21 replies to this topic

[Incal]

What is your favourite of the years gone by? I go weak in the knees everytime I see a Bentley Super Six. It is the only model car I have built which I still have on a shelf looking good. I am more likely to be struck by lightning than ever get to drive one let alone own one. But damn they are just gorgeous brutes and I can always dream. Mind you there are a few Ferraris of the fifties which would also look good in the garage.

[Ray Bell]

Bentley... yes, brute is the word.
For years I yearned for a 300SL Gullwing, and I like some of the pre-war stuff. The 1935 Le Mans Astons are nice.
But then I saw a 504 Coupe, and though I haven't seen one yet, I think the pre-war 402 sports version is luvverly.

[BRG]

Are we talking road cars here?

If so, from the pre-war era, there was a particularly beautiful Bugatti but I forget the actual model - it may have been the Type 37 or 51? - it was a two seater, 3.3L supercharged straight-eight - very elegant and superbly engineered although come to think of it, they raced it as well.

Then in the post-war era, perhaps the Lamborghini Miura from the 60s.

But overall, I think my favourite was the SS100, the predecessor of the Jaguar line. It looked like all sports car should look - beautiful AND businesslike and looking like it is going 100mph when it is still parked.

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BRG

[Ray Bell]

Yes, I forgot the impact the Miura made when it came out. Great thing.
Some of those pre-war sports cars looked great - the streamlined ones, Delahayes and so on with their efforts at shaping the (fenders, wings or mudguards) for streamlining. I've just been going through the Shell history films, and the 1937 French GP had scads of them... look great.

[Bruce]

favourite car that I might, possibly, if I'm lucky, eventually own? - Series 1 E-Type Coupe.

Favourite car(s) that I'll never own unless I win generous amounts in a lottery? - Toyota 2000 GT, Jaguar D-Type, or the Aston Martin DB4 Zagato...

I can dream, can't I?

[Incal]

I did mean ones with a racing pedigree, which sort of eliminates some pretty classic pre WWII limos. The Gullwing and the SS100 yes now that is serious motoring metal and drop dead gorgeous at the same time.

[Dennis David]

Here is mine. BTW It has a steller pedigree.


A nickle to the first person that can guess this car AND tell us a little about it. WWWW

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Ray Bell]

That Alfa Romeo 8c 2900 was certainly a nice car for its era, and effective, too. Biondetti won the 1947 Mille Miglia in one, and probably also the 1938 event.
The car he drove in 1947 (to beat poor Nuvolari in the little Cisitalia) was a closed version. Only about 30 of these were built, I believe, and they truly had Grand Prix heritage with that 2905cc engine.
By the way, Dennis, how do you post pictures on this BB?

[Eric McLoughlin]

The Lotus 16, not that it was any good - it hardly ever finished a race. It just looks good - a low line Vanwall in effect. The 16's running in historic racing today are much more successful than when Lotus ran them, probably because the current owners take more care in preparing them. Would the rear engine revolution have happened as soon as it did if Chapman had been able to sort out the 16 before giving up and switching to the rear engined 18?
I also like the 1970 Ferrari 312B. It very nearly won the World Championship that year.

[Dennis David]

It needs to be somewhere that can be addressed via a URL like on a website. You use the following syntax minus the spaces:


BTW Here is your nickel

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Incal]

If that is you behind the wheel Dennis, you are one lucky bastard. If not I guess dreams are cheaper. It did not surprise that your nickel went quick considering the minds behind some of the posters.
My wife thought the car would look really good in the driveway. How many of them are still around?

[desmo]

This being an F1 forum, and me not being old enough to talk intelligently about those beautiful pre-war GP racers, here's my picks: #1 The 1977 BT46 Brabham by G Murray with the surface rads. Yeah I know it didn't race, but just look at it.

#2 The Lotus 72 in JPS livery. Just looked right to me.

[This message has been edited by desmo (edited 01-31-2000).]

[BRG]

Now when it comes to F1 cars, that’s another story.

Pre-war, well, frankly they didn’t do much for me, except maybe the Mercedes cars from the late 30s.

Post-war, the Maserati 250F went right and looked right. Later on, the Lotus 72 was a total classic, both in looks and technology. Later still , the Brabham BT49 (especially when run with no front wings) was a great car.

Incidentally, I agree the Brabham BT46 was a good looking car - but how did the brilliant Gordon Murray ever manage to make such a mistake as to think that surface radiators would be adequate for a F1 engine???

But what about the F1 oddities such as the Amon, the Kauhsen and the Arrows A4 (? the so-called Messerschmidt) - some of those at least looked good even if they didn’t perform.


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BRG

[Ray Bell]

Regarding the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 - I found a little more about them.
There were 30 unused engines from the GP cars lying around, so these cars were built to use them up, according to one of my books.
They were actually 1,2,3 in the 1938 Mille Miglia, but what a tool they would have been for that job!
They came in short and long wheelbase versions. I'll have a short, I think.

[Keir]

For me the '71 & '72 F1 Matras.
And what about that sound!!

[Dino]

Great cars:
De Tomaso Vallelunga - F3 chassis, Lotus Cortina engine.
Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale - Racer with great looks.
This one a Tipo 33/2:



Most Alfa 6C's en 8C's got themselves beautiful carrosseries (anybody a picture of a Villa d'Este, if I remember the name correctly)


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Greetz,
Dino

Ecurie Historique d'Avantgarde

The Edge ... where the masses spectate, a chosen few compete and only one defines!

[Zoe]

F1 car: Lotus 72, Tyrrell 019, Jordan 191

Sports car: Ford GT40

Sports car (for the street): Lamborghini Miura, Espada, Lotus Europa

Bruce, interesting to see that you're fond of a Toyota 2000 GT; I actually owned a Supra for a long time and its the best car I ever had!

Other car:



Hope it worked, and yes, its mine

Zoe

[Leo]

I've always liked Maserati's, so if (when?) I ever get the money, I'll get me this one:



And for grocery shoping you need something with a decent boot, so why not one of the most stylish Coupés around:



And to top it off, a Honda Civic Type-R

That would make me very happy! Maybe I should study a little harder and find me a decent job

And my favourite F1 cars? Well, there a many I like for looks, but I like those cars the best: Lotus 49 (no wings please), Maserati 250F, and the most beautiful ever: Eagle-Weslake!

[jc_nl]

Since I am dutch and we are talking about road cars I can only think of one brand.

That brand is Spyker, this was a dutch car builder wich was known for its great technical achievements. They were, for example (one of) the first to build a 4 WD car. In those days the choice between a RR and a Spyker was not as simple as it may seem to us now.

[Ray Bell]

Yes, Toyota's 2000GT was a great little thing, a lot of keen thought went into that.

[Falcadore]

It's got looks, it's got go, it's cheap, parts are easy to find, it was a landmark model for the Japanese industry, it's got an indestructable engine, it's becoming a minor classic slowly, but most importantly, it's mine

[ZippyD]

Ferrari Dino.
Beautiful shape.
Beautiful proportions.
Looks like it's ready to "have a go."

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"Pete, Do you sometimes get tired? Lately I have been getting tired. Very tired."