Cars you are too young to ever love/understand

[Puddenchucker]

VW Beetle (The original air cooled vesion).
I struggle to understand the affection for these as anything other than rudimentary transport.

[Baz Tench]

Morris Minor.

An archaic car by the time it was taken out of production in 1970/71. Who was buying them??

[bobbo89]

The Sierra. Put whatever engine you want into it, I just cant get past the fact that they're a bit st looking!

[Drummond Baize]

Baz Tench said:

Morris Minor.

An archaic car by the time it was taken out of production in 1970/71. Who was buying them??

Geography teachers, mainly.

[ChasW]

Puddenchucker said:

VW Beetle (The original air cooled vesion).
I struggle to understand the affection for these as anything other than rudimentary transport.

One of the worst cars I have ever driven. However I can understand the affection. Whilst quirky they were also reliable, dependable and, being affordable, often peoples' first step into motoring.

For many people it's nostalgia too. Not so much the car/model itself but what it represented. My first car was rusting MG 1100. It represented freedom and independence. I lived in the countryside. There were no bus services. I could cycle places but being quite hilly that was not much fun. I was totally dependent on lifts from my Mum. Getting my first car changed my life as a 17 year old. I could get a well paid holiday job, 8 miles away, I had a social life and could take girls out. So my car was my best friend. It really did not matter one iota what make/model it was or whether it was fun to drive; it drove me to fun!

[peterg1955]

Somewhatfoolish said:

Nor do I think I'll ever understand the Ford Escort.

Hand your PH card in right now

First 'quick' car (I had a Hillman Imp and it was only 6 months after passing my test) I ever drove was an Escort Mexico at Brands Hatch at the Motor Racing School in 1973 then later on one of the other guys doing the school there let me drive his Escort RS1600 round the perimeter road. They were light, responsive and the sporty ones could outperform many so called sports cars at the time.

You only have to look at their race and rally results to see what a good car they were.

[chris7676]

I don't think it's much to do with age, except for the fact that some old people would have owned them in the past.
There are just rubbish or ugly old cars and great and pretty (with various shades of grey in between).

[Flooble]

I am old and don't really understand the fascination with a lot of "classics".

VW Camper Van is probably the top one for me. Underpowered, unreliable, cramped, dangerous. But people rave about them. If you really must live in a van (rather than booking a hotel) then there are vastly superior vehicles available.

[PaulJC84]

I am 32 and my interest in cars started quite early on. Most cars before the early 80s do not interest me although there are some exceptions (early 911s and miuras to name a couple).

I would love to own something made the same year as me, be it a 205 GTI or a 911.

[jayemm89]

In my late 20s. I eventually got to like my Dad's Capri. I'll never like the Triumph Stag he had.

[crofty1984]

Very vintage cars. Basically anything that'll struggle to hit 60 flat out. My mate has a Traction Avant and while it's a lovely engineering curiosity, I like to be able to use my classics.

[Ian Geary]

colin_p said:

A note or public information post to all you mid 20's nippers.


You will get older, you will slowly, surely and inevitably turn into your Dad. It cannot be stopped.

Ha

So true.

[bloomen]

I am old but there've always been cars that didn't compute. I don't understand why anyone would thicken and engorge thinking about an mgb. Theyre crappy and agricultural.

And any old vw especially now they're so expensive. You want to spend tens of thousands to do 28 mph while making a sickening noise? Good luck anyway.

[james_gt3rs]

I don't like the E-type Jag.

There I said it

[jayemm89]

james_gt3rs said:

I don't like the E-type Jag.

There I said it

S1, FHC, I love. The rest of them? Pretty indifferent.

My dad owned one before I could drive and to be honest, from his description, it isn't a car I wish I'd had the chance to drive either.

[Amirhussain]

GravelBen said:

I don't understand why people think the E-type is a pretty car, other than being a 'classic' it looks like a misproportioned bar of soap.

The low drag version improves the situation I guess, at least it doesn't have a giant bulbous canopy plonked on the back of it.

Same. I don't think it's ugly, but it's not as good looking as some people make it out to be IMO

[bennyboysvuk]

caelite said:

My only other one is a bit grey, because I understand it but I just don't agree, which is the resistance to forced induction within older car enthusiasts. Turbo tech (and to a lesser extent supercharger) has moved on leaps and bounds in the last decade, with twin scroll and variable geometry units you can make a turbo engine feel like a bigger N/A unit with minimal lag and progressive power delivery. With forced induction you can get the same power and power delivery from a much more efficient power plant. (i.e Merc 6.3 vs 4.0 turbo)

It comes down to how accurate you like your throttle response. Look at the sports bikes out there at the moment and all are high revving, highly responsive units with incredibly accurate throttle response. Only the H2 is FI and that uses a supercharger.

Even the very best of the latest turbocharged engines still have lag and have a different exhaust noise due to the turbo corrupting it. That said, I've not tried any of the turbos which are pre-spooled by an electric motor, but until that is available on most turbocharged engines then my preference is undoubtedly NA.

[R8Steve]

The poverty spec Merc 190 that gets doted on by many on here.

I'm old enough to understand them but certainly not to love them.

[Sycamore]

I'm 22.

The E-Type is ugly.

LR Defenders are tatters farm wagons.

Big engine saloon cars are still boring to drive - they're too capable.(I'm aware I've triggered half of PH by writing this).

[PorkInsider]

Citroen DS.