Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - a ramble
Discussion
I cycled past the first 5 cars in this montage a few days ago, all parked within 300' of each other in c London & went back to photograph them. The collection rekindled thoughts I’ve often had re car styling - in particular, I’m curious if any others share my tendency to later like certain cars’ appearances that I didn’t originally appreciate.
The street in question is in Belgravia - an affluent location suggesting most of the cars may be prized toys rather than dailies.
Car No 1 I passed was the 996 which I loathed at its launch for its rear flab (width) and fried/poached egg lights. A few decades later, I realised I preferred the 997 to most 911’s after ‘73 - and this week I realised even the 996/986 iconic lights are now starting to grow on me, I respect their designers' choice.
Car no 2, about 60m further, was the 928. I first saw one in ‘78 parked next to an Interceptor and was struck then how futuristic it seemed. 46 years later, I’m still as struck - and impressed at the originality of its style.
Car no 3 is my love/hate car - ugly pre-ww2 styling in a brilliant vehicle that does pretty much everything we really need in 99% of personal transport (motoring). (Let’s forget crash protection, emissions and nvh on the autobahn). I used it’s commercial derivative, a Camionnette, one winter - it could ascend an icy slope & steps ( in reverse) that my boss's 4wd failed - and also a Mehari one hazy summer holiday - both were the epitome to me of anti-style personal transport - a "form follows function" approach I respect hugely in architecture yet can’t enjoy in a car. Why?
Photo 4 is my biggest recent disappointment. I’ve wanted to adore the Alpine ever since I first read about it, but that tall, stubby bonnet ... it’s never grown on me, will it ? Do any others actually like it ??? (Ok, my own nose is pretty ghastly too, but luckily that hasn't grown on me). I added library pic 6 of an Emira nose, - to show the Alpine bonnet line can’t just be down to compliance with crash & lighting regulations. Windscreen aft, I think the Alpine looks a great car and, from all accounts, I'm sure it drives so too.
Photo 5 - a fake/retro mini. Loathed it too at launch, yet I bought one new in '04, removed the rear seats & loved it for years. Apart from the low profile tyre/limited suspension travel. I can see myself getting another one soon whilst good ones are still affordable.
So a waffle about 5 cars' styling - I'd be glad to hear if others have had any of their own such polarised views reverse over time?
Ps1. Edited to get rid of the many many typos etc.
Ps2: I can think of other cars too that abhorred me when current, but don't seem quite so weird now. BL 70's types.
Edited by Buzzfan on Saturday 8th June 16:20
Buzzfan said:
Sorry about so many typos - blame lazy autocorrect on a mini iPhone - I’ll correct from a laptop tomorrow
Can you proof read the text as well? It's really difficult to read. Putting it through MS Word or similar should be enough. I think this has the makings of an interesting thread.
Must be me but I understood it apart from one stray word.
Plenty of car designs have "grown" on me and some have gone the other way.
Can agree on the water cooled Porsche, I used to love the look of the air cooled cars (still do) and thought the later ones just not "Porsche". These days I have a 2004 Boxster S
The 928 was always a classic, would I want one - no.
The new Alpine looks great in the right colour(s) still love the 60's cars, would I want one - yes please either or both.
2CV friend crashed and wrote one off one night hitting a skip. A lad at work had one, I was amazed how thing the steel floor was. Would I want one, probably not.
New mini - hated the idea, just not a mini. BUT my wife has one and it's brilliant and I've had a few "classic" minis and they're really crap.
Things I hated in the day - Volvo Estates, big stupid boxes of lard. Then bought my first a 740 in 2004. Absolutely loved it, since had about 5 940s and a 960. Just don't ask me about the current Volvo I have, bloody irritating, soulless machine.
Plenty of car designs have "grown" on me and some have gone the other way.
Can agree on the water cooled Porsche, I used to love the look of the air cooled cars (still do) and thought the later ones just not "Porsche". These days I have a 2004 Boxster S
The 928 was always a classic, would I want one - no.
The new Alpine looks great in the right colour(s) still love the 60's cars, would I want one - yes please either or both.
2CV friend crashed and wrote one off one night hitting a skip. A lad at work had one, I was amazed how thing the steel floor was. Would I want one, probably not.
New mini - hated the idea, just not a mini. BUT my wife has one and it's brilliant and I've had a few "classic" minis and they're really crap.
Things I hated in the day - Volvo Estates, big stupid boxes of lard. Then bought my first a 740 in 2004. Absolutely loved it, since had about 5 940s and a 960. Just don't ask me about the current Volvo I have, bloody irritating, soulless machine.
The 996 you've pictured is a facelift example; it doesn't have the 'poached egg' headlights.
The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 (
).
I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 (
).I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
When the Sierra was first launched in ‘82, I thought it was dreadful. Looking back now, the later performance models e.g XR4x4 seem much more cohesive. I guess what was originally a very cutting edge, and to my eyes ugly design, eventually seemed much less radical.
Conversely, a lot of 90s era coupes which I thought were stylish at the time, now seem very dated. The Calibra, Probe, Cougar have aged really badly IMO. Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra also - old, but not in a good way as per an XJS, original 6-series or Merc SEC.
Conversely, a lot of 90s era coupes which I thought were stylish at the time, now seem very dated. The Calibra, Probe, Cougar have aged really badly IMO. Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra also - old, but not in a good way as per an XJS, original 6-series or Merc SEC.
Doofus said:
The 996 you've pictured is a facelift example; it doesn't have the 'poached egg' headlights.
The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 ( ).
I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
The 2CV is a mobile bauhaus work of art, form and function.The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 (
).I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
Car No 1, I prefer earlier iterations, for their svelte and crisp lines and great soundtrack, later versions are like the hot girl at school who after a couple of bambinos didn’t look so hot. However, put a mini skirt/ humongous spoiler on it, they’re suddenly a lot more appealing.
Car 2 almost ageless and classless, one of the great cross continental bruisers, if well looked after they look fantastic, sadly many are not, so a bit of a lottery. I nearly bought one in Taiwan but the rear was a bit moist.
Car No 3, When I was at school we has an art teacher who had a BRG MG Midget and a long commute, one day he arrived at school in a 2CV, being young dumb oik, it was a WTF moment. A few years later I would realise what an idiot I was, there is far more to a cars/bikes than 0 – 60 and top speed, something that a lot of posters on here still don’t seem to realise. Considering it’s time the 2CV is a masterpiece of engineering. (Belongs the aqua yoga instructer)
Car No 4 I have an intense dislike of retro styling Fiat 500/Jaguar S Type/Volkswagen Beetle, the mini though, I see in a different light, more of a reinterpretation and an excellent one at that. Taking into consideration modern safety requirements I thing they did a great job of the package all that in such an attractively styled car, it would seem the public agree. (the au pair’s car)
Car No 5, no real opinion, I’m sure it is really capable a real driver focused car, just looks a bit nothing in my eyes.
Car no 6 From certain angles it looks bloody fantastic, a small supercar. That could be the problem, after time that feeling will wear of when you realise that from other angles its not that great more like a squashed supercar. On paper, it’s impressive in reality it doesn’t live up to the hype.
Car 2 almost ageless and classless, one of the great cross continental bruisers, if well looked after they look fantastic, sadly many are not, so a bit of a lottery. I nearly bought one in Taiwan but the rear was a bit moist.
Car No 3, When I was at school we has an art teacher who had a BRG MG Midget and a long commute, one day he arrived at school in a 2CV, being young dumb oik, it was a WTF moment. A few years later I would realise what an idiot I was, there is far more to a cars/bikes than 0 – 60 and top speed, something that a lot of posters on here still don’t seem to realise. Considering it’s time the 2CV is a masterpiece of engineering. (Belongs the aqua yoga instructer)
Car No 4 I have an intense dislike of retro styling Fiat 500/Jaguar S Type/Volkswagen Beetle, the mini though, I see in a different light, more of a reinterpretation and an excellent one at that. Taking into consideration modern safety requirements I thing they did a great job of the package all that in such an attractively styled car, it would seem the public agree. (the au pair’s car)
Car No 5, no real opinion, I’m sure it is really capable a real driver focused car, just looks a bit nothing in my eyes.
Car no 6 From certain angles it looks bloody fantastic, a small supercar. That could be the problem, after time that feeling will wear of when you realise that from other angles its not that great more like a squashed supercar. On paper, it’s impressive in reality it doesn’t live up to the hype.
Doofus said:
The 996 you've pictured is a facelift example; it doesn't have the 'poached egg' headlights.
The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 ( ).
I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
Erm the 996 has the fried egg lights just that the orange bit has been replaced with clear. The 997 had more normal lights.The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 (
).I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
Was chatting to a mate with one of the big minis (SUV style thing) loved the drive, hated the interior, the switch placing copied from the 60's mini but much lower down due to the increased size of the car.
Skyedriver said:
Doofus said:
The 996 you've pictured is a facelift example; it doesn't have the 'poached egg' headlights.
The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 ( ).
I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
Erm the 996 has the fried egg lights just that the orange bit has been replaced with clear. The 997 had more normal lights.The 928 looked progressively worse with each update. The original has never been bettered and is still fantastical today.
The 2CV was never designed to look desirable. Some like it for what it represents, and others dislike it for the same reason.
You're wrong about the A110 (
).I don't dislike MINIs, but the dashboard looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
And there's a Lotus...
)Poached egg and facelift non-poached egg.
I still don't think the Bangle cars have improved.
The Ford Sierra (for example) was challenging because it was radical, but eventually became normalised.
The Bangle 5, 6 and 7 series were just ungainly and remain so.
See also Fiat coupe. And before I typed that (and made a quick detour to Google), I genuinely didn't know it was also designed by Chris Bangle.
The Ford Sierra (for example) was challenging because it was radical, but eventually became normalised.
The Bangle 5, 6 and 7 series were just ungainly and remain so.
See also Fiat coupe. And before I typed that (and made a quick detour to Google), I genuinely didn't know it was also designed by Chris Bangle.
Flumpo said:
I’m with you on the bangle 6 and 7. Never liked them and still don’t. The think the 5 didn’t work in se trim either. But just something about them in the M and sportier trims grew in me. Think they look mean and a bit menacing.
Did bagel do the z4, that grew on me too.
Probably. That's an ugly bugger too. Did bagel do the z4, that grew on me too.
The other thing about those cars is they moved from BMW's traditional 'driver-centric' ergonomics to an interior in which the dash was almost convex.
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