#1 all time favorite - you could only have one car for the rest of your life - easy: '57 Lincoln Mark I Runners up, assuming you can own more than one car: '53 Stude - stock. '28-29 Full fendered Model A hot-rod - lowered '63 Studebaker Avanti - round headlight only please Citroen CM - That's the futuristic one with the Maserati engine. '53 Cadillac convertible. '54 is close, but too many add-ons and the body was dated for '54. '67 Cadilac ElDorado stock or Dan Picasso version. Dark Green please! Ford RS2000 - all hail group B! What is it with England and race cars? '70 Dodge Challenger - not the overstated 'Cuda. Would you look at that - still haven't named a Chevy! Guess it's time for pickups. Advance Design Chevy pickups - standard model - the curved corner windows detract '67-'72 Chevy pickups - all models. Easy, utilitarian, cheap, and still handsome.
The only thing that I didnt see others post that I really dig is a 59 buick electra - just one evil looking motherfucker right out of the showroom!
The best designed cars never sold well! like the air flows, studebakers 46 and 53 are still timeless designs avanti could be on the list. hudsons,kaisers, Buick Rivera's 63 and 71. 49 merc and ford the same year all great designs.general public can't stand something new and different. the manufactures know this and are leary of bringing out radical and different design, I think thats why they came up with futuristic dream cars to warm the public up several years in advance I was suprised at my list, because first and foremost I am a hot rodder this is always fun, my dreams include about 6 cars that i've sold over the years all hot rods! and 3 that I still have.1 hot rod and 2 kustoms? my future would be brighter if I owned 1965 Rivera GS 425 dual quad 1953 stude chopped with a front mounted 671 on a 392 HEMI with double overdrive for those little cross country cruises a 99 point D Jag would also look good if it was british racing green like the brand nrw one that I slobered on in Frank Monise's shop in pasadena when I was still riding bicycles a 32 ford 3 window full fendered there are a couple of early mercedes 300sl's that I've worked on that would look good in my garage after that I'd be the road tour king and never look back
[ QUOTE ] 3. '63-'65 Buick Riviera (not only a great design, but it plunged itself over a bridge in NH and saved America from having another Kennedy in office) [/ QUOTE ] I'm pretty sure it was an Oldsmobile that took the plunge with Teddy.
1. 32 Ford five window coupe, full fendered. 2. 40 Ford coupe, standard. 3. 40 Ford coupe, deluxe. 4. 32 Ford roadster highboy. 5. 30-31 Model A on Deuce rails, highboy. 6. 32 Ford roadster, full fendered. 7. 28-29 Model A roadster, full fendered. 8. 50 Ford coupe, custom. Custom as in Deluxe or Custom from the factory. 9. 49 Ford coupe. 10. Jaguar XK120 convert from the mid-50's era.
Any Ford Coupe From '32 to '34 ( as long as it is chopped and fenderless ) '53 Studebaker Coupe. '64 Cheetah. And if I can include the Euro Trash, '64 Alfa Romeo TZ 1. '57 Lotus Eleven.
Top 5 cars 39 Ford Deluxe Coupe 32 Ford 5 window 40 Ford Deluxe Coupe 32 Ford 3 window 32 Ford Roadster Top 5 trucks 41 Ford 55 Chevy big window 59 El Camino 32 Ford Roadster p/u 35 Ford Pretty vanilla, I know.
1. 36 Ford roadster 2. 39 Lincoln Zephyr coupe 3. 36 Ford 3 window 4. 41 Buick convert 5. 48 Chevy Fleetline 6. 59 Buick Invicta All built into customs of course.
A common demoninator in a lot of your lists and my own, the 1938-39 Lincoln Zephyr. They ooze class and showroom custom in my opinion no matter how you do em. I'm also very fond of the 37-38 Ford Coupes. Maybe I just like that era of design as a whole... -Dane
Most folks hitting the same thing: Lots of ET "Bob" Gregorie designs.. He was THE MAN when it came to late 30's Ford design. Did Speed boats too... Gregorie, with Edsel's guidance, designed every Ford, Mercury, Lincoln-Zephyr, Lincoln and Ford truck and tractor produced between 1935 and 1945. Amazing. FoMoCo I love (in cronological order): 1. 32 - 36 Ford coupes, roadsters 2. 39 Ford DeLuxe and Mercury coupe and convt. 3. 1949 Ford and Mercury coupe- Ahead of its time. 4. 52 - 54 Lincoln and Mercury HT models 5. 56 - 57 Lincoln Mark II 6. 1960 Ford full size, 60 - 63 compact GM I love: 1. 1949 all hard tops 2. 1953 Cad Eldo, Buick Skykark, Olds Fiesta, and 53 - 57 Corvette 3. Any early 50's Olds hardtop 4. 1960- 1961 all hardtops 6. Pre 65 Corvairs 7. I won't say 63 - 65 Riv cause its obvious.. But I just did. Other Makes: 1. 55 Chrysler 300 2. Nash bathtub bodys 3. Kasier Dairren 4. Nash Healy 5. Porsche 550 Spyder 6. Any early Ferrari 250 - Pinin Farina I know I'm forgetting too many cars! jay
My personal favs from old to newer,quite a mix 32 Roadster -Will always be my #1 33-34 Roadster full fendered 31 Roadster on duece rails (biased here) okay almost any Ford roadster 37 Ford (more bias) 29-33 Duesenburgs and Auburns- awesome 33 Plymouth tudor (bodys have very little wood for that era) 38-40 ford coupe 55-57 Nomad,belair 57 Corvette 270HP (first car I can remember my dad owning) 63 Split window vette -first stingray, first irs rear 67 RS/SS Camaro Convertable- sold mine recently- red/red M21/350 powered,factory 12 bolt/traction arm setup,power top, etc, and now I want it back. 69 Z28-RS the 302 screamer with crossram some foreigners.. Lamborghini Miura 70 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 70 Maserati Spyder also 70 302 Boss Mustang 70 Hemi Cuda Convt 80s Vector-Donovan 350 with twin turbos and probably a dozen more.....
The best automotive design was the Volkswagen Beetle. Period. Concieved in the early 30's and in production until this year with practically little change. THAT's good design. and the Model T, the 57 Chevy, and the 71-74 mopar B-bodys.
It is really hard to break it down to just a few cars for me. But I would have to say these are for sure 32 Ford Roadster 40 Ford Coupe Deluxe 71 Cuda 70 Chevelle
Right now, it'd be a 1927 T highboy, a 1940 Chevy sedan, and a 1949 Ford coupe -- but that's only 'cause that's what I have in the driveway/garage. You can never leave 1940 Fords off any list, and the 1954 Studebaker hardtop I had back in 1959 is still one of the most beautiful cars I've ever owned. BTW -- checked on the Chapaquiddick ride. It was a 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88.
`39 deluxe coupe `32 highboys(any body style,`cept fordor) `59 impala `57 chevy pick up (big back winda) `36 roadster(chopped) `55 210 chev.(race styled) `34 5 winda coupe(chopped) `40 ford truck(chopped) no particular order.
Just to name a few... 39 Mercury 56 X-M Turnpike Cruiser (Mercury) 36 Desoto 57 Desoto 39 Chrysler 49 Buick 59 Buick 47 Cadillac 47 Pontiac 56 Plymouth 59 Dodge (ok, so I'm biased on this one) ~Melissa
took a while for '57 DeSoto to come up, one of my all time favorites, I would specify Convertible though. I don't think anybody said 1937 Studebaker Pickup or '39 Studebaker Coupe yet either. Of all the cars listed so far there is not one I would turn down. Paul
Impossilbe, but just a few to show my direction of taste: 53 Studebaker Starliner ht cpe 42 Clipper 2-d fastback Bentley Continental fastback 64 Buick Riviera Jaguar XK 120 36 Ford 3-w cpe 36 Cord 810 Sportsman cpe Facel Vega Facel II 4-d ht Mercedes 300 SL (the early gullwings...) 56 Ferrari 250 GT Europa Series 2 Pinin Farina 24-30 Bugatti T35B just to mention a few...
Ryan - If I'm not mistaken - Uncle Teddy took Mary Jo for the ride in an Oldsmobile 88. 1.) 40 Ford - any one of them 2.) 36 Ford 3 window 3.) 65 Shelby Mustang GT-350 4.) Duesenberg Model J 5.) Cord - all models 6.) 63 Corvette Split window 7.) 57-58 Cadillac Brogham 8.) 63 Riviera 9.) 63 Lincoln Continental Convertible 10.) 40 Lincoln Zephyr 11.) 33-34 Ford Roadster 12.) Ferrari 265 Dino 13.) Jaguar XK120 14.) Jaguar XK-E 15.) Porsche 911 16.) 53-56 Ford F-100 17.) Studebaker Avanti and I could probably go on all day. Like most of you my list will be different tomorrow.
[ QUOTE ] BTW -- checked on the Chapaquiddick ride. It was a 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88. [/ QUOTE ] I guess I win the useless trivia contest!
There are some great cars on this list, but dosen't anyone like 55-56 Mercury 2dr Hardtops? They're my FAVORITE. Billy
I like too many of them but... here's what's on the top of my head. GT40, MKIII and the new one. 1963 Ferrari GTO 1988 Ferrari 288 GTO 1969 Alfa Romeo Stradale Lamborghini Muira SV Cobra S/C 427 Porsche 907 '49 Cadillac Sedanette '56 Cadillac 4dr hardtop '67 Corvette '35 Ford Roadster '36 dodge humpback '32 Ford 5 window BMW Z8 Saleen S7 Cadillac "Sixteen" There's a million more I like, but I'll stop here.
The BEST automotive design... That's tough! What cars are so extreme in design that they reshaped the auto industry...? Hmmmm.... 1) Model T...In construction/parts standardization and the assembly line. 2) VW Beetle...Did you ever REALLY look at the bare chassis? (WITHOUT thinking...Kit car...Kit car etc that is!) Those things are incredible in design simplicity. 3) Deuce...just for the V8 alone. 4)Lotus...For proving the small car/small engine formula over the heavyweights of the 50's. 5)GTO...say MUSCLE CAR! 6)Ford GT-40...Just because. 7)ORIGINAL Mini...Loads of design originality...that worked. Thats enough for me...I could go on and on... Bill
My favorites: 1. Mid forties Packard Clipper 2. 48 or 9 Stepdown Hudson, before the goofy little bubble taillights 3. 1957 Chevy - Nomad first, then two door hardtop. 4. 53 Studey coupe, not hardtop 5. 59 Buick Electra rag 6. Hupp Skylark 7. 62 Chevy full size, any model. 8. 57 Olds 98 two door hardtop 9. 51 Mercury Monarch (kinda biased here, though) Last and certainly not least 10. 1961 Canadian Pontiac Laurentian bubble top Horoable mention to 53-6 Ford panel trucks, early 30's REO Flying Clouds, and Wilhelm's Chrysler, the only cleanup needed on an ideal design.