www.cardomain.com/memberpage/592334
Anyone care to tell me the Americans know how to style cars after viewing this? (1997 Buick Riviera). Saw one this evening in white (there's a US Marines base nearby) and nearly soiled myself laughing.
As if the exterior wasn't grim enough, check out the dashboard!!!
On the plus side, also saw a 1990 Alfa SZ. Yummy!
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The rear end looks like it belongs on a dodgem! It's got a droopy face that is just asking for an eye lift. Awful thing. I'm going to have nightmares....
Oooh an alfa sz. I quite fancy one of those as they are quite mean looking. Makes the 75 look kind of girly in comparison.
teabelly
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flamboyance.... outrageous.....
are two words come to mind , a good example of americana that doesn't care what the world thinks of it when it comes to car design and this car really fits the bill.
the alfa SZ? a tub of lard..
if it wasn't for american cars and there haven't a clue design the world would be a very dull place.
how about a 1992
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American cars can, and probably only, look good in their native habitat. If only the UK had such a diverse and evolving car industry though eh ?
Anyone seen the new Ford Mustang...excellent.
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ooh and some people seem to think the latest Beemers are ugly !!
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One 1992 Buick Riviera coming up.... like last nights tea.
sweb.cz/USCARS/Picture/Buick_Riviera_92.jpg
Not sure you can get away with calling the SZ a tub of lard. 3.0 V6 and the ability to stay stuck to the road with cornering forces in excess of 1g a tub of lard?
:o(
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What can I say ? er....nice wheel trims ?
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The front end brings to mind Leslie Ash and the "trout pout" pictures - and I speak as one who used to go a bit funny at the thought of Leslie when she used to present The Tube (anyone remember Foffo Spearjig?)
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Are you sure she presented the tube? I thought it was murial grey and a blonde that married Michael Hutchence (after Bob Geldof) that were the female presenters.
Did Gary Numan ever play his hit 'Cars' on there (tenuous motoring link.....)?
teabelly
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uk.tv.yahoo.com/021102/128/ddq19.html
The prog used to start with them arriving by car outside the studio (BR's weakest ever motoring link?)
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Actually, the Riviera looks quite good in the flesh except for the crappy dash.
Methinks if it had a Maserati badge on the front people would be drooling over it.
Kevin...
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Careful of glass houses, from the nation whose motor industry that bestowed on its long suffering motoring public the Austin Maxi and Allegro, the Cortina Mk 3 and the Angular............
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C'mon Growler, look at it! The 70s Riviera was a piece of work (as driven by the detective in that not so funny "Due South") but this flabby piece of garbage is just beyond the pale.
I like the reference to trout. Very apt.
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I didn't say I liked it; I was thinking more of pots and kettles when it comes to styling on each side of The Pond ;+D
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Ah yes. The Vauxhall Viva springs to mind.....
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Now here's another little beauty from across the pond
www.carandpeople.com/images/allcar/pontiac/aztec/P...g
Pontiac Aztec. What in the name of all that's holy was going on when that came out of the design studio and (this is the good bit) was put into production!!!!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I'm sorry, I need to go for a lie down.
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Looks like a Lexus RX300 modified by a "Max Power" reader.
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I've seen plenty of cars to beat the 97 Riviera in the worst-looking category. It's a bit bulbous, but there's a flow and integrity about the exterior that's often missing in others (e.g. the Bangle's Botched Motor Wagenen). The side view shows it as a well proportioned large coupé; the rear is OTT USA but at least it's very tidy; the front is not that far away from some Italian exotica. Just slim it down a bit and it's not half bad.
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Now here's another little beauty from across the pond www.carandpeople.com/images/allcar/pontiac/aztec/P...g
eeek! that picture should come with a health warning attached
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I think they were trying to copy the bmw x5 judging by the shape of the grill. Failed miserably at it though!
teabelly
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Along with Aztek add the Mitsubishi Tarmac Spyder. They both look as though the designer went off for a boozy lunch and left the apprentice to finish off the drawings.
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No Dosh,
From several of your posts in other threads one could detect you are not an enthusiast about the American motoring scene.
The styling of some of their cars may not be to your taste. However it is pretty certain that they will still be running when your beloved Alfas of the same vintage have gone to their automotive grave - and they won't have given so much trouble during their life.
C
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From several of your posts in other threads one could detect you are not an enthusiast about the American motoring scene.
Pass that man a pipe and deerstalker ;o)
Well, not strictly correct, there are a number of American cars on my all time wish list, but equally they have produced more than their fair share of citrus flavoured cars. As mentioned above, I rather like the Riviera of the early 70s. I am particularly fond of the Dodge Charger and have yearnings for a Plymouth Fury to polish at weekends (but only so I can tell everyone I spent the weekend giving Christine a good buffing). Then there is the small matter of the Shelby Cobras.....
Oh, and I would be perfectly happy with an F150 as well.
The styling of some of their cars may not be to your taste. However it is pretty certain that they will still be running when your beloved Alfas of the same vintage have gone to their automotive grave - and they won\'t have given so much trouble during their life.
Ah, so longevity is the pinnacle of motoring nirvana. I\'d better order a Toyota Corolla straight away, except when was the last time you saw a 20 year old corolla on the road? Whereas I regularly see early 80\'s Alfas. If I look in the right bodyshops..... ;o)
It\'s horses for courses and in my case cars that wallow and pitch through the corners like a 1977 Austin Princess (oooh, how sick was I in the back of my dad\'s one of those!) and return 18mpg without any performance advantage over a bog-standard saloon don\'t cut it. Sure, the Riviera has a huge lump of a supercharged engine, but hells teeth, it\'s uglier than a smacked monkfish.
For me motoring is a passion. The Riviera fails to light my fire, in fact it positively douses it. Not all Alfas light my fire either; the 145 and 146 were horrible little cars (I\'m going to get flamed on Alfaowner.com for that one) but there you go, that\'s my opinion. You can take it or leave it.
This is a discussion forum and as such would be gone within 24 hours if we all agreed. So far I\'ve yet to see any compelling argument for the Riviera and there isn\'t the man alive (sorry NoWheels and Teabelly, it\'s a turn of phrase) that can convince that the Aztec shouldn\'t have been stillborn.
ND
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All those 20 year old Corollas are running round Manila as taxis..........
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Did you ever drive a 2 litre version of the 145 & 146? I borrowed a 146 recently and was surprised at how perky it is, certainly compared to the 156 with the same 2 litre engine. The build quality isn't as good as the 156 but it shifts a lot better. I couldn't get the 156 to accelerate well below 4500 rpm the 146 got going about 2000 so it was much more fun.
teabelly
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Did you ever drive a 2 litre version of the 145 & 146? I borrowed a 146 recently and was surprised at how perky it is, certainly compared to the 156 with the same 2 litre engine. The build quality isn't as good as the 156 but it shifts a lot better. I couldn't get the 156 to accelerate well below 4500 rpm the 146 got going about 2000 so it was much more fun. teabelly
My first ever Alfa was 146 TI.. enormous fun to drive and such a wolf in sheeps clothing as well ;-)
I really wanted a 145 Cloverleaf but couldn't find one in my range :-(
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Oooh they were a cracking drive alright, just made of balsawood. Last of the "lusty but rusty" Alfas. Only without the rust. But you get the idea.......
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Oooh they were a cracking drive alright, just made of balsawood. Last of the "lusty but rusty" Alfas. Only without the rust. But you get the idea.......
I had no problems with the "balsawood" it was the steel bits that got me down....
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This was my first American V-8 in 1962.
gearheadcafe.chooseyouritem.com/classics/files/230...l
I thought then, and still do, it was a beautiful looking car. Mine was an ex-Belgian car in black, which looked even better. Now consider what the UK motor industry was turning out in 1954.....
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Re the 1997 Buick Riviera. Is it me or do I see the same stylists pen as the man who designed the Ford Scorpio in its last incarnation?
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Which alledgedly prompted Merc to produce the oval lights first seen on the E class and now C Class - but I'm not sure I believe that.
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I have to say that the best thing about the Buick Riviera in that picture is the "SUPERCHARGED" badge on the back
Thanks for giving me nightmares ND
___
Adam
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"Ah...beer - my only weakness - my achilles heel if you will"
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I think the syling is much better than any Italian car especially any Alfa:-)
madf
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another buick that looks kinda cool.. tinyurl.com/27rzv
comes with a free can of wood polish.
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The front end reminds me of the ghastly late-model Scorpio - just with different headlights.
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The front end reminds me of the ghastly late-model Scorpio - just with different headlights.
maybe your getting confused with this one
www.buick.com/parkavenue/
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I have always worked on the assumption that Americans make Automobles leaving Europe to produce motor cars.
ndbw
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I have always worked on the assumption that Americans make Automobiles leaving Europe to produce motor cars.
and pay half the price!! i know which side i'd have..
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