Greatest Post WWII Road Cars - saloons and sports

Discuss travel, watches, gastronomy, wines, boats and all other aspects of the Elegant life
schneidergott
Posts: 149
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Location: Castle Douglas, Scotland

Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:18 pm

Nice cars, indeed. Unfortunately all very unaffordable.
The Audi 100 Coupe S is one of my favourite cars. When it comes to style this one easily beats any modern mainstream Audi.
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This Mercedes 300 SL cabrio is not bad either, the most beautiful car Mercedes-Benz ever made:
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The problem with cars of today is their interchangeability. One recognizes the brand only by looking at the logo in the front. It's pretty much like the RTW and MTM market. Strange times.

SG
storeynicholas

Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:14 pm

SG - I remember the Audi 100 S coupe - it was new in my childhood and was around at about the same time as the Triumph Stag (below) - more of a sportscar but quite similar stying. Fine cars both. I know what you mean about the sameness of modern cars. I suppose that they are all designed by robots (literally), with an eye to (admirable) fuel consumption and aerodynamics - which means that they all look remarkably similar. I also know what you mean about affordability - I am, frankly, amazed that James Coburn's Ferrari (end of page 1) went for £5,5m - but there we are. Anyway, overall, not only is this not a very heroic age, maybe, it is also a fairly colourless one too; as you say, reflected in clothes - and everything else indeed, from use of language to the food the supermarkets pre-cook and chill, ready for the microwave....
Anyway, the Triumph Stag:

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But there is an awful lot more of them yet - even the British marques - for a start, we began in the mid to late 50's rather than 1945 - and there's Bristol, Jaguar, Daimler, Riley, Rover, TVR, many Triumphs, Wolseley, Austin, MG (not just the sportscars) just to mention a few.Then we also, obviously, have more of the Continental European cars and those from the USA.
NJS.


And I cannot resist another fairly affordable gem; a 1955 Austin Healey 100 4 Roadster(well, Donald Healey was a Cornishman!):


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RWS
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Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:32 pm

I've always liked Austin Healeys; but that grill! Well . . . .
storeynicholas

Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:28 pm

Amazing grill, I agree. It is also astonishing how many of the really great cars of the period 1945-1975 have survived and will outlive recent models of 'other' cars. I know that modern cars are small and convenient and easily fixed and light on fuel and easy to park etc. etc. - but where's the fun in that? There was a Bentley Flying Spur (circa 1960) which used to be parked most working days in a central London car park; out in the open, in all weathers. The first time that I saw her was around 1980 and she was still going in every day, to the same space (who else would dream of taking it?) down to at least 2004: having seen off all the modern stuff, several times over - and still going strong; looking just the same as she had 25 years before; not concours - but clean and bright. When her owner (whom one saw but never observed), used to start her up, she used to rise up like a creature awakening and, seeing its prey, prepare to spring - and then silently glide away - the most noise coming from the tyres, a mere susuration; everyone around smiling and making a fuss of her and, off course, giving way. It wasn't that she pushed in. She never had to.
NJS
Cufflink79
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Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:24 pm

schneidergott wrote:This Mercedes 300 SL cabrio is not bad either, the most beautiful car Mercedes-Benz ever made:
ImageSG


Very nice indeed, but lets not forget the Gullwing. 8)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... upe_34.jpg

Best Regards,

Cufflink79
Bishop of Briggs
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Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:25 pm

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The AC Ace is beautiful.
Cufflink79
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Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:38 pm

Another favorite Aston Martin of mine. Its even in the color contrast I like.

http://www.autosportdesigns.com/Body/87 ... -22219.jpg

Best Regards,

Cufflink79
schneidergott
Posts: 149
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Location: Castle Douglas, Scotland

Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:38 pm

here are a few "affordable" german cars from the late 50's:
First a DKW F93, around 1956:
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My father had a 1000s, like this one:
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And then there was this one, the 1000 Spider:
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My father owned a lot of used cars, all saloon versions of the main brands, nothing fancy, so I sat in a lot of different cars in my youth. This model was one of them: The BMW 1802. Not much to look at, but very fast for it's time.
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The one I liked best was the Citroen DS. Most comfortable car I can remember, with a very unique design.
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The cabrio version was very nice, too:
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I know, they don't come close to any british or italian sports car of that era(here is a nice Maserati 3500 Spyder:)
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, but I liked them all. Simple mechanics(btw the new cars are not easy to repair. On some models one has to remove half of the body to change the light bulbs. I remember on my old Passat 32 a I had to remove 2 screws and had the bumper in my hands), which made it easy for any amateur to repair the car.
Isn't it strange, how many more heads these old cars turn compared to the latest models?

SG
schneidergott
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Location: Castle Douglas, Scotland

Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:14 pm

Sorry, I forgot this little cutie:
A DKW Monza:
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In case you wonder about the famous 4 rings in the front: DKW and Autounion later became AUDI.

SG
storeynicholas

Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:37 pm

SG - That is a cheeky little car - and you've also given us an interesting piece of history in the rings later carried over by Audi. Maybe these old cars take us back - and that is why we respond to them. Here are another couple of great cars: first a 1956 Arnolt-Bristol Corvette:

NJSImage

and a slightly later Bristol with coachwork by Zagato (splendid to look at but not ultimately rated by Bristol, themselves):

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NJS
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culverwood
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Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:44 am

Another German sports car

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Cyclo2000
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Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:59 am

Ah, the Bristol. Very nearly bought one a few years back. Sadly the current Mrs. Cyclo and I currently reside in one of those Loft appartments which have become so mode-ish. The absence of garaging space has precluded the purchase of anything so exotic.

This is beautiful, rare and iconic
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storeynicholas

Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:59 pm

Culverwood - you definitely need a garage for something exotic. I remember these BMWs - there were fewer of this type around than the modern versions.
NJS
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culverwood
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Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:13 pm

The BMW was not mine. But this was

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Cyclo2000
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Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:11 pm

My father had these BMWs, a 1600 then an 1800. At the time they were very unusual, and even more so now. The derivative coupe models, the 1502, 1602 and 2002 are (and were I suppose) more numerous.
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