Your favourite car era?

[Seiben 0]

Watching the Barret-Jackson Classic Car auction on Speed TV, I see a vast array of different types of cars up for sale. All the cars listed and shown are absoute masterpieces of automotive technology, and all types of vehcles have a special cult following. However, I do find that the 50's cars are very big sellers. (e.g. 1958 Chevy Impala Convertible sold for $104000 US, '57 Chevy sold for $95000? US) Which brings me to my question. Do you have a favourite decade of automobile? For me, It has to be the 50s. The 1959 Caddy Eldorado, the 57 Chevy Bel-Air, or the '55 Ford T-Bird, I just can't resist the beauty of the chrome and tailfins of these rolling pieces of American nostalgia, plus the quick, nimble European roadsters of the decade (eg. Alpha-Romeo, MG, Triumph) are also very nice too. Perhaps a decade you grew up with? Please share with us your favourites, and why. :P

Edit1:I meant "post-war" cars of the 40s, of course.

Edit 2: I do realise that hot rods can be made from ars of any decade, but most hot rods are frpm the 30s and 40s like the 32-34 Ford Coupes, or the '49 Mercurys.

Edited January 24, 2004 by Seiben

[Nemesis 0]

Now thats hard I love most of the styles from 30's on to the 60's. Though nothing beats the beauty of a Hot Rod :P

[Seiben 0]

Yeah, that's kind of true Nem. The Ford Hi-Boys (30's Ford Roasters and three and five window Coupes) are one of my favourite type of car. It's quite amazing what some people can do with those cars. :P I like watching "American Hot Rod" and "Rides" on TLC.

[Merina 0]

I like the cars of today, because then I can "Roll Out!"

[Nemesis 0]

I like the cars of today, because then I can "Roll Out!"

You like plastic and cheap fiberglass? and engines of a lower calibur?

[Seiben 0]

I like the cars of today, because then I can "Roll Out!"

Not me though.. I think today's cars lack the charm and character of the cars of the 50s and 60s.

:P

[Nemesis 0]

You see that metal! We are missing the metal and and the glistening grills now a days :P

[Seiben 0]

Yeah, Nem.. that's definaetly true.. gone are the days of glistening chrome. :P And despite the automotive industry's efforts to produce nostalgic new cars (PT cruiser, Z-8, Chevy SSR, '05 Mustang) those days are long gone. Cars today seem so mundane and bland compared to the cars like the '57 Chevy pictured above.

[NDak 0]

::growls:: I liked the sleek elegant roadsters of the 50's and 60's ::thwaps nem::

[Nemesis 0]

::Thwaps back:: I like them too silly :P

[Seiben 0]

And obviously, so do I.. :P

[Dumbass 0]

Well I just like thwaping Nem.

::thwaps Nem::

[STSF Precip 0]

Getting back on the topic..

 

I always liked the Mustang. My father somehow bought one in 65...and it still rests in our garage. Guess that is why I am biased. The Mustang muscle line contnued into the early 70's I should add. So although I voted 60's some early 70's cars were cool too.

 

Almost voted for the 50's since I like the original T-bird and the classic 57 chevy

 

Precip

[Nemesis 0]

Getting back on the topic..

 

I always liked the Mustang. My father somehow bought one in 65...and it still rests in our garage. Guess that is why I am biased. The Mustang muscle line contnued into the early 70's I should add. So although I voted 60's some early 70's cars were cool too.

 

Almost voted for the 50's since I like the original T-bird and the classic 57 chevy

 

Precip

You know if he did some restoration to that Mustang he could get a fair penny in a classic car auction. :P

[Seiben 0]

Yeah, he's right. Especially if it's a Shelby. I remember seeing one going for $260,000 US. Still though, I think 65 Mustangs usually fetch $5 000-$40 000 US.

[FredM 0]

Hey there,

 

I'm not someone who's really into cars. However, a few points.

 

First, as crazy as it sounds, I liked the cars of the 90s. Probably had to do with the era in which I grew up. My reasonging is that they were the last generation of cars that actually looked like...well...automobiles. In the late 90's and today, things look like they're trying to make them appear "fast" or almost "space shipish." Simple design things I just can't stand.

 

Of course then I have an issue with construction. I doubt I'll ever buy some of this wonderful neat cars of today. Why? Well, my parents told me for years that whenever I got a car...to be sure to get one with the steel in it. You wanted something you could survive if you had an accident. You know what? I had a major side impact two weeks after I got my license. If that car, which was an 86, hadn't had steel reinforcement and been one of these modern things...I would have killed my mother. Then, about five years ago, I had a medical situation while driving. Went flying off the road at 65mph into a ditch. The impact of hitting the ground at about a 60 degree angle brought me too. Car was a 1995...and I walked away. The car itself really only had some front end damage, but the airbags deployed so...well...that's another story for another day.

 

In any event, if I had been driving one of these new things...take your pick...I probably would have killed someone I love dear or seriously injured myself. Cars aren't supposed to be about looks as they are supposed to be something you can walk away from.

[Nemesis 0]

Fred just to clue you in the newer cars are actually safer then the older steel ones, they are made to crumble for a reason and that reason is so the car feels more of the impact then the passengers inside. Though the sides of the car I believe are a flaw because of the lack of inforcement there. Now you probably have a bad back or had a bad back after the ditch incident the cause being that you didn't have a more modern vehicle that would've crumbled.

 

I know these things because I've worked at my dads body shop during the summer time and I've learned over time everything about the body of the car and what you want for what kind of driving and accidents and so on. I like the old roadsters and Muscle cars for the point of style and chrome rather then functionality because metal weighs it down causing poorer gas mileage. They also have poorer handling and a lot of them don't even have seat belts :P

[Travis Kroells 0]

Guys, two words.

 

Dodge Charger.

[Nemesis 0]

Guys, two words.

 

Dodge Charger.

ewwwwwww Dodge

[Grom 0]

I'm shocked that none of you have mentioned the great tradition of French automobiles...

 

For instance there was the great... um... well...yeah

 

Oh yeah! The...hmmm...yeah that was German.

 

Oh how could I forget the... ::sigh::

 

:P

[Seiben 0]

Hey, Grommie! Give the French credit :P, they made some bautiful cars over the years. Here are some fine examples of French beauty over the years. The French have always been known for making beautiful art, and archetecture.. their cars are no exception. :)

 

Bugatti Royale (1927 -- I think)

 

 

1960 FACEL Vega Facellia

 

 

1972 Citreon DS-21 Wagon

 

 

Renault Leguna II

 

Edited January 25, 2004 by Seiben

[Travis Kroells 0]

I thought all automobiles would have been used as some sort of surender symbol...huh...

[Grom 0]

Hey, Grommie! Give the French credit :P, they made some bautiful cars over the years. Here are some fine examples of French beauty over the years. The French have always been known for making beautiful art, and archetecture.. their cars are no exception. :)

 

 

 

Beautiful...maybe...but then again the French haven't had that problem. If the cars had actually functioned then we'd be praising them up and down. But really, who wants a shiny chrone metal couch that is thousands of dollars more than it is actually worth? :)

[FredM 0]

Fred just to clue you in the newer cars are actually safer then the older steel ones, they are made to crumble for a reason and that reason is so the car feels more of the impact then the passengers inside.

Hey there,

 

I'm sorry to say I would have to disagree. I have simply witnessed and heard of too many supposedly "minor" accidents with modern cars that end up killing/seriously hurting people because the structure is made purely out of plastic.

[NDak 0]

I'm shocked that none of you have mentioned the great tradition of French automobiles...

 

For instance there was the great... um... well...yeah

 

Oh yeah! The...hmmm...yeah that was German.

 

Oh how could I forget the... ::sigh::

 

:P

Sorry But the French joke backfired..there are some Great French cars... The Bugatti's and the Renault's and the Peugot's all of which are some wonderful cars...