Hybrid Theory

Electric wheels. Kind of.
London, ON
May 2016

I've always had a thing for the smaller elements of design. And by "thing" I mean something of an obsession. I stare at the nameplates on a car because sometimes in the smallest things you can learn something about the folks who make it.

Like the makeup of this badge on the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that just joined the fleet at work. Many carmakers long ago switched away from metallic nameplates in favour of cheaper stickers. I'm sure there's also an aerodynamic reason for ditching the kind of badging you see here, but I still feel a tiny twinge of happiness when I see fully-formed examples on a new car today.

Maybe Subaru thinks this means something to the uber-loyal folks who buy their vehicles. Maybe, like full-time four-wheel-drive, boxer-type engines and exterior designs that are more comfy slipper than anything else, this is another example of a car company that operates on a somewhat different level.

Or maybe I'm just imagining things. Either way, I still contend there are stories buried in the little things. So I'll have to keep on looking. And I hope you do, too.

Your turn: A little thing that matters. Do tell...