Now that we have had a couple of threads on ugly cars, lets be more positive and discuss the many beautiful cars around. I'll start off with a classic, the Lagonda which was featured on the front of the Telegraph Motoring supplement on Saturday. What a beautiful car!
Oh, and of course Volvo V70s are beautiful also.
Cheers
VD5D.
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Jaguar E-Type (the roadster).
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is there a cleaner, simpler set of lines than the Type 38 Bugatti ?
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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For me, the original Ford Mustang. I have to say, I'm also kinda taken with the new Thunderbird as well...
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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I'm probably on my own in thinking the Renault Avantime is the best of the current bunch (in Electric Blue with Grey roof).
Of course, the all time classic has to be the Aston Marton DB5 in Silver, of James Bond Goldfinger fame.
Lee.
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VW Karmann Ghia.
Also, and I'm probably the only person on the planet to think this, the Type 3 Razor Edge Karmann Ghia. Droolingly gorgeous.
No Dosh - but then who has?
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For an every day car at sensible money I think the 406 coupe is hard to beat.
Cheers
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In production today or near future
Bentley GT Coupe
Rover 75
TVR Tuscan
Jaguar XK8
Aston Martin Vanquish
Of yesterday
Citroen DS
Jaguar E-type
Lotus Elite
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
Lamborghini Miura
Ford Mustang circa 1968.
Bentley S1
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My father-in-law used to own a 1926 41/2 litre Bentley which was fully restored, that was superb, we used to race it around Silverstone on Bentley Owners club days. One Saturday we pitched up next to Nick Mason (Pink Floyds drummer)in the pits who has a nice collection of vintage Aston Martins, nice interesting guy.
Sadly my f-i-l sold his Bentley to an Arab in the early 80's.
VD5D
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How about the Cord?
- you know - the one they built special for Clark Gable.
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>>Of yesterday ... Citroen DS
Crikey, how did I forget that? Of course, it ties with the DB5, especially the decapotable.
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Yeah, the DS had it all, awesome style and presence, I saw one, mint, only a few weeks ago, it's a design classic. Monocoque construction, self levelling and adjustable hydralic suspension and brakes, all discs and those headlights!!! The early engines were a bit gruff and underpowerws but the later ones especially the fuel injected ones were fantastic.
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Rover 75? Each to their own :)
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Current production: Jaguar XKR for me
Car from the past: Lamborghini Countach
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Best of all time has to be the Ford GT40. Looks as good today as it did when it first appeared. All cars should look like this - s** practicality.
Best current - Fiat Multipla.
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I wondered when you would bring "that thing" up.
VD5D.
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I resent the GT40 being referred to as "That Thing".
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>>I resent the GT40 being referred to as "That Thing".
I meant the Multipla, GT40s are cool. So are McClaren F1s.
VD5D.
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"Beauty lies in the eyes etc."
Fiat Multipla? Glasses anyone?
Original Lotus Elise or for old style cars HRG 1500..
madf
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On the subject of Lotus, the Elan had a beautiful simplicity that has never been matched. It looked like a REAL sports car.
The Multipla has the classic good looks of the old Bedford van with the sliding doors. I thought they looked so cool when I was a kid.
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The styling of the back end of the new Murcielago I think is stunning.
Some other greats:
Citroen SM and DS
'73 911 Carrera RS
Jensen Interceptor
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The Alfa 156 and GTV are my choice here. Both cars just ooze style.
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Don't know about beautiful, but to me some of the most "stylish" cars I've had a soft spot for are:
Alfa Bertone coupes
Alfasud Sprint (with the chrome bumpers)
The Mk 1 VW Scirocco (the Mk2 was totally bland)
Renault 16 (the Multipla of its day)
1959 Chevrolet Impala with fabulous gull wing fins
Porsche 944 and 968
Lancia Beta coupe
Fiat 124 coupe
TVR Chimera
Original Rover 2000
I'd also add the obvious ones previously listed, Citroen DS, Miura, GT40, Ferrari 355, E-Type.
Interesting that there's only three British cars here. I recall the hype when BLMC came out with car that was supposed to save the company. The Maestro!! An uglier car (except the Allgro) I have never seen.
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TVR Griffith, TVR Tuscan, Dodge Viper and of course the TR7 FHC (the DHC is alright too) and I wouldn't turn down the TR6 either. Of the more mainstream cars..... errm no. They're all horrible - tho' I'd accept the Mazda 6 and Mitsu Galant [v6 estate] for a family car.
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Just thinking about this on the way to work this morning...It seems to me that some cars are works of art, others works of design.
Looking at all the other cars in the queue, they were all pretty much the same with the odd design touch (fancy lights, coloured bumpers, etc). You can tell that they've been designed by marketing and committee - and our MINI falls bang square into that category.
Lee.
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What about the Capri as a beautiful British car? The Mk1 facelift with the hump on the bonnet can still turn heads. Yep, I did have one. LeMans green with a black vynal roof. Class.
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What about the Capri as a beautiful British car?
I agree. The only problem with the Capri was the reputation some of the drivers gave it.
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The only problem with the Capri was the reputation some of the drivers gave it.
Guilty. I was a bona fide Essex Lad at the time. The wheelspins away from the Ilford Palais had to be seen to be believed....
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Reminds me of watching a lad many years ago pulling away from a pub car park in Ilford in a Mk 3 Cortina. Revved up to do a massive wheelspin - only problem was he had the car in reverse rather than first - it leapt back and smashed into a wall close behind and he hit his head on the steering wheel :-)
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"only problem was he had the car in reverse rather than first - it leapt back and smashed into a wall close behind and he hit his head on the steering wheel :-)"
So the steering wheel was behind his head?
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Nope - the unexpected rearward movement of the car meant that his head moved forward and collided with the steering wheel.
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>>Yeah, the DS had it all
As a youngster My parents had the DS23 Estate.
They imported it from France in 1974. It came with the fitted roof bars and the exterior body trim. I don't think that the UK assembled ones were of such a high spec.
It was a wonderful car to be driven in, but due to problems with parts and reliability, it spent more time off the road than on, in fact it was quite a novelty to have it at times!
My mother ploughed it into the side of another car, it took 5 months just for the parts to arrive after that.
The car regularly had mechanical problems, which meant that parts had to be ordered from France and were on a multi week leed time.
A few years later, my father parked it on a steep hill in Cornwall with a large tumble dryer in the back. The brakes failed and it went backwards into the sea front wall and totally destroyed the rear end.
Hoping it would be finally written off, my father contacted the insurance who decided that a repair was in order. After waiting another several months for parts, the car was repaired and ready to be picked up.
Well my father picked up the car and was driving home, when an old Triumph pulled out infront of him. He hit it hard. Both cars were written off but the drivers were OK.
We replaced it with a Volvo 244. Happy memories
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Jaguar XJ.
My personal favourite. Any car that can go from 1960-something to the present day with roughly the same shape has to be an all time classic. Sooner or later I will treat myself to one.
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I would have to say that the Peugeot 406 Coupe is very nice.
Also the E-Type, DB5 and DB7, Ferrari F355, and I also have a soft space for the Toyota Hilux Surf (a rebadged 4Runner) and old style Landcruiser (was it the Amazon?) for shear presence. And I agree with HJ about the RX-7 and the old 60's Celica looked very cool although I was never sure if it came to the UK. And the new CL and SL Mercs look the Business too. Also the old Aston Martin for the 70s and 80s that was in the Bond Movies, I can't think of its name now but I think Prince Charles had one.
Paul C
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Ford Mustang 1966 V8 convertible. Preferably Candyapple Red and Parchment interior....Sold mine in August: my storage manager used to say visitors to his warehouse said well the Ferraris are flash, those Bentleys are just too fat and Range Rovers are "common" and the Chittychitty Bangbang Bugatti is quaint but wow just look at that red Mustang.
3 times I was flagged down and asked "how much do you want for it?"
Ford borrowed it in 1994 for the revamped Mustang at the Dubai Motorshow and didn't want to give it back. Seven couples hired it for their weddings, I know of one in existence where the entire engine and drive train are gold, yes gold-plated.
I also have a white '66 2 owner V-8 coupe 10% original. Lovely but lacks the stunning ragtop looks. The Bullitt ones 69 and on were lardy and nowhere near as nice.
LAter.....
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Has anyone noticed how the colour of a car can transform it from ugly to beautiful. I think most saloons look beautiful in a light silver colour and most sports cars look good in bright red. Examples; New Ford Mondeo in a base colour looks downright dull, yet in Stardust silver it looks like a limo, new shape (Mk4) Vauxhall Astra, base colours; dowdy, Silver; Sporty. Yet both of these cars are not elegant design shapes. The same applies if you look at a metallic green E-Type; boring, bright red; sporty. A Base blue Mazda MX5; yuk!, bright red; looks fast.
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I stick with Lagonda, but advocate the V12 or LG6 Rapide.
My high chassis 3-litre Special, believed a works car, had suffered over the years but should have looked like the Telegraph car, but longer in the bonnet.
No way I could afford one of those beauties now, but well, a MK IV Supra looks rather nice and goes a helluva lot faster!
Tomo
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Volvo 1800ES in pillar box red
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1970's
Datsun 260 Z
(Allegedly...)
John R
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Lamborgini Miura
1969 Ford Mustang (Boss 429 for preferance)
TVR Cerbera
1950's Dodge Royale
AC Cobra 427
BMW 635
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I must be alone in fancying the AC Cobra or the Austin Healey 3000, then.
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Nothing much these days when compared to yesteryear.
Monterverdi Hai
Maserati Brora
Lambo Miura
De Tomaso Pantera
BMW M1 (not the Z1)
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It has to be the Citroen DS (Goddess) but the Traction Avant always appealed to me too.
If the moderns - nothing at all really.
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