TimeOut

Thanks to all for your participation - great lists and of course, in looking at other's lists, we are reminded of ones we forgot, or are prompted to consider others we didn't.

 

click here  for lists from part 1a

I wanted to 1a to be instinctive, intuitive, with minimal "high level thought" - it would thus be closest to a Rohrschach Test of our tastes, but also a reflection of our upbringing, circumstances, and times, tempered by who we are today.

Now for the intellectual part - for each/any/all of your choices, why? Some of us have already touched on those that we forgot and / or left off...but these are welcome in part 1b as well.

For PPlater, why E38 740iL?

graceful, elegant exterior, projects substance yet restrained good taste. Unlike the ungainly behemoths of the two generation earlier S class, or the later 7 series...(no offense intended, just personal taste in design)

A fantastic mix and use of ergonomic space - incredible rear leg room, spacious wideness, AND a cavernous trunk. And all wrapped in a beautiful, sleek shape. (see above) Usually, it's 4 qualities, pick 2 or 3 for a great large car; the E38 740iL is one of the rare that offer all 4 out of 4.

Handling and ride - excellent for a large sedan cruiser - it's not a sport car or sports sedan, but it can keep up with many of them (and most pretenders)

Drivetrain - mmmm...I believe the 4.4 V-8 will go down in history as one of the great engines, ever, and the tranni is pretty darned good as well - fast when you want it to be, smooth when you want it to be. Yes, it has a reputation for premature death at around 100k, but many suspect this is due to the BMW policy of not servicing it or changing ATF fluids...Overall, for its intended purpose (high performance luxo cruiser) it is close to as good as it gets (compared to what? M-B, Bentley, RR, Lexus, Maserati, Inifinit, Acura, et al - the E38 740iL is, for me and my preferences, the ideal compromise. And typically, I don't like compromises!!!)

Electronics and mechanical gremlins? sure, I've heard about them, and even experienced some -

those damned electric window regulators!

ridiculous (PLASTIC!) cooling system - radiator, expansion tank, pump impeller - argh!

frames and guides (PLASTIC!) for the manual read passenger window shades

display pixel failure

door frame trim, especially around the rear of the rear passenger doors

"clips" for the various body trim - door frame (see above); kidney grills; lower side skirts

but I can live with those, and they are addressible weaknesses.

The comfort seats (with upper body tilt!) are among the most comfortable front automotive seats I've ever experienced (not SPORT seats, but it's not a SPORTS car...) and the leather (buffalo? seems tougher and rougher than cowhide) wears very well without showing cracks, wear and tear, stretching, or stitching stretch.

Door panels fit and operate like one expects of high end Euro  vehicles - reassuring and solid "thunk."

Cool safety features (though can be confusing too) like double click door locks and remotes (only driver door unlocks on first remote click, to prevent someone from jumping in from the other side)

Yep, great driving, great design, great use of space.

So nice I've been tempted several times to pick up low mileage spares for future driving pleasure and use (like when I find a GREAT model of shoes, so I don't have to worry when they discontinue the model)

Anecdotally, the E38 and E39 saw strong upticks in new car sales in their last model year, as some buyers did exactly that.

-----------------

why not the E38 750iL? I've been tempted several times; I love the (more) rare; I love 12 cylinder engines.

But ultimately, I was disappointed in how it drove vis a vis the 4.4l V-8 - much more complexity for not much more performance, as offered in the standard 750i/iL execution.

----------------

Navajo - man, Alfa just had this magic in their designs, as much or more than Lambo or Ferrari - they can do hard edged (like Lambo) and they can do soft and flowing (like Ferrari) 

Aside - Lambo's 350/400 were soft and flowing, reminiscent of E type Jag's but with a little harder edge; Jarama and less so the Espada were a little...boring?

Ferrari tried hard edged (308/GT4; Mondial) and they were not so successful. I wish they went into production with the Navajo. Comments already in the original thread on the Carabo - very, very cool design but I see its soul and spirit well represented, and in production too, in the original LP400 Countach. 

Why not the 300SL gullwing? The two I've driven, albeit only briefly, were a bit "trucklike" in its ride and handling.

I have no experience or knowledge with early Auto Union greats, would love to learn (and experience!) more about them.

I'd love to have included the 70s and 80s Aston Martin Vantages and Volantes, especially the Volantes (anyone else remember the Hart to Hart series?) as I remember them fondly as the epitome of 70's and 80's decadent extravagance, like huge collars and bell bottoms; angle flights 100% polyester butt huggers and...and I LOVED their understated, elegant lines that exuded class and yes, money, but in the end, great cars? only in a strickly personal context.

Pantera? if I included the Pantera, I'd have to include the Monteverdi's...and I allowed only 10...

Muscle cars? Mustang Fastback; Dodge and Plymouth Charger Daytona and Roadrunner Superbird; 427 sideoilers and 351 Clevelands and Boss 302s; MOPAR hemis...yep, stuff of red blooded american boy dreams, but great cars?

Love to see other's reasons and justifications!

TM

No message body

but the performance is just not there, in factory street spec. Worst is that the body is so beautiful, it promises more than it delivers. And the interior is rather "thin"  (common for Bimmers of that era, but the M6, a bit later, was "plain" yet very high quality - leather, padding, stitching.)  This was all before Bimmer luxo-bloat, of course.

Bottom line - a great car, and as progenitor of the M family, to be respected, but incongruous and didn't manage expectations well.

Now one of the Procar specimen, another story entirely...

TM

BTW - people expect the M5 and 540's with the 4.4L V8 to have lots of "grunt" and be QUICK.

My personal experience is, it is not "quick" but very fast, and the build up of power seems to be smooth and almost unending...it just pulls and pulls and pulls, no muss, no fuss.  Too often, before I realize it, the speedo's in triple digit territory, without any drama...

My original list consisted of my ‘spur of the moment’ choices and so the reasons were equally short. In fact given that they were not that carefully thought out, I don’t think I could justify many of them any more than this.

Here they are:

Morris Mini (the original Issigonis design) and specifically the Cooper S – a giant killer on road and track and my first car which I still miss.

McLaren F1 – cool driving position, purposeful design and engineering

Ferrari Dino – a potentially affordable Ferrari/Fiat when I was growing up

Ferrari 250 GT California – If it’s good enough for Ferris …

Lamborghini Murcielago – brilliant evolution of a wonderful series of cars back to the Miura

Aston Martin DB5 – shaken not stirred

BMW M3 – for my family days

Citroen DS – design flair

Lotus Elan – memories of my father; we re-built one together

Porsche 911 RS – had the RS bumpers on my 1966 911, but wished I had the rest in between

Karman Ghia (convertible) – something to do with my wife who loves this design (but I would prefer the 356 Speedster)

Sunbeam Tiger – with all the Get Smart modifications

Daimler Dart – loved the design and small block V8, but I believe the build quality was rather dubious.

Andrew

… a thousand words.

 

I thought I would add some images of cars from my list that have not already been included.

 

I didn’t realize so many convertibles had been embedded in my adolescent subconscious.

 

Andrew

 

 

Sunbeam Tiger

 

Daimler Dart

Citroen DS

Karmann Ghia

Lotus Elan

… and one I forgot:  I always thought Mac’s flying car from “Joe 90” would be cool.

Please forgive my borderline lame reasons for liking some cars but what can I say being a typical man I have shallow superficial reasons for considering cars to be one of the greatest ever, so design and form plays a major part :

1) Mercedes The Gullwing: I remember reading an article when I was a kid about Picasso owning one and Peter Sellers who regardless of his movies (The Party and so on) was the embodiment of a cool movie star aswell and I imagined driving this car in Montecarlo or Monaco in the summer with all those stylish women on the promenade and that really made my fantasy go in hyperdrive so it has to be one of the most iconic cars out there. The interior is just pure sex.

2) Mercedes AMG 6.0 SEC Widebody (1989-1990): I used to own a Matchbox model toy of this car back in 1988 and I imagined it was the perfect car to go close drug deals in and then head to the club (sorry too much Miami Vice while growing up) and just look at it, its got that old skool muscular Benz styling with the power to match. These cars were not just a technical and designing exercise, they had that intangible ingredient of being "very cool and looking gangstah" , something that designers forget today.

3) Maserati Quattroporte Royale with Miami Vice styling (Wire Rims, Body Kit): See Previous

4) Lamborghini Countach LP400: the design of this car is timeless, seemless flows and edges and wedges, the original Countach design is just so beautiful, the stuff of Italian supercar dreams.

5) BMW 507: is the perfect car to drive in the Bavarian country side with a gorgeous blonde to have a picnic with ;-) LoooL, but have to say the grand daddy of the Z8 is uber cool

6) Lamborghini Miura SV: The Ultimate Evolution (Ignoring the Jota and the Chopped Roof one off version) of arguably the most beautiful Italian super car ever made, the Italian Job really sealed its reputation. 

7) Aston Martin Lagonda (80s): One of my father's business friends had one of these, a portly Irish guy, had a white on white Lagonda with a black dash (I know, so 80s) and when I saw it in 1986 I thought it was the coolest car in the world

8) Lamborghini LM002: a fav. of Gulf Royalty and packed with Lambo Countach or Diablo engines, going offroad was never ever this cool so if you love Italian Supercars this is a must and gets mucho respect from car lovers

9) Maserati Bora: imho is one of the classiest supercars ever made, it was extremely advanced for its time thanks to Citroen funding and the design is understated yet elegant, so it has to be loved.

10) Audi Sport Quattro: is a raw thumping powerhouse of a machine with its well known S1 Rally pedigree it was and is an awesome machine, a testament to German engineering at its creative best.

11) Lancia 037 Stradale: I love the Italianess of the machine and its rare obscurity heightens its appeal, the boxy Italian 80s styling is very pleasing to my eye.

12) Lamborghini 6.0: The ultimate Pre-Audi completely Italian Lamborghini, I remember I was in University when it came out, the svelte smooth styling, the sensual dashboard and ergonomics, it was a gorgeous car and had alot of similarities with the Countach LP400 for a styling perspective.

13) Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 GT: Rawer version of the 6.0 Diablo with a more brutal soundtrack

14) Ferrari Challenge Stradale: F40 experience for 1/3 the price with no Fiat parts bin interior, a winner and icon in Ferraristis eyes

15) Ferrari 512M: The Ultimate Evolution of the iconic Testarossa with the sexiest behinds I've ever seen on a supercar and imho the end of the crazy 80s styling excesses, a shame :-(

16) Ferrari Daytona Competizione or Spyder: the first time I saw it was in an episode of Colombo with Peter Falk and its been a life long love affair with the fantastic styling of this car, its legendary status in the pantheon of great Ferraris and its sheer class. Give me a Daytona anyday over any of these newer post 2000 Ferraris.

17) Porsche 962 CS (Road Version Prototype): Japanese supercar enthusiast investors, an Australian Porsche factory Champion race driver and a recession make this a recipe for a  financial disaster but we're lucky these men had the cajones to do this project and leave us with these beauties, a very rare and awesome looking machine, only 3 made, not too well known but known to those that loved the race versions of these iconic track superstars so having a road going version of them with a 959 behind  as on the Prototype is just sublime.

18) Ferrari SWB: somehow I have it stuck in my head that people were cooler and more stylish in 60s and 70s in my head so if I have to fanticize about being back in those days I need an SWB to complete the fantasy of a country millionaire wasting my time by driving around Europe being cool in every town and trying to make good on an aimless bet to lay a girl in every major city LooOL

19) Ferrari Lusso: Standing behind this car is a joy, those two large dials inside the car next to the steering are a stroke of design genius, the smooth curves and flows is just icing on the cake, as in no. 18, the Lusso could do the same job.

20) Ferrari F40 LM Michelotto: imho Japanese Ferrari owners are the craziest and coolest in the world, their obsession and attention to detail for their cars is the ultimate expression of supercar love, I love how they have the jewels to color their F40s black, yellow or silver vs. the iconic red, give me a Japanese owned Black F40 LM any day

21) Bentley Continental T: has such dignity and class in its design but when provoked has the power to  bring down all the fury of hell on the road, destroying everything in its path, an awesome machine and the Greatest Bentley ever made.

22) Lancia Stratos: Ferrari powered and with a design that made it look it came from another planet, along with its Rally credentials, a car with such pedigree and coolness easily makes it an all time Great.

23) Mercedes 300 SL Roadster: the grand daddy of the SLR Convertible, how can anyone say no to a convertible gull wing, the cockpit of the Gullwing was known to have been an oven so for those summer days you could have cruised the South of France in one of these gorgeous beauties J

24) Lamborghini 3500 GT by Zagato: was the only design collaboration between the two firms and created such a beautiful design that to this day I am in awe, too bad only 2 were made but have to really respect Lambo for sticking it to Ferrari this way LooL J, from the same school of 60s iconic supercars.

25) Porsche 993 Turbo: back in 1997 this car came with options that most current Porsches have and was the last of the air cooled Turbos but for me its special because its design has the ultimate balance and loved by enthusiasts all over.

26) Porsche 928 GTS: the shark was one of the coolest cars back in the day and the design is so timeless that park a 928 next to any newer Porsche and it still looks good, the interior lets it down but otherwise from a design perspective it was and is one of the most beautiful Porsche ever to be made.

27) Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale: a Ferrari 250 GTO as everyone knows is one of the Greatest cars around but cars like the 33/2 Stradale are no less fantastic albeit less well known to enthusiasts because its not marketed as such by its manufacturer which in its current form is an insult to its heritage. I digress but a car which had a 8,800 rpm redline and with a body that was brought down to Earth by a Divine inspiration makes this one of the Greatest cars ever made. It reminds me of cool supercars used by Japanese Manga heros J

28) Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300: was a street legal race car and its aggressive design which is beautiful from every angle, if could easily have had a Ferrari badge, the guy was an ex-Ferrari engineer and worked on the team that developed the Ferrari 250 GTO, its rarity and embodiment of a special time make it one of the greatest.

29) Ferrari 575 GTC Manual: grandchild of the Daytona, classic Ferrari lines, beautiful from every angle, the Maranello was the last design which didn't loose its Italianess to Globalization.

30) Ferrari 355 Spider: one of the most beautiful engine sounds to ever come out of a V8, beautiful from every angle, from the same genepool as the Maranello, pure Italian Design and the convertible allows you to hear those down shift pops and bangs in all their glory.

31) Toyota 2000 GT: a middle finger to the snooty Eurocentric supercar establishment and it looks oh so good I wish it inspires Toyota again to do the same ( they tried with Lexus in the early 90s) but hope they can do it with a supercar. I love the interior of the car and wood used was the same as used on Yamaha Pianos so an indication of the attention to detail and quality.

32) Mercedes G55 AMG: is a freakin monster and takes no prisoners LoooL as Richard Hammond from Top Gear says Super Models can't resist the backlit doorplates. A car that can take offroad and then clean up and drive to any club or black tie event, has amazing presence and in the Gulf is considered the coolest car to have due to Royal Patronage along the lines of what Bentley, Range or Rolls has as an image in the UK

33) Mercedes SLR Convertible: saw a blue one with an orangish tan interior at the Kuwait Autoshow a couple of years ago and I fell in love, its beautiful its sheer presence and size and after so many decades Benz came out with a true successor to the Gullwing in coolness and style.

34) BMW M6 Widebody (1980s): Refer to point no. 2

35) Aston Martin DBS Convertible: we can all agree the DBS was one of the best looking Astons to be made in a long time so a convertible of it is no brainer as one of the Greatest cars ever made although I might say the continuity of form on the hardtop might make it look more elegant.

36) Alfa Romeo Montreal: the first time I ever saw this car was in a book given to me by a family friend and I loved the design of the car so decided to research it more, the car was developed by Alfa for the 1967 Montreal Expo as a car of the future and the name caught on, the gorgeous side ducts and NACA ducts on the hood add to the flare but its coolness is really in the way its instrumentation barnacle has been designed

37) Alfa Romeo TZ2: Although the 250 GTO from Ferrari is more celebrated, like the Bizzarrini Strada the TZ2 is no less than the legendary Ferrari, but doesn't get its due attention or respect, fantastic design and pedigree, it’s a gorgeous car and is one of the greatest imho.

38) Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8 AMG W109: the sheer brutish muscular stance of the car, it looks like an offspring of a tank and a rocket, again I romanticize the time it was conceived in when things were simpler and car tuning firms could do anything and I love that about it.

39) Mercedes 450 SLC AMG: previous point

40) Maserati Ghibli Cup Bi-Turbo (90s): Although Maseratis were generally not very easy to own in this period but the luxurious cabin and easy seating position along with its mean performance and very Italian design which is elegant yet muscular makes this a car very easy to fall in love with.

41) Porsche 959 S: saw it in the Guinness Book of records as the fastest car in the world at the time and its sexy design and having a Nikko Rothmans liveried Rally Version R/C car of it sealed its fate as one of the greatest cars ever.

42) Pontiac Trans Am Firebird (Smokey & The Bandit): is one of my fav. American muscle cars ofcourse made an Icon by Burt Reynolds in the movie but the meaness of its front design and classic American V8 sound makes it a great Ambassador for an era and a state of mind.

43) Mustang Bullitt (60s): Steve Mcqueen, the sound of that motor, the movie, that green paint job, the car chase, I rest my case.

44) Corvette 1972 T-Top: the first time I saw it was in a Road & Track, a blue T-Top being driven through Death Valley and I fell in love with its design and charisma, imho the best Corvette design ever.

45) Chevy Impala SS: I blame Warren G for hooking me up on the Impala, the car is just too Gangstah

46) Nissan GTR V Spec: a friend of mine got the GTR and imho it is one of the best sports cars ever made, the V Spec has to be bowed down to as one the best to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun which flies in the face of all logic

47) Camaro Z28 (60s): Just love the way it looks, classic American muscle.

48) Lincoln Continental (Suicide Doors, Black, Whitewalls, White Interior): is imho the ultimate Gangster mobile, give me a drum loading machine gun, a hat and a circa 60s suit and I'm in business LoooL

49) Shelby Mustang 500 (60s): the stance and look of this awesome machine, the involvement of Carroll Shelby himself, the recent auction of his own black Shelby Mustang with its flowing muscular bodywork and design and hood snout makes this an ultimate expression of American muscle car design. One of the Greatest without a doubt.

50) Jaguar E-Type Convertible: for car lovers around the world the E-type embodies classic good eye candy and the car's pedigree, performance, and great price made it an all time favorite amongst collectors, it has such grace and gorgeous lines that it can put any Italian exotic to shame, truly an icon.

Hope you enjoyed my crazy reasons and motivations for liking cars

S

 

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione – My dream car

Maserati Gran Turismo – Most beautiful car of today

Lamborghini Countach 500QV – The Beast

Porsche 959 – King of the Hill

 

 Jaguar XKR – Most elegant everyday Sport Car

 

 Renault Alpina – My first love

 

 Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V Evoluzione II – My greatest love of all times

 

 Shelby AC Cobra – The one car that I would really like to take on open road

 

 Dodge Challenger  – The Vanishing Point

 

 BMW 507 – Good old times

 

Sincerely

Damian

Well, I think I missed out on the original Thread, so I'll list and justify here:

Somewhat ironically, I am not a fan of modern cars. And not really into fast, fast cars; mainly due to the fact that motorcycles are far more fun (or terrifying). Plus, the way most of the world is now, the way the world is now, you need to get to a track or closed-road event. I'd prefer to get 95% out of a slowish car, than 80% out of a fast one.

So it's no surprise that my list is mainly old cars.

Alfa Romeo SVZ - Just because it's a gorgeous little car. With mechanicals I am familiar with. Race history (even if it wasn't that successful)

Alfa Romeo 105 GTA - you only have to look at those photos of them with the inside front wheel waving in the air to like them. The rivetted aluminium panels etc jast add to the appeal.

Lancia Stratos - the cylindrical curve of the windscreen, the track-to-wheelbase ratio...would be interesting on gravel!

Maserati A6G - Quite simply:The styling.

Voisin Laboratoire - Wackiness but they raced it!

Facel Vega HK - but only so I could get the cigarette lighter...

BMC Mini - Still fun, even in 850cc guise.

Alfa Romeo 8C Mille Miglia - why did they over restore it???

Moretti 750 Gran Sport - 750cc of in-house engine, in tidily proportioned body

The list goes on and on.

 

. . . that's what Steve McQueen drove in the opening sequences of 'Le Mans', and what he owned and drove for years. I would take the '73 911S as it represents the apex of the first generation of 911s, and was available with some amazing options, including titanium connecting rods . . . cordially, Art

Talbot-Lago T150-C (Chassis 90019)

 

 

 

The most romantic era of automobile design has to be the era of the ‘teardops’ or ‘streamliners’ of the 1930’s. The most evocative designs of that era have to be the designs of Giusseppe Figoni and Ovidio Falaschi. The most swooping of F&F designs have to be those executed for Talbot-Lago and one of the most compelling of the Talbot-Lago designs has to be Chassis 90019, a relatively rare drop-head coupe.

 

(photos of this particular beast are hard to come by: make do with a hardtop and a nasty colour scheme for now)

 

 

Dino Ferrari

 

 

 

 

More curves than Brigitte Bardot; lower than a Philadelphia lawyer (sorry brothers!); the Ferrari you have when you’re not having a Ferrari. The fact that the old man would not grace such a compact beast with the family name adds to the inverse snobbery allure; the fact that it was so beautiful and so successful nonetheless makes it a must-have.

 

 

Ferrari GTO 250 SWB ‘California’

 

 

Like baby bear -  not too this, not too that, but  just right on each and every dimension by which a car should be measured.

 

 

Jaguar XKE “Series 1.5”

 

 

(The first of the flat floor). Track too narrow. Bonnet too long. Cabin too cramped. Brakes too weak. Gearbox too tricky. Engine too fickle. Even so, it blew the automotive world away, and who still would not give a kidney for a concours ‘E’-type?

 

 

Jaguar XK 120 DHC

 

 

England was still in its post-war funk of dour restriction, depression and ‘greyness’ and Jaguar’s competitors (both in England and abroad) were largely and slavishly adhering to pre-war design constructs when Jaguar took the next major evolutionary step in stylish sports motoring. It’s just beautiful. The XK140 stayed true to the original design whilst introducing some technical improvements but Jaguar lost the mojo with the XK150, only to regain it in spades with the XKE.

 

 

Aston Martin DB4 Series 2

 

 

Aston Martin was on song with the DB4/5/6, and it is only a matter of personal  preference that will point you towards one or the other. From a personal perspective, the DB5 is indeed a beautiful car, but it carries the very heavy burden of its popular appeal predicated in large part on a movie appearance and some trick FX.  The progenitor DB4 was the model which introduced the now familiar lines, and the evolution can be seen within the DB4 series (Series 1 and 2 not having faired-in headlights; Series 2 getting the ‘traffic-light’ rear lights; Series 3 and 4 getting faired-in lights and a more rounded rump, etc.). Purely a personal view, but the best balance of the features, the best mix of masculine and feminine characteristics as well, is found in the DB4 Series 2, with the ‘traffic light’ rear lights, the somewhat lengthier body and the full headlamp tunnels. The DB6 was a DB5 with a Kamm tail; sort of like Sophia Loren without hips (or, for the younger readers amongst you, Angelina Jolie without lips..). Still wouldn’t say no to any of them of course…

 

 

The Embiricos Bentley Chassis B-27-LE

 

 

The quality engineering and brute strength of a Bentley in a classic teardrop skin. Enough said.

 

 

Ferrari 550 Maranello

 

 

Away from the pure sports car, Ferrari seems to have had mixed success with its GT models. Some have been sublime; others arguably missed the mark. The Maranello represents the first of the successful modern era GT Ferraris: suave, sophisticated, drivable and not too outré – almost practical. Just as acceptable for the middle-aged businessman as for the lairy playboy or celebrity-du-jour.  The tweaks in the 575, though, pointed to the impending triumph of technology over motoring, and by the time these evolved to the 612 we are in spaceship territory.

 

 

Mercedes 300 SL “Gullwing”

 

 

Where the road used to meet the racetrack. Some things you can’t explain: you just know. With the Gullwing, you just know.

 

 

Lamborghini Miura

 

 

 

If you have to ask you should not be reading this thread.

 

 

Maserati 3500 GT

 

 

 

A wonderful example of the fertile era when improvements in technology allowed style to share equal billing with performance, safety and allure. The years between, say, 1960 and 1969 gave us such a disproportionately high number of the most desirable cars in history. This product of an eminent Italian house shares the same DNA as the 250 SWB, the BMW 507, the Mercedes 190/230/250/280SL. the DB4. It looks fast just standing still, and so mean that you feel it will bark and bite if you try to approach.

 

 

Lancia Aurelia Coupe

 

 

A sleeper; a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Not a wasted line from Pininfarina. By a quirk of Italian road rules, many were made in RHD (important to those of us who drive on the correct side of the road J ).

 

 

Bugatti Type 57SC

 

 

The zenith (in this forum, and with all due respect to Thierry Nataf, it might have been safer to say ‘the high point’) of the teardrop/slipstream design era. Look upon it and weep. As only the Almighty can achieve perfection, however; if one had to look for a shortcoming it might be the grille/headlight combination. This was not a F&F design (so all the more remarkable for its beauty) – one will always wonder what they might have done with the front end and that iconic grille.

 

 

Porsche 356 Speedster

 

 

The flagship of the pre-911 shape and the coda for all Porsches to follow. You get the sense that this is what Ferdinand Porsche did for love before the 911 became what he did for a living.

 

 

AC Cobra 427

 

 

The motoring equivalent of Arnold Schwarzennegger and Uma Thurman’s love-child  sprinting the 100m Olympic final in an oily bikini. Try getting that image out of your brain tonight!

 

 

BMW 507

 

 

Sheer grace, period.

 

 

Shelby Mustang GT500

 

 

Many ‘ponies’ have been appealing, but could this be the crossover point at which the powertrain finally delivered what the shape promised?  There have been other great ‘muscle cars’ from the spiritual home of the muscle car (Jerry, that split screen ‘Vette is right up there!), but arguably none so enduring.

 

 

1929 4.5 litre Bentley ‘Blower’

 

 

What a brute! In its day there were cars with greater power, or more elegance, or greater racing success, or higher levels of engineering innovation, but few (if any) where all of those variables were met to such a standard in the one package. And it was British. And it was green. Mostly.

 

Morgan Plus8

 

 

From the oldest surviving car manufacturer in England and (kid you not) the largest surviving car manufacturer in England. All this on the strength of something built with wood, the design of which has been largely unchanged since Noah played quarterback for Jerusalem. Says something, doesn’t it?

 

 

De Tomaso Pantera

 

 

You’d be forgiven for thinking the Pantera was designed recently.  2004 perhaps? 1999? How about 1970? Something for boys of all ages to drool over whilst dreaming of a walk on the wild side. Driving a Pantera is said to be like riding a brumby on a frozen lake without a saddle. Anyone out there able to comment?  

 

 

Cheers,

pplater.

 

 

[photo credits embedded in photo URL’s]

 

Seriously enjoyable read, Pplater!  You had some truly great automotive picks on your list.  I'm in agreement with you actually that the DB4 was a better design than its stablemate the DB5.  The commentary which accompanied your choices was classic.  

BTW - is your avatar a still or keyart from the film Black Narcissus?  That picture was one of the great film collaborations between Powell and Pressburger.  

Cheers,

Daos

This message has been edited by dxboon on 2009-03-10 00:48:44

...and thank you very much indeed for those kind sentiments.

 

The avatar is a still from "The Nun's Story" - Audrey Hepburn in 1959. She was also a novice...

;-)

 

Cheers,

pplater.

. . . followed by "Last Holiday", "Captain's Paradise", "My Dinner with Andre", and "Tales of Manhattan" . . . cordially, Art

...as your posts have always shown you to be a man of elegance and taste.  Black Narcissus is a sumptuous masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful films ever photographed.  The Criterion Collection release includes a must-see documentary on cinematographer Jack Cardiff's brilliant work on the picture.  As you are a fan, you've probably already seen it, so I'm not telling you anything new here.    The movie is a true classic in every way!

Hope you are well!

Daos

P-plater,

Your analysis of the E-type is superb in its succinctness.

Some more memories...In my little Alfa (Guilia Super, not the Guillietta) at Phillip Island for an Alfa Club track day, shared with the Jaguar club. Lovely bright 20C day...surrounded down the straight by E-types. Just stared and stared at them. And kept staring. Then I noticed Turn one. Coming up really fast. Fortunately, Alfa Romeo had the wisdom to fit 4-wheel discs to their cars as far back as '68...

The 1938 Talbot-Lago Type T150-C, Chassis # 90019. Isn’t she achingly beautiful?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos are taken with respect from the Second Edition of  “From Passion to Perfection – the Story of French Streamlined Styling 1930-1939”  by Richard Adatto and Jean-Paul Caron, published by Editions SPE Barthelemy, 2002/06. This book should be a mandatory inclusion in the library of anyone even faintly interested in automobile design.

 

 

 

Cheers,

pplater.

...although, I have been lucky enough to drive or ride in a number of the cars on my list.  I'm sure all you gentlemen know much more than I on these matters, but since Thomas has requested our thoughts, I wish to oblige him.

1. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS Droptop - My best friend's father built engines for NASCAR and Super Truck racing as an employee of one of the biggest racing teams in American motorsports.  Growing up we spent a lot of time hanging out with him at his home garage.  That's where my love of American muscle cars was born.  Are the Camaro, Charger, Mustang GT pinnacles of automotive design?  Maybe not, but for me they were the thunderous chariots of my childhood.  That explains my first choice, which was also the Indy pace car for the '69 race.  

2. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 - Everyone knows I am a James Bond freak.  Obtaining one of these cars would be like owning a piece of "Goldfinger," and would connect you to the legacy of the world's most enduring film franchise.

3. 1966 Ford Mustang convertible - My uncle owned one and every time I see an example, I'm transported in my mind to memories of youthful summers driving around with the top down.

4. Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera -  As a woman, sometimes I feel like car companies, especially makers of exotics, discount women drivers completely.  And frankly why should they concern themselves with the opposite sex?  We're not generally the drivers and/or purchasers of such vehicles.  Unfortunately, I feel that as a result of catering to their core audience, some supercar designs are so overtly masculine, as to have become automotive extensions of the male ego (or some other body part).  However, IMO the Gallardo successfully sidesteps that pitfall, and deftly displays a yin/yang quality in the coupling of its muscular, aggressive stance and shark-like silhouette with the sensuality of the car's rounded shoulders and haunches.  Even the spoiler exhibits a duality of shape that is both edge-like and harmoniously curved.  Add to that Lamborghini's e-gear (Great to drive!), and the fact that I love the Telesto gray exterior offered and I'm sold (or I will be when I finally hit the lotto).

5. 1961 Ferrari GT California Spyder - It's gorgeous, it's rare, and Ferris Bueller drove it (a replica, at least)!  If Heidi Klum (Or insert your favorite supermodel here -- I'm not up on this kind of thing, but I have no doubt some of you fellas are.) were a car, she would be this car.  I nearly cry every time I watch that scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Cameron destroys his dad's California.  *shudder* 

6. Audi RS8 - Is it just me, or is Audi's design department on a roll?  Those boys ought to hit Vegas one of these weekends, they are on such a hot streak right now.  The R8 was HOTT (That's right...so hot you need TWO 't's to describe it.).  Make it even faster, and how can you go wrong?  This is the car I most want to drive.

7. Aston Martin DBS Volante - Brawny and beautiful, and top-down ready for sunny Southern California.  Look at the car's silhouette!  It's svelte and lovely regardless of what position the top is in.  Added points for being the current James Bond's choice (In the non-convertible version, of course.  One must protect against the baddies' bullets!).  Looking at it, how can you not be shaken or stirred?

8. Fisker Latigo CS - I don't think pictures represent this car well.  In person, this car is a much more elegant, graceful version of the BMW 6-series on which it's based.  If a BMW M6 and an Aston Martin Vantage had a baby this would be it.  Not surprising obviously, since Henrik Fisker's name is on this car.

9. Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir - Because black is back (Did it ever really leave?) I choose this model out of the Veyron range.  Blacked-out lights, carbon fiber, the rich interior, black powder-coat on the rims...all awesome.  I suppose the aluminum side mirrors and grill treatment echo the headlights and grill respectively of the Atlantique 57S, on which the Sang Noir is supposedly an homage, but looking at the two of them together I don't really get the connection.  Both exhibit a somewhat Rubenesque profile, but it's not an immediate connection stylistically in my mind.  Whatever.  The Sang Noir is a beast.  'Nuff said!

10. Brabus Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR - The phrase "bat out of hell" was made to describe this car (see photo below).  I would not be surprised to see Lucifer himself speeding down the highway in the black version, coupled with Brabus' blood-red interior.  I wish I had a lipstick in the same shade as the seats in this car, as they are so delicious.  The Brabus body kit, fat tires, and platinum edition wheels make this MB devilishly handsome.  What girl (or boy) wouldn't want to be seen emerging from behind these butterfly doors?

1967 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada.

Best,

FrancescoR

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to me it all begin with this one