Most particularly the Phantom line of cars and its predecessors have withstood the test of time with negligible change. Now under BMW ownership, this classic car brand directly battles with very few in the industry Ex. Volkswagen Group’s Bentley. It has wiped out the Maybach marque completely within a decade and RR continues to grow with the similar designs being sold at similar prices every year highlighting how strong heritage can still demand vintage respect among today’s car enthusiasts. If it is good or bad is a personal judgment for you to decide.

2.Rolex

The hands that adorn a Rolex are usually the same hands which pay huge sums to own one. Truth be told, Rolex has not experimented much with unconventional styling like their fellow Swiss watchmaking rivals. Instead they have stuck to their roots since many years and that has worked for them as these great watches are instantly recognizable with the round dial or a Mercedes hour hand; the distinct yet repetitive designing across the line. Annually their new watch releases have variations which have more to do with the external materials used to make them such as Gold, Diamonds, Platinum and Jewels rather than watch movements or bold design overhauls. The amount on the price tags has only increased and so has the number of people desirous to own one which is after all just an impeccable piece of machinery that not just speaks accurate time but also status.

3.Think Pad

This business laptop from IBM has looked and felt pretty much the same since its inception in 1992. The jet black rough pre-historic looks just tease our technological era which not just wants advance features and functionality but also a dash of style to accompany all that. Thinkpad is the only type laptop to be used in space and still continues to be used by NASA.  Now produced by Compaq 2005 onwards, this product continues to be a popular business laptop of our times and resisting unnecessary change. Seems like this ‘Pad’ is going to outlast the iPad!

4.Mercedes G-Class

The longest serving passenger model in the history of Mercedes-Benz, this boxy rugged off-roader has undergone unnoticeable change since the late 1970s! The round headlamps and minimalistic looks have been built to last. Even when you step inside this vehicle, the square design affinity does not end but the “new” models have the latest technology from the German roost-ruler while preserving the classy looks of older models. Overtime, a wide variety of increasingly powerful engines have been added. It commands a steep price to buy one coupled with poor fuel economy but sturdy off-road prowess and cushioned interiors. This classic car which is still available in showrooms has been the choice of Football players, Rap-stars and Oil-Barons.

5.Volkswagen Beetle

Everybody accepted that this graciously old beauty had been put in a coffin and buried back in 2003, after being in production for 65 long years. But Volkswagen has decided to revive “The Beetle” and take a wise guess? Yes, not much has changed. The bug design of the car just stands out in the crowd of similar looking automobiles. It has just gone from good to better with a racy engine and technology for 2014 onwards.

6.AK-47 (the Rifle)

Now, this is a deadly one. When one thinks of an assault rifle, this ultimate fully automatic rifle comes to mind. It is in service since 1949 till present day. General Kalashnikov who invented this says, “I have nothing to do with the destruction that my invention carries with it. I never made the machine-gun for ordinary people to fight and kill each other.” He regretted very much that it has turned into a deadly weapon. He expressed his anguish that he would have preferred to invent something which helps people and makes life easier for farmers. It has undergone negligible changes and continues to be popular with the respected militaries of various nations and unfortunately with terrorists; people who have no regard for human life.

7.The Train

Once we have learnt to fly successfully in the skies why would we need trains? That was maybe what laymen thought when they found train travel in locomotives time-consuming and tiresome. But the truth as it is is that trains have become an indispensable part of the lives of many people around the world and for good reason. Speeds have quadrupled and convenience has increased. Whatever type of train it is- Metros of Europe and US, High-speed bullet trains of Japan or Diesel locomotives of India, any of these or more continue to offer an unrivalled experience of public transport and it doesn’t always have to be public or less plush. Especially not with the luxury tourist trains of India like The Palace on Wheels, Maharaja Express and the Golden Chariot to name some.

8.Land line Telephones

Hello is what we have all been saying since time immemorial, when we converse through telecommunication networks. Surprisingly the old Landline telephones have been and still are an integral part of this network. The presence of cellular phones and satellite phones in today’s times may have dwarfed the usage of the telephone right? Wrong. Landline telephones continue to dominate as official contact means, business usage, in developing countries where mobile penetration has not been as effective, emergency services such as Police, Hospitals, Fire-fighting etcetera. It adds extra levels of security in terms of identity of the caller as well as being operational in times of calamity and in zero network or weak network areas. Another added advantage of landline phones is that they do not die due to low battery like our mobile phones.

9.Books

Efforts have been made to replace paper books with e-books and tablets but the efforts have not succeeded. Readers still enjoy the pleasure of reading a good book in the most conventional way possible without having to adjust the brightness, scroll around or check battery status; simply open the book and flip the pages and close it when you are done. Simplicity is what has attracted book lovers for generations and libraries still store paper books and are still filled to the brim with avid readers of all sorts of books.

10.Boeing 747

The grandfather of the newly-born nemesis- A380, has existed in the industry ever since it first took off to the skies in 1968. The semi-hump body design is iconic and can be instantly recognized which is different from all others. There have been heavy improvements have been made from the first 747-100s built with six upper deck windows (three per side) with a ten window upper deck as an option offered later as compared to the present-day version dubbed 747-8 is quite long and stretched out to accommodate more passengers while still maintaining the historic design. It is also obvious that the Jumbo Jet is technologically on par, if not more advanced, than all modern commercial aircrafts.

There are many more illustrations of to-be future day classics which I am aware of and shall share it with you all at the right time. It has indeed become a rare breed and I hope to see an improvement in that as it has not been completely extinct even today.