518 replies to this topic

[SJ Lambert]

The Elfin Type 300 Sports Racer does it for me!

[Ray Bell]

And that's its worst angle!

 

Come on, James, what about another view?

[SJ Lambert]

Off the same roll

[Lee Nicolle]

Off the same roll

Garries helmet dates the pic, Otherwise it could be a lot more modern pic.

And yes a pretty little car.

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 15 December 2018 - 23:14.

[Wirra]

Edited by Wirra, 16 December 2018 - 02:50.

[GreenMachine]

 

The other end is prettier, but this was one of the cars I lusted after in my yoof...

[john aston]

The point I made about safety stands , as the post I quoted still appears , even though now edited .My post has been removed altogether, which does seem a tad heavy handed.....  

[bradbury west]

Re Wirra's post and the Bolwell, front end only for me, there are those among us, puts his hand up...., who find the Kellison Coupe run by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon a delight to look at, but then I like what some regard as the ugliest Maserati coupe built, the Le Mans 151, as a joy to see, along with the Repco Record Coupe, so what do I know?

Edited by bradbury west, 16 December 2018 - 10:16.

[sabrejet]

Re Wirra's post and the Bolwell, front end only for me, there are those among us, puts his hand up...., who find the Kellison Coupe run by His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon a delight to look at, but then I like what some regard as the ugliest Maserati coupe built, the Le Mans 151, as a joy to see, along with the Repco Record Coupe, so what do I know?

 

I have yet to see a Kellison I don't like the look of. Mind you I've only seen three!

[bradbury west]

We had one racing at the Revival a few years back, apparently fitted with a larger engine.
RL

[Doug Nye]

While acknowledging the normal diversity of opinion, am I alone in being surprised by some contributors' ideas of 'gorgeousness'...?

 

DCN  

[Eric Dunsdon]

I appreciate that I have grown old and out of touch but some of these selections strike me as being plain ugly!. .

[jcbc3]

Beauty, eye, beholder.

That being said, I am more than a little surprised at some selections. However, ascribe it to posters not really reading the thread title and just posting personal favourite cars.

[Doug Nye]

Another quality post indeed ... yes, that could be a possibility...

 

And yes Eric - you are not alone.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 17 December 2018 - 15:40.

[proviz]

All four posts above seconded. It's quite obvious that this is very much a generation and even a cultural thing. But I rejoice the fact that here the choices still seem to focus predominantly on shapes rather than color schemes, which is probably what would happen in Racing Comments.

Edited by proviz, 17 December 2018 - 18:08.

[David Birchall]

We seem to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous!

[BRG]

While acknowledging the normal diversity of opinion, am I alone in being surprised by some contributors' ideas of 'gorgeousness'...?

 

DCN  

 

I appreciate that I have grown old and out of touch but some of these selections strike me as being plain ugly!. .

I fear the thread started on a (very) high note, and went steadily downhill.  Some of the nominations aren't just not gorgeous but appear to have been given a hell of a licking with the ugly stick.  But we all see things differently, even though most are clearly wrong.

[jcbc3]

I fear the thread started on a (very) high note, and went steadily downhill.  Some of the nominations aren't just not gorgeous but appear to have been given a hell of a licking with the ugly stick.  But we all see things differently, even though most are clearly wrong.

On that note, I find the Subaru WRX hideous and the Fiat 131 gorgeous. But understand others might feel the reverse. However, none would be in the 'achingly, timelessly, gorgeous' category

[Doug Nye]

Anyone else with a decent-grade GCE O-Level Art (1961)? I just wonder if 'we' see things differently from other cultures/generations?

 

One reads that in the mid-1930s Wallis Simpson was regarded as a great beauty.  Nothing against the lady, bless her - but if this was really so then standards were very, very different then...

 

DCN

[Allan Lupton]

This thread shows what we all know which is that beauty is in the eye (and opinion) of the beholder.

Some of the (no doubt excellent) cars pictured above are pig-ugly to my view, and if I were to post anything that I think fills the thread title, I'd expect to provoke disagreement.

As I wrote 11 days ago - and since then more ugly vehicles than even good-looking, let alone gorgeous , have been added.

[BRG]

Anyone else with a decent-grade GCE O-Level Art (1961)? I just wonder if 'we' see things differently from other cultures/generations?

 

One reads that in the mid-1930s Wallis Simpson was regarded as a great beauty.  Nothing against the lady, bless her - but if this was really so then standards were very, very different then...

 

DCN

O-level Art? No wonder you never got a proper job!

 

As for Wallis Simpson, I couldn't agree with you more.  Face like the back of a bus.....Duesenberg SJ, if you ask me, which you didn't.  But time plays strange tricks. I look at pictures of girls in the 1960s over whom i would have panted uncontrollably and now I wonder what I saw in them.  (Not Francoise Hardy obviously).  Twiggy looks 1000 times better now in her old age than she did as a teenager.

[opplock]

Anyone else with a decent-grade GCE O-Level Art (1961)? I just wonder if 'we' see things differently from other cultures/generations?

 

One reads that in the mid-1930s Wallis Simpson was regarded as a great beauty.  Nothing against the lady, bless her - but if this was really so then standards were very, very different then...

 

DCN

 

An interesting thought. Before my time of course but I did a quick look on google images and found a 1916 vintage photo based on which I'd describe her as being rather attractive in her youth. By the mid 30s she was well into middle age.   

 

Could it be that in mid 30s British newspaper editors were still fearful of a visit to the Tower if they upset anyone with royal connections? Or missing out on a knighthood?

 

As for the generational issue you can probably work out my age to within a couple of  years (allowing for delay in UK TV programmes being aired down under) when I say that the term "Achingly timelessly gorgeous" conjures up visions of a Lotus Elan driven by Emma Peel.  

[Tom Glowacki]

While acknowledging the normal diversity of opinion, am I alone in being surprised by some contributors' ideas of 'gorgeousness'...?

 

DCN  

So, we'd agree that some of them just make you ache?

[Wirra]

 

Merry Christmas, Philistines...

Edited by Wirra, 21 December 2018 - 23:52.

[Cavalier53]

"This thread shows what we all know which is that beauty is in the eye (and opinion) of the beholder." But we can put it down in numbers! I feel a consensus here leaning towards:
P68, A110, 250F, W125, 33, 250 GTO, P4, T1G of course, P160, 72, 200S, 105 GTA, 191, 908/3, 206, 18, and of course T70.

I've never been too fond of E-numbers, I'd rather add the original Disco Volante.

From my side, I'd suggest to add RT1, 33tt12, 761, 120D, 1000SP, MS670.

Adding all the numbers up, this probably shows my age.

Note: I never managed to drive let alone own any of the above; I even refrained from including my MP15/17!

Jan.

Edited by Cavalier53, 17 December 2018 - 20:50.

[moffspeed]

Anyone else with a decent-grade GCE O-Level Art (1961)? I just wonder if 'we' see things differently from other cultures/generations?

 

One reads that in the mid-1930s Wallis Simpson was regarded as a great beauty.  Nothing against the lady, bless her - but if this was really so then standards were very, very different then...

 

DCN

 

Keep the faith. I've just returned from the garage unit where my rally prepared Fulvia HF Coupe slumbers for the winter. Playing with the electrics in an attempt to turn darkness into light, 2 main beam and 2 dipped beam headlights, 2 Cibie spots and 2 Carello fogs, I think the best score we got today was 5/8.

 

Part-way through the endeavours a lad, probably in his mid 20s, who shares the unit wandered over from his 700BHP (!) Toyota Supra drift car and spent half an hour poring over the Lancia and asking all sorts of technical questions. Genuinely interested and clearly enjoying a journey back in history. I think that passion is sustained...

 

Achingly, timelessly gorgeous ?? BRM P153, McLaren M10B come to mind - but unlike Wallis Simpson they were not considered "great beauties" at the time , this has just evolved - so perhaps the reverse applies to cars v royalty (or near-royalty).

[Doug Nye]

So, we'd agree that some of them just make you ache?

 

Spot on!  But of course, different strokes for different folks...

 

DCN

[stuartbrs]

Everything is relative. 

 

I think (as does most of this forum) that the Supermarine Mk1/Mk2 Spitfire is gorgeous.

 

I dont think the Hurricane is gorgeous, but I think it looks fantastic. 

 

I suspect that in period Luftwaffe crew over Britain found them neither gorgeous or fantastic. 

[David Birchall]

The car that started it for me has still not been picture here-the Bugatti T35.  That was the product of an artist, is arguably the most winning car in history and is inarguably timelessly beautiful!

[john aston]

You are of course absolutely right.My interest in the sport, and cars generally, stems from when I first became besotted  in 1967. So I tend to be immune to most  stuff which wasn't around at the time - I didn't see a D Types until nearly ten years later and whilst  it was a pretty looking  thing my heart rate didn't spike.

 

It did when I saw my first T35 and still does every time I see one - whilst the various Bentleys of the era look absurd to me - great  blustering things - the T35 must have felt like something from the future, in a similar way to the BMW 328 . Every detail is perfect , the wheels and dash are works of art and the look and sound of THAT engine .... gets me all a flutter it does      

[2F-001]

Speaking of "things from the future"... any takers for these elegantly simple lines?

 

 

(Also, note the 'DRS system' from half-a-century ago).

[PCC]

Speaking of "things from the future"... any takers for these elegantly simple lines?

 

 

(Also, note the 'DRS system' from half-a-century ago).

Well, maybe achingly, timelessly... interesting.

[kayemod]

 

One reads that in the mid-1930s Wallis Simpson was regarded as a great beauty.  Nothing against the lady, bless her - but if this was really so then standards were very, very different then...

 

DCN

 

 

We're way off-topic here, but it was Doug what started it. The fact that Wallis Simpson started off notably good looking, but became less so over time is possibly related to the fact that (according to my late parents) she was widely disliked, regarded as an arriviste interloper by much of the general population, hence the sour look she developed in middle age.  I can see exactly the same thing happening with her present day counterpart, Meghan Clampitt, who I along with many others suspect of having similar motives.

 

Were they still around, rightly or wrongly, my parents would probably have hated her, and for much the same reasons.

 

Sorry, back to discussing Alfas, and other lesser reasonable-looking cars.

[john aston]

  If there were a world championship in practising  tall poppy syndrome I am sure that England would be a serlal winner. 

Edited by john aston, 18 December 2018 - 16:28.

[ellrosso]

I was always keen on the Bolwell Mk7 Wirra - our art teacher at Rose Bay High in 1971 (Hobart, not Sydney), Mr Miller had a Bahama Gold one which was very well done. He also had a VW Transporter with 12" WIDE wheels for bush bashing, roof cut off, just the front screen. Alfa Romeo TZ2 is my favourite though (Elfin 300 is right up there though James and Ray ....!)

Edited by ellrosso, 18 December 2018 - 18:25.

[sabrejet]

Neck out time. In no particular order, four of my recent nominees: I do think that seeing a car in the flesh often has the effect of either bursting a bubble or of reinforcing the impression of a car's beauty. There have been quite a few over the years which looked pretty in photos but less so in person. These stood the test:

 

 

 

 

And I have no idea why I find Julian Majzub's Sadler so attractive, but for purity of line it really does it for me:

 

[Charlieman]

You are of course absolutely right.My interest in the sport, and cars generally, stems from when I first became besotted  in 1967. So I tend to be immune to most  stuff which wasn't around at the time - I didn't see a D Types until nearly ten years later and whilst  it was a pretty looking  thing my heart rate didn't spike.

 

It did when I saw my first T35 and still does every time I see one - whilst the various Bentleys of the era look absurd to me - great  blustering things - the T35 must have felt like something from the future, in a similar way to the BMW 328 . Every detail is perfect , the wheels and dash are works of art and the look and sound of THAT engine .... gets me all a flutter it does      

The attention to detail on the T35 still amazes me. There's the little rack under the bonnet for changing spark plugs. The forging of the hollow front axle provided maximum strength for least unsprung weight. Those mechanical front brakes which could only work after every element had been thought and rethought.

[bradbury west]

The Esders Royale....
And the Uhlenhaut Coupe is just sublime. I loved it at Goodwood.
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 18 December 2018 - 20:19.

[Jerry Entin]

1937 Bentley

From Willem Oosthoek:
I am probably old fashioned, but this would qualify for me: a 1937 Bentley in a vibrant color.



Photographer: unknown

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 December 2018 - 06:25.

[404KF2]

That's much nicer than Mercedes of the same era.

[David Birchall]

With that colour the next step would be white wall tires 

[D-Type]

With that colour the next step would be white wall tires 

You'd have to remove the rear spats or it would look unbalanced.

[RogerFrench]

Nice, but a bit too haunch-heavy I think. The Jaguar Mk V was better, but my favourite of that type of car was the Alvis Grey Lady that my father nearly bought.

[David Birchall]

You'd have to remove the rear spats or it would look unbalanced.

I agree but I was joking!   I prefer the stock Park Ward body on this car.  (Which is just as well...)

[Doug Nye]

  If there were a world championship in practising  tall poppy syndrome I am sure that England would be a serlal winner. 

 

 

NO WAY!  In my fairly extensive experience of Australia they hold the title in perpetuity...and as in several other 'sports' they make us look utter amateurs.  

 

 

And - darn it - I had completely overlooked the Uhlenhaut Coupe...  Oh my.  

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 19 December 2018 - 23:55.

[Bob Riebe]

The original poster wrote:

 

"Cars that forever look 'just right'. Cars that provide evidence that good design is timeless."

 

The gorgeous part in the title is a bit over the top but cars here have pretty much stuck to the above statement.

[ian senior]

The Gordon Keeble.....absolutely peerless.  I can't find anything to criticise about the looks of this beauty.  And it was also, by all accounts (because I 've never had the fortune to drive one) very competent dynamically - which is more than can be said for some cars that look stunning.  Honourable mention too for the Lancia Fulvia coupe in its original form, before they started mucking about with the front end.

[sabrejet]

The Gordon Keeble: (almost) absolutely pillarless too!

[john aston]

The Gordon Keeble.....absolutely peerless.  I can't find anything to criticise about the looks of this beauty.  And it was also, by all accounts (because I 've never had the fortune to drive one) very competent dynamically - which is more than can be said for some cars that look stunning.  Honourable mention too for the Lancia Fulvia coupe in its original form, before they started mucking about with the front end.

 Peerless ..very good . I love 'em too - also a fan of the jolie laid CV8 and gents carriage 409 . Something about Anglo American cars of that  era but the GK is sublime.

[baz]

Lets not forget the Bristol 403. Lovely to look at and lovely to drive. Having said that the Alfa 105 gtv still tops the list with the spider version close behind.