[Cloud9...68]

As I indicated in another thread, I thought it would be fun to start an informal poll on what people think are the best looking cars of all time. Whenever somebody posts pictures of a non-968, the conversation inevitably drifts to a discussion of the car's looks, typically with strong opinions on both sides, followed by people bringing a bunch of other cars into the discussion, and before long, the thread has veered far off its original topic. I've definitely been guilty of contributing to this. So I thought a separate thread on the topic would be appropriate. I'm sure we're going to see some strong difference of opinion. Here are some of my all-time faves:



- Ferrari Dino (maybe my all-time favorite)

- 1956-57 Corvette (the car that, as a featured retrospective article in an issue of Motor Trend when I was a kid, first got me interested in cars)

- Ferrari 360

- Ferrari Daytona

- BMW Z8

- Fiat Dino

- Austin-Healey 3000 (I owned one of these for about nine years - attracted more attention than any car I've ever owned)

- Lotus Esprit

- Aston-Martin Vantage (the definition of rolling sculpture)

- The original Jag XKE

- For a sedan, the new Maserati Quattroporte



Honorable Mention:



- Our very own Porsche 968 (might have made my all-time list if it weren't for the silly skyward-facing pop-up headlights)

- Porsche 911 (sure to ignite a lot of controversy, but it makes the grade imho because of its sheer purposefulness, unmistakeability, and timelessness)

- Corvette C6 (I'm not really a Corvette person, but I think Chevrolet really got it right with the C6)

- Lamborhgini Gallardo (I know there's a strong anti-Lambo sentiment on this board, but unlike some of the hideous designs to come out of S'ant Agata in recent years, I think the Gallardo is a beautiful car)



Well, that's my list. I'll be interested to see what people add.

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[flash]

a few that top my list, and in no particular order:

Mercedes SL550

Lamborghini Miura

Ferrari 355

Fiat 124 Spyder

Cobra

Aston Martin DB5/6 Volante

Ferrari 575 Superamerica

BMW E30 convertible

totally agree about the Z8, XKE, Fiat Dino and Ferrari 360

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[ds968]

much as I am in awe of the lines of the DBs ; DB9, DB7, the new Vantage S even.. I can't possibly put them above the Ferrari Dino, which in my eyes has never had, nor will it liklely ever have a close challenger to it's " most beautiful

car ever made " in my book.



cloud and flash already covered many of the favs, so just a few others



Jaguar XJ220



Maserati Gran Turismo ( I owned a Maserati Merak, btw, and loved the looks of it back then, but in retrospect I can't really put it in my top 10 favs of all time..)



TVR Cerbera



Ford GT40

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[AJG]

The "Leslie Special" has a certain something as I re-call ("yes it's quite a car"). Also the "Hannibal Twin Eight", made from "the finest parts from the greatest automobiles" has a certain allure ("push the button Max!"). This next one may be a bit controversial but...Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a bit different, "is it a bird, is it a plane?". No. A car actually! With the lovely Julie Andrews ensconced in it to boot. No don't mock till you have seen her in an old film called " The Tamarind Seed". There was more than just a great voice! And just to be a bit offbeat, the Morris Traveller definitely had something going on as well.



Andy

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[ds968]

hey, wait..how did we get from beautiful cars to beautiful ta-tas ? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> although indeed, Julie Andrews revealed a masterpiece pair ( in the movie S.O.B. I think.. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> ) <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[AJG]

It's just like going from 6th gear to somewhere totally different!



Andy

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[lbpesq]

First place: E-Type Jag, Series 1 with the curved glass over the headlights. Coupe or Conv.



Big drop off to 2nd.



Bill

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[Cloud9...68]

Hard to argue with the Jag, or the Dino, as the best ever. I also totally agree with the Cobra (either the 289 or the 427 versions), and I love the Fiat 124! There were a bunch of those cars running around when I was a kid. Very simple, clean design. And the Ferrari 355 also fits into the "rolling sculpture" category.



A few other favorites of mine:



Alfa Romeo Guilia spyder: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars...20767.html

Mid-fifties Mercedes 300SL (I prefer the convertible to the gullwing)

Mercedes SLK (I love the new SLs as well, but for some reason, the little SLKs really snap my head around)

Late 70s/early 80s Jaguar XJC: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sho...?t=1303758

For more modern cars, I love the lines of the Infinite G37 - a perfectly proportioned GT coupe. The BMW E92 coupe is no slouch, either.

Dan's mention of the Maserati Merak reminded me of the Bora, which is a really timeless design: http://www.bobileff.com/maserati_Bora_74.html

The Ghibli is also a very pretty car, though somehow, it hasn't aged as well as some of the other Italian exotics (too much overhang front and rear). Still, a nice looking car: http://rankmaseraticarpictures.blogspot....erati.html

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[Chris Vais]

Some of my favorites in no particular order:



1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

1960 Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta

Ferrari Lusso Berlinetta

1964 FIA Cobra

1964 Daytona Cobra

Ford GT40

Porsche 904, 906, 908, 910, 917

Ferrari 330 P3

1963 Split Window Sting Ray

Alfa Romeo GTV

Porsche 968

Audi R8

Audi A6 Avant

Porsche Caymen

Porsche Carrera GTS

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[Cloud9...68]

Chris,



That's a nice list, including several I'm not familiar with. I'd add the mid '80s 288 GTO twin turbo to the list list of Ferrari's: http://imageshack.us...ontlz4.jpg/sr=1



I'd probably get a lot of disagreement on this, but the 2007-2008 BMW M Coupe is growing on me as well. Yes, it's a Bangle design, and maybe not really all that pretty by the classical definition, but it's definitely distinctive, and very rare. Saw one at the track one day, and thought it looked very good in person.

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[Chris Vais]

I'm also partial to the BMW E-46 M3. A friend as a rag top, in a blue color that isn't the usual metallic blue, with a blue top. The interior is a darker blue than the exterior, but the seat centers are in a dark orange. The entire package is really beautiful.



I took another look at my list and it really is 1960's racing centric. I started going to races in 1964 and was witness to the debut of the Porsche 911R, Porsche 904, Cobra FIA, Daytona Coupe among others. I was a wonder period in racing history. The guys raced in the SCCA production categories more often than not drove their cars to and from the races. And the best part is that twice per year I can go to the historic races and relive history.

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[bob blackwell]

Ahhhh, memories....................orsche 904

Lotus Elite (the original, not the newer one)

Jaguar XK120

Porsche 968 Coupe

Porsche Cayman.

Yeah, I have been around a few years, and they have all been memorable! Good luck, Bob Blackwell.

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[Cloud9...68]

I was wondering if anyone was going to mention the XK120. A beautiful car.

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[Langley968]

I don't see any mention of the BMW 850... saw one again on Friday, and I still think it is one of the best looking BMW's...



Was just in Vancouver a few hours ago and parked ahead of a Ferrari 348 - what a beauty!



   

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[Cloud9...68]

I was at a Formula 1 watch event yesterday (the first one I had attended, so I wasn't prepared for what I would find). There in the parking lot of the restaurant was the most amazing collection of exotic sprots cars I think I've ever seen assembled in such a small area, including several on our collective list of best looking all-time cars. For example, parked next to each other were a Lamborghini Miura, a gorgerous deep red Ferrari Dino, and a Lamborghini Gallardo. The Miura had 12,000 miles on it, with a set of Michelin XWX's, and the Dino could have rolled off the showroom floor the day before. Also on hand was a late-model Lotus Esprit, a brend-new $230K Ferrari California (a car which has been much-criticized, but personally, I find it to be very attractive, and the smell of the interior is out of this world), a Porsche 996 GT3, a Renault Alpine with center-lock wheels, several Z06's, and a few late-model Porsches. But I didn't have my camera with me! If I go to another of these events, I'll be sure to bring it.

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[sbdrivingdotcom]

Italian cars seem to be leading the pack but here are my all-time favs by country of origin and manufacturer:



England



Aston Martin DB9

Jaguar E-Type



France



Bugatti Atlantic



Germany



BMW M1

Mercedes 300SL

Porsche 924 GTS



Italy



Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia Spider

Ferrari 250 GTO

Lamborghini Miura

Maserati 150 S



Japan



Datsun 240Z

Toyota Supra (93-97)



United States



Dodge Challenger

Ford Mustang Boss 302

Chevrolet Camaro (69)

Pontiac Firebird



Just my $0.02!

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[benspeeder]

Ford Pinto

Pontiac Fiero

Chevy Chevette

Plymouth Volare

Chrysler Cordoba



<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[jaacco]

I think I appreciate car designs more by how interesting they are than by classic beauty. Funny how that seems to apply to my women as well <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/tongue.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />. I also don't view pre-50's cars the same way as I feel they're more industrial art than real driving machines. Some of my picks in no particular order.



Citroen DS





Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon





Saab 96





Oldsmobile Toronado





Porsche 993





I might be a wee bit biased about the last one though, it being my car afterall <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[bombfactory]

What do I remember most about TV shows and movies when I was a kid? The cars of course! In no particular order, here are the top 10 that made the biggest impression on my 10 year old self:



'69 Dodge Charger - Dukes of Hazzard (my fave muscle car ever)

'75 Lamborghini Countach - Gumball Rally (maybe it was the two chicks driving it)

'78 Pontiac Trans Am - Smokey and the Bandit (the car made the movie)

'70 Challenger - Vanishing Point (runner up: Nash Bridges' Hemi Cuda convertible)

'75 Gran Torino - Starsky & Hutch (still see one with a hand painted stripe on the road now and then)

'67 Mach 5 - Speed Racer (must have tried to draw that car a hundred times in 6th grade)

'66 Batmobile - Original Batman TV Series (simply awesome, nuff said)

'61 Ferrari 250 GT - Ferris Beuller's Day Off (not quite from my childhood, but still very cool)

'73 Ford Mustang Mach One - Gone in 60 Seconds - 1974 original (most epic car chase ever)

'76 Lotus Esprit - Bond: The Spy Who Loved Me (and it turned into a submarine!)

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[Cloud9...68]

"Ford Pinto

Pontiac Fiero

Chevy Chevette

Plymouth Volare

Chrysler Cordoba"





You left off the all-time classic, the Pontiac Aztec

"'76 Lotus Esprit - Bond: The Spy Who Loved Me (and it turned into a submarine!)"





I'm a big fan of all the iterations of the Esprit, but the original '76 is my favorite. Too bad is was such a train wreck, mechanically.

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