I guess that answers the question of whether style has any meaning in the excavator market. Obviously it plays a part. I'd be interested to know whether anyone would
not buy a clearly more capable machine, based solely on the fact that it was ugly? (Or would they even admit that that was the reason?
)
I would have thought that, as Steve said, the ability to do the work is the determining factor. I suppose it's a case of beauty being skin deep--appealling styling can be the deciding factor between two equally capable machines, but no amount of styling will sell a machine that's just not good at doing the job.