RE: C&SC 'best British car ever' poll

[Pommygranite]

Has there really been nothing world class in the last 20 years? Phantom?

[Gecko1978]

God I did not even open the article and I thought Mini, E type, Land Rover. Its sort of pointless really all 3 made a huge mark on the world but are different. I do agree Mini should just be bogo one and not cooper S etc. As for the Mc F1 not sure what the point is there, yes very fast and special (and if I was a billionair I would buy 3) but really what did it do to change the world...not much carbon fiber was not heavily used till about 10 years later, gold has never been used in the engin bay since and N/A engines in terms of BHP per liter is a thing Honda have done well for years.... I would still buy 3 if I could like just saying its not a "best car" type thing.

So yes Mini most likely will win then E type with landrover taking the bronze. What will be cool is 30 years from now asking same question and I suspect the winners might be the same.

[Happyjap]

I feel "yes" this is best car ever and if you don't agree you are a mental or French!!! I hope this is not considered racist I have nothing against the french this is just banter on my part!

[unsprung]

SlipStream77 said:

DB9VolanteDriver said:

Really, it can only be the E-type. A timeless classic that will forever be considered the most beautiful car ever designed, and one which shocked the world upon its introduction. No other car has ever made the same impact when revealed.

Agreed.

+1

[unsprung]

kambites said:

AlexKing said:

kambites said:

I'd say it's a British car. As I understand it, design was carried out by Lola then construction was moved to a Ford plant in Slough. The only American input was the funding and the engine.

So, nothing significant then - only what makes it go and what made it happen

Significant, but a very small proportion of the car as a whole. At least three of the cars in that list used engines designed by American companies and one has a German engine.

Could one say that the Ford GT40 is the definition of an Anglo-American effort? Not trying to be naive or ironic. Just thinking aloud.

[rogerhudson]

Further down the front page, in 'spotted' was the definitive 'best British car', the Bentley R continental with the light Park Ward bodywork.
Of the 10 you chose to shortlist the best was the Range Rover Classic, though i had a 4 door.

[ging84]

if you didn't have to register i would have voted for the mclaren.

It wasn't just by far the best performing production car in it's day, it remained so for around a decade and still today 22 years later it is still probably among the top 10 performing production cars of all time.

[kambites]

unsprung said:

Could one say that the Ford GT40 is the definition of an Anglo-American effort? Not trying to be naive or ironic. Just thinking aloud.

I suppose one would have to put it alongside the Cobra... A British designed and built car which was really made by its American engine.

It's always going to be a compelling combination, the Americans are exceptional at producing power and the British are arguably still best at designing and setting up a chassis.

Edited by kambites on Friday 3rd July 20:25

[RoverP6B]

The best car on that list in terms of its sheer influence has to be the Range Rover.

[dandarez]

Hugos said:

Best car has to be the Lotus 7 - reason - Its still being made

That's true, it is ...well, made by Caterham not Loti.

However, there's only one Brit that was being made well over 50 years ago and not only is it still being made (to special order now) but one big difference to any other British marque, still being made with the original designer in charge!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/montybay/G4y...

[JMF894]

Range Rover for me. Whilst the more recent ones are not my cup of tea (i'd have a classic though) I think it's maybe the only car on the list (someone will correct me) that has been in production continuously since it's inception and defined a genre.

Jimbo

[grumpy52]

We will argue over mini or Range Rover or Land Rover ,the rest of the world of over 40's will vote Jaguar E type .

[RoverP6B]

dandarez said:

there's only one Brit that was being made well over 50 years ago and not only is it still being made (to special order now) but one big difference to any other British marque, still being made with the original designer in charge!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/montybay/G4y...

What's that, a Lola? I know Eric Broadley is still around and is involved in the Lola-continuation things.

[aeropilot]

kambites said:

unsprung said:

Could one say that the Ford GT40 is the definition of an Anglo-American effort? Not trying to be naive or ironic. Just thinking aloud.

I suppose one would have to put it alongside the Cobra... A British designed and built car which was really made by its American engine.

It's always going to be a compelling combination, the Americans are exceptional at producing power and the British are arguably still best at designing and setting up a chassis.

Except that gets more complicated when talking about Cobra's because the very different 427 chassis was designed by those pesky Americans with help from Ford in Detroit.

[dinkel]

RoverP6B said:

dandarez said:

there's only one Brit that was being made well over 50 years ago and not only is it still being made (to special order now) but one big difference to any other British marque, still being made with the original designer in charge!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/montybay/G4y...

What's that, a Lola? I know Eric Broadley is still around and is involved in the Lola-continuation things.

Lola T76 http://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-chrisharris... which is a redefinition of the original T70 Mk3B:


Former owner Jon Minshaw (Demon Tweeks) told me the T70 (cont) was the one car he regretted to have sold. Chevy power but all the rest is pure UKs finest. Original T70Mk3 (not a B) came with Aston V8 power. There are to believed only 3 of those left. Go catch the sight and sound if you can. And forget about 917Ks.

[RoverP6B]

The Aston Martin powered ones were a disaster. The engine was completely reworked and heavily strengthened for production. It nearly finished Tadeusz Marek.

[coppice]

The Cobra should not be on the list; much as I adore the shape of the 289(if not the ghastly 427) the car was an anachronism in every sense apart from acceleration from day one and in period was only notable for its track successes. They were rarer than hen's teeth on the road. Ditto GT40 -and the roadgoing Mk111 didn't even look good .

E Type- whatever- I never did like the styling much with its silly phallic nose and too-narrow track . F1 - nothing has come close to its appeal in its rarefied world . P1 and 918(Veyron etc ) ? Get out of here...

Deserving vehicles are Elan (suspension, looks, grip , packaging ) and Rover 2000(supercool 60s styling ,innovative interior and the ability to make all the competition look antique overnight ) , Jensen FF (a real prophet without honour- ABS and 4wd before anybody else in a sports/gt car)and - really - MGB GT (terrific styling, good performance and a car which would be lauded to the heavens if they had only made 50 and it had come from Milano ) .

On a wider stage any list would have Citroen 2CV and DS , 911, Ro80, Aurelia , Beetle and Model T .

[aeropilot]

coppice said:

On a wider stage any list would have Citroen 2CV and DS , 911, Ro80, Aurelia , Beetle and Model T .

You did notice the thread title I presume.......?

[Spannerski]

Has to be the E-Type as it is recognisably British the world over.
The Range Rover comes close to this in the last few decades.
The others are all too Britain only.
My pennies worth.

[Wadeski]

Spannerski said:

Has to be the E-Type as it is recognisably British the world over.
The Range Rover comes close to this in the last few decades.
The others are all too Britain only.
My pennies worth.

E-Type was kind of dead end for Jaguar though. Mini was successful but never developed further, and also a tech dead end (Hydragas, Gearbox in sump, No hatchback).

My vote goes to the Range Rover - they are in many ways terrible, and woefully unreliable, but they set the precedent for luxo V8 SUVs that turned the industry on its head.