Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Attractive Older Cars and Why You Think So
Mr_Shiftright
Member Posts: 64,481
Those are pretty good lists, and made with a good eye, all in all, and I can live with most of them (scratch the Monte Carlo and I'd be happier) as long as I keep the word "style" in mind and don't let "size" get in the way. It's interesting that some cars only look good BIG and some look good SMALL, and when a big car is too small or vice-versa it doesn't work for me.
I think the last generation RX-7 was a beautiful car in that it was modern but restrained...not a superficial scoop or piece of phony anything on the car...just right.
Sometimes only time can judge a car's beauty...one rule of thumb I've relied on is whether a car still looks good when it's stripped and lying in a wrecking yard...like the 70s Alfa GTV sedan, a clean Bertone design that even looks good wrecked with pieces missing. Can't say that for the Monte, IMO.
I think the last generation RX-7 was a beautiful car in that it was modern but restrained...not a superficial scoop or piece of phony anything on the car...just right.
Sometimes only time can judge a car's beauty...one rule of thumb I've relied on is whether a car still looks good when it's stripped and lying in a wrecking yard...like the 70s Alfa GTV sedan, a clean Bertone design that even looks good wrecked with pieces missing. Can't say that for the Monte, IMO.
Tagged:
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Here are some of my favorites:
Jaguar XKE (series one covered headlight) from the early and mid 60's---still timeless
Chevy Corvette mid year coupe and roadster ('63-'67)-absolutely perfect.
Ferrari 250 GTL (Lusso). An amazingly beautiful car. Most of the '60's Pinninfarina Ferraris are amazing designs--too many to list here.
Maserati Ghibli. What a car!
Lamborgini Miura. Just beautiful.
Iso Grifo. Italian Style with American power.
Alfa Romeo boat tail spider (late '60's).
Alfa Romeo 2000 & 2600 Spider (early 60's).
Mercedes 230-250SL roadsters.
Mustang '67-'70, including Shelbys
Camaro '67-'68 and '70-'73
BMW 507 roadster (late 50's)
BMW 2800 & 3.0 cs/csl coupe
BMW 6 series coupe
There are others than this, but these are some of the main ones I think are great. Some mentioned earlier too like the '63-'65 Riviera and the Miata.
65 to 69 Mustangs.
65 to 70 Shelbys.
57 Chevys.
63 Chevy Impala 2 door hardtop.
63 Falcon convertible and Ranchero.
66 & 67 Fairlane GT & GTA.
My opinion.
Imports:
Mazda Miata--Wouldn't want to drive one, but they are kinda cute.
Jag XJ6/8/12/R/whatever else they call the thing--I'd have to give it to this car hands down in the looks department. Even the 80's models with the clunky black bumpers and square headlights look good.
Jag S-type What can I say, I have a thing for Jaguars!
Domestic
Late Model Taurus (Just kidding. I'm not like, you know, high on pot or anything!)
Late 70's Early 80's Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Full sized cars...Crown Vics (except they were called LTD's back then) Grand Marquis's Town Cars, the like. Also the Caddies from this period (except the one with the chopped trunk)
Buick Regal Don't know what it is about that car, but I like it.
57 Chevy Nuff said
Those snout nosed GM vans of the Early 90's (Lumina, Sillouette, ect.) I'm currently the only person I know who like those things.
58 Edsel Absolute lemon, but cool looks. (Again, see what I said bout the Lumina. I have weird taste in cars.)
95 T-Bird...I own one. What can I say?
I could go on and on, but these are the main ones.
I have an odd appreciation for mid-size/full-size cars of the 70's. (Ah... the days of Landau tops, opera windows, and poorly matched two-tone paint!) Most everyone considers these cars to be the most underpowered, poorly built cars made. And admittedly, there IS complete truth to that. But when I see a mid-70's LTD, or a large Plymouth Fury, or a boat-tail Buick Riviera, there's something about these cars that fires an interest in me - they are sheer yachts on wheels. The '73-'77 Monte Carlo/Grand Prix may look like yachts today, but these cars were VERY popular for their time, and most held up better than their replacements built from '78-80 - just from their sheer bulk. Then when the downsizing era began in 1977 at GM, car styling REALLY did begin to get BORING!
There's a local guy in town who has a 1979 Chrysler Cordoba (ah, rich Corinitian leather) - gold, loaded w/ all options. Been garaged for 90% of its existence. Absolutely looks like new. OK, it's a Chrysler from the late 70's, so quality was not a strong suit... OK, so Lean-Burn technology wasn't exactly 'successful'. Yes, it makes the Queen Mary look like a small Sea-Ray in comparison. But looking at this car in mint condition was astonishing - it is truly a beautiful looking car, and it definitely stands out with the conservative styling of cars today. And since it only has about 16,000 miles on it - it truly rides like a dream (minus the whistling wind noise from the frameless door windows).
No, I don't think Chrysler should return to building these beasts once again - but isn't funny when you look at the similarities of full-size cars from the 70's and SUV's today. Look at the chrome and excess on a Lincoln Navigator - even teenage kids who would snuff at an old 70's full-size monster - actually drool over this luxury SUV. Or the sheer massive size of a Ford Excursion - it looks like an Econoline Van with a full truck cab in front!
Just MY .02!
- you're certainly entitled to your opinion. Love the fact that you included the 58 Edsel. I'm in that school that thinks that is about the top of 50's excess (that and maybe the 59 DeSoto).
Doesn't mean they can't be seen as attractive (how's that for diplomatic???).
Of course the 57 T-bird and 57 Chevy. Love the fact that esneed included the 55 Chevy - great design. How about the ol' 57 Ford - you know - Fairlaines. Nice design. Actually sold more cars in 57 than Chevy did (the only year in decades).
So one would have to classify in a Duesey, much like other high-end cars of the generation, which coachbuilder.
Although, my two cents enters the Talbot-Lago T150 or a Delahaye v12 (with the covered front wheels)
Anyone?
Maybe it's that people agree more easily with what's ugly than what's beautiful...but not always...I think the Viper is a mutt of a car regarding looks but some people think it's actually beautiful...go figure....
Another problem is that cars in 1999 look very similar to one another...they are designed neither to attract nor repel too strongly.....cars by Starbuck's.
Duesey: superlative, derived from the 1920s-30s American ultra-luxury auto manufacturer Duesenberg.
Many people today believe the word to mean "complex, stumper or brainteaser"
Yea, the Viper is interesting looking but I don't consider it a beauty by any means. Mr. Shiftright, can you give all of us car worshipers a list of your favorites?
Jaguar XK120 roadster (clean, graceful, beautiful, purposeful, and was as fast as it looked).
Jaguar XKE --a shocking car for 1961--shocking in price (CHEAP!)in performance, and in outrageous looks. It was, at the time, an absolute sensation to eyes that were used to '58 Buicks
1955 Buick Convertible, white with red leather...I dunno why, but there is something about it that I find irresistable...the only 50s American car that I personally would consider owning today.
57 Corvette---just a "classic" Corvette for me...they mussed it up in 1958.
Alfa GTV Coupe--a very pretty 1970s 2 door coupe by Bertone...the perfect little GT coupe, from which all current Japanese rocket-coupes take their inspiration.
Mercedes 300SL roadster--not as famous or as valuable as its sister ship, the 300SL Gullwing, but it's got a very muscular style and the power to back up its image....inspiration for the Cobra and Viper, I think, but much more refined than either.
Saab 850 Monte Carlo--a little two-stroke aerodynamic blob of a car from the 1960s that is a kick to drive and looks like nothing else on the road.
Mazda RX-7 Twin Turbo Coupe--clean, purposeful, not one extra piece of chrome or decoration, and blazing speed...a lovely, integrated, well-thought-out design.
1965 Corvair---best looking 4-door hardtop ever made in America.
Porsche Boxster
Austin Healey 100M --your classic British sports car--two seats, wind all over, tail swinging out fun-mobile.
Alfa Guiletta Spyder Veloce -- a cute little jewel of a car that you can wind up to outrageous RPMs for a late 50s-60s "everyday" sportscar.
63 Buick Riviera ---at attempt at sanity in an insane design environment. A Man's Car...one of the first of the "luxury coupes".
Well, I could go on and on, but I don't want to bore you all...these are some of my favorites...
Everyone who likes old cars should go at least once to Pebble Beach, if for no other reason to see such a wide range of domestic and foreign "classics", and also to better appreciate what makes a car special. Some of the restorations are way over the top (a bad American habit), but it's really great to see someone driving a 1.5 million buck car on the track at 9/10ths.
36 Ford Cabriolet
53-55 Vette
57 T-Bird
59 Eldorado Biarritz
Any E Jag Roadster
62-63 T-Bird Sports Roadster
67 Chevelle SS
76-77 Olds Cutlass Supreme
Not much from the eighties
Lamborghini Diablo
Jag XK8 Roadster
94 T-Bird LX
Can't remember the year, but late model Mazda MX6
I love the Monterey Historics. My wife is kind enough to go with me each year and indulges me in my love of cars. She has come to enjoy the event too and wanders around the paddock area with me. My favorite was a few years ago when Ferrari was the featured marque. Everywhere you looked were Ferraris of every year and model. I almost got whiplash from looking around so much, especially when I was wandering around in Carmel and heard the beautiful roar of a Ferrari V-12! A visual and sensory feast!! See you there!
49 Cad Sedanette and Convertible
34 Fords [most models]
39-40 Ford coupes and convertibles
34 Chevs and some other GM's of same year.
39 Lasalle
61 Buick Electra Convertible [white with red leather]
61 Pontiac Ventura 2dr hardtop [maroon w/tri-tone leather interior]
31 Chrysler Imperial
33 Packard Roadster
mint condition,[in 1966] for 1200 bucks. Things were different then, and that car was not one any of us coveted. But something about it. Since then, over the years, I've seen huge, white, Buick convertibles wityh red leather at car shows. I remember a 57 that was stunning-when I NEVER liked 57 Buicks. Also a 64 Electra, a 79 Riviera, 69 Electra, 64 Wildcat, and a 67 Electra. All white with red leather. And relatively cheap. I thought, what a buy for someone
That's my list. I want one so bad I could taste it. I even saw a 1962 Thunderbird station wagon that was fabricated (of course), but even the hypothetical wagon was a piece of artistry in motion. I think the guy wants $20,000 for it. It's in perfect running condition and earned many awards. Anyone got 20 grand I can borrow? ;-)
1.- 1958 impala- my grandpa had one and i remember that huge front end pulling into our drive way. his wan't super clean or in great shape but the style shinned through.
2.- 1963 impala- awesome! my dad had one. i turn my neck everytime i see one.
3.- 1970 el camino ss396. this ones mine. i always tell my wife.."isn't that the coolest car you have ever seen?" she just tells me it smells like oil...welcome to 1970 baby.
196x Facel Vega (Facellia).
1972-74 Porsche 914.
199x Dodge Viper GTS.
1970-71 Olds. Cutlass S. (I had one that I loved).
1955-60 Nash Metropolitan (saw one as a kid, and I couldn't tell if it was going forward or backwards , but I couldn't stop staring at it).
1957 T-Bird (ditto).
196x Buick Riviera (ditto).
1972 AMC Hornet, DOT yellow (gotcha!, just kidding).
195x Mercedes with the gullwing doors (somebody mentioned the model number).
1949 Ford Fairlane, red/white in and out (an old friend's father had one. What a beauty!).
I'll need Mr. S.'s help on this one, a 50's beauty that had a hardtop that folded/retracted into the trunk. Possibly a buick?
I'm sure there's more, but I'll stop now.
Otherwise, I thought your list was pretty good...at least most of the cars are interesting, tasteful or cute, except the Viper which I think is hideous. I don't think time will be kind to it....you know, like when we look at some of those 50s and 60s Zagato designs on Italian cars, and we say "what were they THINKING?" Probably the 914 won't look so great either in the next century...it's already kinda odd-looking to the modern eye I think, but not really offensive--it's proportional and balanced at least. Targas in general can be clunky, like that big fat chrome strip on the Porsche 911s...ruins the lines a bit, I thought.
What seems to hold up over the decades are cars with good proportion.
any 911 (except the 996)
Datsun 240z
Jaguar XKE roadster
Porsche 356 speedster
Porsche 550 spyder
63-67 Stingray vette
Triumph TR6
BMW 507
Gullwing Mercedes 300 sl
Ford Pantera
I saw one of the last Buick Roadmasters made. Closest thing to the Fifties cars we'll get this decade! I also have a soft spot for anything resembling a 1978 Grand Marquis. Of course, the big Lincolns and Caddies (even though Caddilac is FWD now). One car I like that is neather V-8 nor RWD is a Pontiac Bonneville. My grandma has a 92, and its an awesome litte car, once you get used to the car's slightly unusual looks. IMHO, bigger is better when it comes to cars!
In my humble opinion, it was one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. If would cheerfully burn rubber for a block if I wanted it to.
It also got seven miles per gallon, and sadly required an octane rating that is no longer available.
The retractable headlights were a big pain on these! Usually you'll see jammed in the open position. There are motors and micro switches, and everything has to be perfect for them to work.
Luckilly, I found an old Buick guy who fixed mine.
The gas situation broke my heart..It really needed 104 octane, leaded gas.
I couldn't stand to hear it ping so I was forced to retard the timing and use octane booster which really doesn't work.
Kind of like hobbling a race horse...Sad!
Because of this, and lack of storage, I decided to sell it!
It was, indeed, a beautiful car!
Runner up: 1959 Chevy 4dr hardtop. So ugly it's beautiful.
Wouldn't it be great to drive the Ponton or 59 Bat Chevy around town for a weekend? Make my Poncho black, the baby blue is tooo, a well, youknow, sixties!