Do we automatically like cars we grew around?

[Leicesterdave]

A lot of us on here are obviously in our twenties and thirties and older... I'm 28 and have always liked the looks of "retro" cars. I just find myself wondering why?
Take a Mk2 Golf. In essence, it's quite a squared box on wheels. Yet, I love the shape, to me it just looks so right. Can you imagine trying to sell a car like that these days? I love the smell of them and the simplicity of them, it just reminds me of my childhood I guess. My dad's MK2 Golf C, all 1.3 of it, constantly breaking down. Ahhhh, those were the days...
And this I think is where the problem is, we grow up around them, have lots of memories with them and have some sort of emotional attachment to them.
I guess most of the kids born in the last decades will love the flat bloaters we buy new nowadays.
Donchathink?

[zirazira]

those kids would love it.

[boobles]

I grew up around alot of different cars but the 2 that will always remain in my heart are the Ford Zephyr (nice sounding V8 installed)
& secondly our Ford Escort Harrier. Both were fantastic & I always felt proud as a youngster to go out in these.

[jake15919]

No not really. I think we tend to gravitate to cars we find appealing on a personal basis just like art and music. I like 60/70s GTs, which as a 2 year old I had no first hand experience of, and 20s/30s cars which I missed by two generations.

That said I do put my guilty pleasure in 70s yank tanks down to saturation coverage on TV when I was growing up and my dad owning a string of them.

[LuS1fer]

To some degree. When I was raised in the 60s and 70s, I was drawn to more futuristic designs. i hated cars like the Minor 1000 and Austin A35 and cars like Citroen CX /SM and the droop snoot Firenza and Mk II RS2000 were incredibly appealing.

Indeed, while I could appreciate the lines of a GT6 or E-Type, cars like the Michelotti-designed Triumphs seemed hopelessly dated though I like them more now. Similarly BMC Land Crabs and 1100/1300s seemed dated and the Allegro was as disappointing as the Mk III Cortina was "Wow".

So like any other era, you like some, you hate some but at least car design was becoming adventurous whereas today it is all small glass, fat ass designs dictated by safety.

So I don't think anyone can honestly say they like all the cars made in their "era" though at 51, I have found I hate more and more modern designs.

One thing I do miss is the simplicity of the older interiors - I won't have sat nav or i-drive or any of that useless cr*p in any car I drive unless it's unavoidable. I also fondly remember the beautiful chrome handle and switches in my first Austin A40 which has made all subsequent plastic dross seem extremely cheap.

I'd still take an Austin A40 over Clio Cup mechanicals over any modern design though.

[skene]

Not really for me, but being born in the nineties and my parents having a Vauxhall Cavalier in white, and then numerous Vectra, the choice of inspiring cars and shapes wasnt around. My grandad was into his classic like the Hillman Imp he has, so it's those I found appealing, until I discovered 80's Jap metal etc

[Gaygle]

I grew up around Volvo's. So no.

However, i DO respect that Volvo's are ridiculously reliable and stupidly comfortable.

[Big Rod]

My kids are growing up around the cars I grew up around because that's what I roll.

My boy, (7), love's them.

[Rawwr]

I'm not sure about other people but Fords were always present in our family from when I was about 3-years old. A couple of Cortinas preceded a Sierra, which was then followed by a few more Sierras, Escorts, Kas, a couple of Orions and a Mondeo.

I think because of this, my donkey cars have been an Escort, followed by a Ka, then another Escort and now a Mondeo.

I don't think I could ever own a Vauxhall.

[DannyVTS]

Yep, why else would I like Rovers!

[miniman]

Dolomite Sprint, Saab 99, 505GTi... Already have one and would certainly buy the others. Actually even a Datsun 120Y holds a certain appeal.

As for the last decade - MG ZT V8?

[Leicesterdave]

A bit of yes and no then. No one likes modern cars though!

[Motorrad]

Not at all- was surrounded by crappy BL products (by that I mean they were cars, made by BL, purchased by my relatives who worked for them and the cars were unreliable POS), yugos,ladas and skodas (bloke next door was a fanatic for eastern european fiat clones).

[grumpy52]

classic mags used to have comps to identify cars from pictures of tail lights rear wings ,bumpers etc.modern cars ? I have to be close enough to read the label,60's 70's early 80's for me so long as no computers ecu's etc .

[Jasandjules]

Not at all. My parents always had cheap and nasty cars, big barges etc whereas I like 2 seater convertibles....... I do have an estate car but my excuse is that's for the dogs.