RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2016 Car manufacturers are quite risk averse when it comes to style as the costs of developing a new car are immense and if you do something different and very stylish then the chances are that as many people will hate it as those who love it. So this tends to push car design into a safe inoffensive area. And some German car manufacturers have a bit of a tendency to be conservative anyway, they'll take a big leap now and then followed by a few generations of models that pretty much look like the last model. We may admire boldness, but often the same people who decry conservative styling and call for something different will be the loudest voices complaining if they don't like the results. And sometimes cars are only really recognised long after launch, when Chris Bangle took BMW off in a whole new direction with complex concave/convex surfaces, a de-cluttered interior using a menu based system for the cars functions etc many people went into meltdown yet take a look at almost any car of recent years and you see a lot of influence from Chris Bangle's time at BMW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2016 There are many beautiful cars listed here - I agree with the choices of many of the people who have posted so far. However, I think my personal favourite, which I think still looks modern even now (apart from the old-style bumpers!), is the Jensen Interceptor. I think the styles that don't age are the ones that didn't follow industry norms when they were first made and often took a while to become widely accepted. The Interceptor and the Citroen DS have already been mentioned, how about the Reliant Scimitar GTE and the Volvo P1800 "Saintmobile"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 A design which looked 'right' from the off - the Bertone penned Alfa Romeo 105 Series Giulia Coupes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Below is a favorite of mine..unusually, a BMW! Isn't the shape perhaps the fore-runner of the 1-series? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Z3#/media/File:BMW-Z3-Coup%C3%A9.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 ^^ More of a bread van. If you compare the 1-series and the N16 Nissan Almera, I think you'll see some similarities.....e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Just for comparison purposes, again, long nose, short rear? Hardly deserves the epithet 'bread van?' The MGB GT? http://www.autopride.co.uk/mgb-gt-mgc-midget.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2016 I think that another car which although not beautiful was well proportioned and looked the part in many ways was the Mini (NOT MINI) Cooper. I had a Cooper S and it was the most fun on four wheels I ever had, and that included a Golf GTI Mk2 which was another cracker in its time, particularly in Tornado red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I liked the MiniSprint version too...with several inches chopped from the roofline, oh, how differnt the Mini could look? Side-by-side view below.... [De-seaming helped an awful lot, too] from http://www.statim.co.uk/Minisprint.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Good grief, I've just wizzed through this thread looking at the pics and was expecting to see a procession of beautiful cars but instead found mostly a catalogue of the bizarre, ugly and lumpy. Cars obviously don't do much for me so I think I'll stick with the trains - although I notice we've had a thread of ugly locos as well. G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoViAnna Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 My current steed. Still puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it! It reminds me of so many gorgeous cars and I can see inspiration from old Ferrari's and Datsuns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I liked the MiniSprint version too...with several inches chopped from the roofline, oh, how differnt the Mini could look? More that that they also took out metal from the waist too to keep the proportions. If you see a simple roof-chopped Mini they look stupid, but the Sprint is so subtle you don't notice unless it's parked next to a regular one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2016 I liked the MiniSprint version too...with several inches chopped from the roofline, oh, how differnt the Mini could look? Side-by-side view below.... [De-seaming helped an awful lot, too] from http://www.statim.co.uk/Minisprint.htm If you look more closely, you will see the lower half has been heavily trimmed in height too. Must have been awfully cramped for anyone over 5' tall. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 If the cars from the thirties to teh sixties [and beyond] are anything to go by..., everybody was under 5 foot tall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2016 If you look more closely, you will see the lower half has been heavily trimmed in height too. Must have been awfully cramped for anyone over 5' tall. John One of my dad's mates always drove minis in his youth, he's well over 6', they say he drove from the back seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 9, 2016 How's this for a regular mainstream design. Have we mentioned it yet? I gather many disliked them when they replaced the Cortina, but I actually quite liked the original Sierra, specifically the Ghia smooth nose version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 One of my dad's mates always drove minis in his youth, he's well over 6', they say he drove from the back seat. One of my most dynamic bosses had an early very hot Mini Cooper as an about town car. But so impressively super-sized was she, that her Mini had just one very large basket chair driving seat located more or less in the middle. Her other car for pre 70mph limited Motorway driving was a 3.8 MkII Jaguar saloon. ...now I always thought them seriously elegant motors. dh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairq Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 One of my dad's mates always drove minis in his youth, he's well over 6', they say he drove from the back seat. My Grandmother used to do that........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 If you look more closely, you will see the lower half has been heavily trimmed in height too. Must have been awfully cramped for anyone over 5' tall. John I had trouble getting in my friend's Mum's normal Mini when I was in my early teens. There's no way I could ever have driven one without becoming seriously deformed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 How's this for a regular mainstream design. Have we mentioned it yet? autowp.ru_ford_sierra_ghia_5-door_hatchback_1.jpg I gather many disliked them when they replaced the Cortina, but I actually quite liked the original Sierra, specifically the Ghia smooth nose version. Whoever decided to make the early hatchbacks available in brown must have had a grudge against his employers. Mine was unaffectionate known as a four letter word beginning with T! I think it's the only car I've ever owned that should be in the other topic. Fortunately, I haven't got round to scanning a photo of it yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Whoever decided to make the early hatchbacks available in brown must have had a grudge against his employers. Mine was unaffectionate known as a four letter word beginning with T! I think it's the only car I've ever owned that should be in the other topic. Fortunately, I haven't got round to scanning a photo of it yet! Hang on....you hated the colour....but you still took a photo of it!??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Andy7 Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2016 Some nice cars mentioned in here, E Type, 250 GTO, Alfa Giulia sprint GTA etc. Then a shocker, GT86! A real dogs dinner of styling, to be expected from Toyota though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Hang on....you hated the colour....but you still took a photo of it!??? I liked to keep a record of all my cars, but I only have one photo of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 .... I only have one photo of it! Oh to be grateful for small mercies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I have to admit I quite like the Aston Martinised front grill of current Fords I suppose somebody will tell me Ford now own AM. I see they now own Vignale as well as Ghia. The GT 40 with its Le Mans and WSCC domination was supposedly developed out of the Lola after Ford tried but failed to buy Ferrari. dh Ed It'll be a few years yet before my Mondeo gets the upgraded treatment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted July 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 9, 2016 That's the first time I have ever heard the Princess described as a "looker". I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it in the "other" thread. First time I ever saw a Princess was in the rear view mirror on a road in France. I was impressed and thought it was a Jag as a new one was due out at the time. More than a bit disappointed when the Princess overtook and I saw the rest of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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