Cars that don’t age
Discussion
Japveesix said:
Cascade360 said:
I don't think my Tuscan looks like an old car. Those that don't know struggle to guess how old it is.
This is what I was going to post, although sadly I can't put "my Tuscan" at the start of my post.I genuinely think they look great, modern and stylish and clean.
Many other cars in this thread look old however much I'd still like to own and drive them.
again, if you don't know TVRs try to date this? if it could be made today would people buy it? lets not mention traction control, ABS or airbags!
Evercross said:
otolith said:
Evercross said:
I think I addressed that point a couple of pages back. Styling 'dead-ends' do not make a car ageless - quite the opposite.
Citroen DS
NSU Ro80
BMW E60
Avantime/Vel Satis
There is such a thing though as timeless styling, which none of the above have, nor do the overwhelming number of suggestions made in this thread.
However, I'd agree that the AM DB9/previous generation Vantage, and (as someone else suggested) the face-lifted Mk1 Jaguar XF are all timeless designs - all from the same designer of course.
If a car doesn’t reflect (or inspire) the styling of its time, or any other time, how can you tell how old it is?Citroen DS
NSU Ro80
BMW E60
Avantime/Vel Satis
There is such a thing though as timeless styling, which none of the above have, nor do the overwhelming number of suggestions made in this thread.
However, I'd agree that the AM DB9/previous generation Vantage, and (as someone else suggested) the face-lifted Mk1 Jaguar XF are all timeless designs - all from the same designer of course.
AW111 said:
Is the thread ready for me to post pics of my 1987 MR2 yet?
I've removed the 80's white stick-on lettering and rear spoiler, so surely it's timeless now.
That was my favorite feature!!I've removed the 80's white stick-on lettering and rear spoiler, so surely it's timeless now.
A female teacher had one at school (must have been nearly new) - It looked like a spaceship surrounded by the s
t boxes the other teachers drove!My take on not ageing is a car that may look old/of its time but still looks good. Good design always remains good, just like good music. To me it does not have to look modern as that is merely fashion which comes and goes and what is modern today can look awfully crap in a few years time. It’s the reason the latest Ferraris (e.g. Roma) have now dispensed with all the angular cut outs and surfaces and have gone back to more ‘sleek’ design. It’s why the 246GT Dino is now welcomed as a Ferrari!
Garvin said:
My take on not ageing is a car that may look old/of its time but still looks good. Good design always remains good, just like good music. To me it does not have to look modern as that is merely fashion which comes and goes and what is modern today can look awfully crap in a few years time. It’s the reason the latest Ferraris (e.g. Roma) have now dispensed with all the angular cut outs and surfaces and have gone back to more ‘sleek’ design. It’s why the 246GT Dino is now welcomed as a Ferrari!
I think this thread got derailed when the PB5 turned up.It’s an old car that looks good (imho).
But it’s also an old car that looks old.
And then someone posted some other cars from the same era, that also look like old cars.
Cars that cannot be easily dated are few and far between, regardless of whether they have appealing designs of not.
One of the things that gives away the age of a car is technology. Even if the styling is hard to fit into an era, the design of the headlights, the profile of the tyres, and the observance of the contemporary state of the art of aerodynamics gives a lot away.
Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
otolith said:
One of the things that gives away the age of a car is technology. Even if the styling is hard to fit into an era, the design of the headlights, the profile of the tyres, and the observance of the contemporary state of the art of aerodynamics gives a lot away.
Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
I don't quiet remember that era but the crossover from Cortina to Sierra must have seemed like a giant step back then.Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
Steamer said:
otolith said:
One of the things that gives away the age of a car is technology. Even if the styling is hard to fit into an era, the design of the headlights, the profile of the tyres, and the observance of the contemporary state of the art of aerodynamics gives a lot away.
Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
I don't quiet remember that era but the crossover from Cortina to Sierra must have seemed like a giant step back then.Any saloon pre-jelly mould Sierra, for instance.
Makes the current BMW nostrilgate look like a storm in a teacup.
Is the Tesla Model S (2012) too modern to be classified as ageless?
To my eyes it looked classic when it came out as it doesn’t have weird headlights, swage lines for no reason or dozens of fake vents and I think they still look good now.
For better or for worse other manufacturers’ interiors are following Tesla’s look too.
To my eyes it looked classic when it came out as it doesn’t have weird headlights, swage lines for no reason or dozens of fake vents and I think they still look good now.
For better or for worse other manufacturers’ interiors are following Tesla’s look too.
s3dave said:
Japveesix said:
Cascade360 said:
I don't think my Tuscan looks like an old car. Those that don't know struggle to guess how old it is.
This is what I was going to post, although sadly I can't put "my Tuscan" at the start of my post.I genuinely think they look great, modern and stylish and clean.
Many other cars in this thread look old however much I'd still like to own and drive them.
again, if you don't know TVRs try to date this? if it could be made today would people buy it? lets not mention traction control, ABS or airbags!
It wasn’t a tasteful time for things to date gracefully.
I love both cars but they don’t look like a 2021 car to me in the slightest.
F1GTRUeno said:
s3dave said:
Japveesix said:
Cascade360 said:
I don't think my Tuscan looks like an old car. Those that don't know struggle to guess how old it is.
This is what I was going to post, although sadly I can't put "my Tuscan" at the start of my post.I genuinely think they look great, modern and stylish and clean.
Many other cars in this thread look old however much I'd still like to own and drive them.
again, if you don't know TVRs try to date this? if it could be made today would people buy it? lets not mention traction control, ABS or airbags!
It wasn’t a tasteful time for things to date gracefully.
I love both cars but they don’t look like a 2021 car to me in the slightest.
A couple more that I have thought of. The Peugeot 206 looks remarkably modern for a 20+ year old car in my view. I can't think of a more modern-looking small car that was available at the time and it was the last handsome Peugeot for about 20 years! The newest ones must be 10+ years old now?
Likewise, I don't think the mid-2000s Fiat Grande Punto and Suzuki Swift look like 15 year old cars.
Likewise, I don't think the mid-2000s Fiat Grande Punto and Suzuki Swift look like 15 year old cars.
Cascade360 said:
F1GTRUeno said:
s3dave said:
Japveesix said:
Cascade360 said:
I don't think my Tuscan looks like an old car. Those that don't know struggle to guess how old it is.
This is what I was going to post, although sadly I can't put "my Tuscan" at the start of my post.I genuinely think they look great, modern and stylish and clean.
Many other cars in this thread look old however much I'd still like to own and drive them.
again, if you don't know TVRs try to date this? if it could be made today would people buy it? lets not mention traction control, ABS or airbags!
It wasn’t a tasteful time for things to date gracefully.
I love both cars but they don’t look like a 2021 car to me in the slightest.
The all black colour scheme shows up the detail of the car being old cause nearly everything is black on black these days.
If there was a modern Tuscan or Sagaris the curves would be angular slashes instead. The headlights wouldn’t be round either.
There's definitely a difference between cars that have aged well but look of their era and cars that just don't age. Anything with pop up lights can still look good but as they got rid of pop up lights in the 90s, it immediately ages them.
May be divisive and I may be biased but I think in terms of looks the W221 S Class doesn't seemed to have aged. It's a big car so isn't dwarfed how some cars are by newer models, it still looks sharp and unlike the previous generation it doesn't look like that overlap with the 90s. Considering this model came out in 2006 and mine is 13 years old I think it still looks quite modern.
May be divisive and I may be biased but I think in terms of looks the W221 S Class doesn't seemed to have aged. It's a big car so isn't dwarfed how some cars are by newer models, it still looks sharp and unlike the previous generation it doesn't look like that overlap with the 90s. Considering this model came out in 2006 and mine is 13 years old I think it still looks quite modern.
It occurs to me that anything that isn't a soft roader or some form of hybrid/EV immediately looks dated these days, these are the cars du jour to the extent that normal cars with petrol or diesel engines seem a bit old hat all of a sudden.
My criteria for cars that don't age is whether you could mistake the car for a new or current model. I'd agree about quite a few Land Rover models, the Discovery 3/4 looks like quite a fresh design still, as does the outgoing Range Rover. I always struggle with VWs and Audis, they obviously chose a basic design for the shape and the interior and just kept making minor changes so cars like the Golf mk 6 and the last shape A4 still seem quite new to me.
My criteria for cars that don't age is whether you could mistake the car for a new or current model. I'd agree about quite a few Land Rover models, the Discovery 3/4 looks like quite a fresh design still, as does the outgoing Range Rover. I always struggle with VWs and Audis, they obviously chose a basic design for the shape and the interior and just kept making minor changes so cars like the Golf mk 6 and the last shape A4 still seem quite new to me.
I think it's easier to break down into two different sub categories
Cars which still look good despite their age - Mk1 Fore Focus, Mazda RX8, Mk1 Audi TT
Cars which could almost pass as a new design if launched today - Peugeot 206, Porsche Carerra GT, Renault Laguna Coupe
Caveat with the second category: exterior only!
Cars which still look good despite their age - Mk1 Fore Focus, Mazda RX8, Mk1 Audi TT
Cars which could almost pass as a new design if launched today - Peugeot 206, Porsche Carerra GT, Renault Laguna Coupe
Caveat with the second category: exterior only!
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