Which Era of Cars is your favorite?

PF_Flyer

Whether it's for styling, performance, or features/accessories, which cars get your motor running? The era names I chose are NOT official in any sense

PF_Flyer

A lot of this will be influenced by when you grew up, family cars, first cars, etc. Like the first car I remember riding in was Dad's '54 Plymouth Cranbrook. Last ride in that was on the way to trade it in on a 1960 Chevy Impala. I was kind of sad until I saw all the chrome and flattened out fins on the Impala. In the early days of manned spaceflight, that looked like a spaceship!

berri

My problem is that I prefer mid 50's - mid 60's. If I had to pick a decade it would be 60's.

Mr_Shiftright

Then pick Hot Wheels. In many cases the mid 60s cars are just better version of what you liked in the 50s.

PF_Flyer

Nobody said it was gonna be easy

No doubt there will be individual cars that won't fit your choice or don't seem to fit in an era either. I really liked the 1970 240Z, but it doesn't really make me think of the Hot Wheels slot even though it comes from there.

Mr_Shiftright

But that was a very popular Hot Wheels car!

PF_Flyer

Mr_Shiftright said:

But that was a very popular Hot Wheels car!

As popular as the Deora?

andre1969

I picked the '60-80 era. Even though there's a lot I like in the 50's, it's mainly the '55-59 era I like, whereas I can pick plenty from '60-80 that turns me on. Most of what I like from '80-'00 is actually holdovers that could be traced back to the 70's...stuff like the Mopar M-body, GM B/C body, Ford Panthers, etc. And the '00-current stuff, even though it performs better, is safer, more realible, gets better fuel economy, it better equipped, etc, just gets sort of a "meh", out of me. I get about as excited about buying a modern car as I would shopping for a refrigerator.

fintail

It is pretty hard to find a modern mainstream car that really gets the emotions going. Even not so ancient cars like the W116 I saw yesterday made me ooh and aah, but most moderns leave me a little bored. Now that I have done a new car thing a few times, it's not as exciting either (but still enjoyable).

PF_Flyer

fintail said:

It is pretty hard to find a modern mainstream car that really gets the emotions going. Even not so ancient cars like the W116 I saw yesterday made me ooh and aah, but most moderns leave me a little bored. Now that I have done a new car thing a few times, it's not as exciting either (but still enjoyable).

I feel ya! It's not as bad now as it was during what I call the "Taurus Era" when everything looked the same, just in different sizes... and a lot of them were teal green

At least there are some different attempts at styling now, even if some of them fall a bit short

fintail

Oh, I'd love to have a teal blue MB W140 or W124 500E.

Styling today seems to have a few set mantras - there are still some nice cars, still some bland cars, but a lot of "different for the sake of different" material, with doses of faux edgy or aggressiveness just because.

PF_Flyer said:

I feel ya! It's not as bad now as it was during what I call the "Taurus Era" when everything looked the same, just in different sizes... and a lot of them were teal green

At least there are some different attempts at styling now, even if some of them fall a bit short

PF_Flyer

I hear you on "different for the sake of different". Did that start with the Pontiac Aztek or are the roots deeper?

fintail

I think the Aztek would be seen as somewhat minimalist and tasteful today. Weird proportions, but not nearly as offensive as it was 15 years ago. In a way, it was a pioneer, although its weirdness had function. I don't think function is as important now. It's all about being seen as exciting or dynamic even if you are the same trusty appliance as before.

That seems to be the trend now - things become less offensive as you get used to them, but I wouldn't call much of it good design (I am talking to a certain brand in particular).

thebean

fintail said:

..That seems to be the trend now - things become less offensive as you get used to them..

That's how my wife tells me she has managed to stay married to me for over 36 years.  

PF_Flyer

Since what goes around comes around... is Return of the Son of Fins on the horizon?

PF_Flyer

fintail said:

I think the Aztek would be seen as somewhat minimalist and tasteful today. Weird proportions, but not nearly as offensive as it was 15 years ago. In a way, it was a pioneer, although its weirdness had function. I don't think function is as important now. It's all about being seen as exciting or dynamic even if you are the same trusty appliance as before.

That seems to be the trend now - things become less offensive as you get used to them, but I wouldn't call much of it good design (I am talking to a certain brand in particular).

Put a little cladding on the Prius, eh?

becausecar

I like vintage cars since I feel like it is more personal and imagine how hard it is to make them before unlike now. But I am also excited with the future designs of car since it makes drivers feels like they are not driving.

But when it comes to design, VINTAGE wins my heart.

PF_Flyer

becausecar said:

I like vintage cars since I feel like it is more personal and imagine how hard it is to make them before unlike now. But I am also excited with the future designs of car since it makes drivers feels like they are not driving.

But when it comes to design, VINTAGE wins my heart.

Although, thinking about making a vintage car, yes, it might be "hard", but everything mechanical in the car was so much less complicated back then, (no computers and all the neat stuff we have now) that an awful lot of folks took their shot at building cars with the idea that they could sell them

berri

Like older postwar cars for looks and advertising, but current cars for quality and driving. Guess you can't have it all.

PF_Flyer

Remember, we liked the way those older cars drove back then.

berri

Yeah, time is always relevant!