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I'd have to say the 1960s were. You had some truly massive sedans back then with interior room to match. We had a '67 Chevy Biscayne. Nothing fancy, it was just a six cylinder. But our little dog could go from the front seat to the back by squeezing between the front seat and the door frame. Now you'd be lucky to get your hand between that space. My '62 Buick was a good acre inside.
If they'd make really big and roomy sedans again, with room to seat six comfortably( at least in the back seat for three) they could capture a market. People want room. They want it in airline travel, they'd want it in cars.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by Fleet
Yes, a good variety in 1970. I would pick something a little bigger and more powerful than that Datsun, though. For example: (Near or at 1970)
While I had a Hemi Cuda, and a 340 Duster...(+/-)... on the Datsun scale;... My 1973 Opel Sportwagon was a real gem! I replaced it with a Datsun (not a good idea!). What a DOG in the mtns and no better economy on the flats.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer
Modern sports and muscle cars are faster and better in every way from a technical standpoint compared to classic muscle era cars, but that doesn't mean they are "cooler" or "more fun" IMO. I saw a guy in a 65 or 66 Nova the other day, done up real nice. You just don't get that sound and presence with the newer stuff, as cool as some of it is.
Good, bad, or indifferent, neither is a quality that can be objectively measured.
I'd have to say the 1960s were. You had some truly massive sedans back then with interior room to match. We had a '67 Chevy Biscayne. Nothing fancy, it was just a six cylinder. But our little dog could go from the front seat to the back by squeezing between the front seat and the door frame. Now you'd be lucky to get your hand between that space. My '62 Buick was a good acre inside.
If they'd make really big and roomy sedans again, with room to seat six comfortably( at least in the back seat for three) they could capture a market. People want room. They want it in airline travel, they'd want it in cars.
Must be why everyone is buying crossover SUV's nowadays
In about 30 years, they'll be talking about the good old days, when cars had manual controls. And wheels!
Eventually we'll all be riding in hovercraft-type vehicles that don't even touch the pavement. It's just a matter of time before every car comes equipped with miniature fusion reactors similar to Back to the Future.
Just because something is new it doesn’t automatically make it great or exciting, or even better. I find quality, masterpieces of art, artistically engaging and stimulating objects be it homes, bridges, buildings, appliances and yes, cars all were much better looking and built in the past.
Historic buildings have so much character in their designs, they have depth an almost 3 dimensional shapes that make them stand out vs the ultra bland, flat, and ZERO stimulating modern architecture which for whatever reasons people like. People don’t travel to Europe or parts of Asia just because, they go for its history, food, it’s culture and their attractions.
But the biggest reasons is probably it’s history. So old is cool and interesting in many respects.
The modern way of doing things in 2018 is half ass. Build everything super cheap, with the cheapest made materials as fast as we can at the expense of quality, durability and good paying wages for workers.
It wasn’t so bad years ago when companies actually cared for its employees.
My point is, progress is a good thing depending on what it is, and of course nobody wants to go back to riding a horse and a carriage, we all love the way how new cars drive, but not everything about them is great.
I truly believe that the 60’s and early to mid 70’s cars and trucks had the perfect balance of great styling mixed with still using heavy duty steel for the bodies with chrome bumpers and trim. You had cars with tons of room, and a drivetrain that had great power and could be safely driven for hours without problems.
Just because something is new it doesn’t automatically make it great or exciting, or even better. I find quality, masterpieces of art, artistically engaging and stimulating objects be it homes, bridges, buildings, appliances and yes, cars all were much better looking and built in the past.
Historic buildings have so much character in their designs, they have depth an almost 3 dimensional shapes that make them stand out vs the ultra bland, flat, and ZERO stimulating modern architecture which for whatever reasons people like. People don’t travel to Europe or parts of Asia just because, they go for its history, food, it’s culture and their attractions.
But the biggest reasons is probably it’s history. So old is cool and interesting in many respects.
The modern way of doing things in 2018 is half ass. Build everything super cheap, with the cheapest made materials as fast as we can at the expense of quality, durability and good paying wages for workers.
It wasn’t so bad years ago when companies actually cared for its employees.
My point is, progress is a good thing depending on what it is, and of course nobody wants to go back to riding a horse and a carriage, we all love the way how new cars drive, but not everything about them is great.
I truly believe that the 60’s and early to mid 70’s cars and trucks had the perfect balance of great styling mixed with still using heavy duty steel for the bodies with chrome bumpers and trim. You had cars with tons of room, and a drivetrain that had great power and could be safely driven for hours without problems.
Your perspective is always an interesting read....and is especially impressive coming from a fairly young person. Am I remembering correctly that you said you were in your 20s or 30s?
Your comment about the 60s and early to mid 70s is a bullseye, for that was the American auto industry's greatest era. My 2017 Sonata gets me where I want to go, but it's an appliance. An appliance that can be nearly impossible to identify in a large parking lot, but for the license plate number. I got it last year only after a long and exhaustive search for an affordable classic in great shape that wouldn't need a lot of costly restoration. I finally had to give up, realizing that for practical purposes they just don't exist any more. Your choice is megabucks for a (hard-to-find) professionally restored car or a tired and badly weathered old master that needs extensive work on....well....most everything to bring it back to its former glory.
In the 70s you could go prospecting for a weekend within a 10 mile radius with a thousand dollars in your pocket and come back with a like-new, clean and shiny, classic that begged for a trip across the country. A true inspiration and new chapter in your life. And I did it several times. Today, make that more like a 2500 mile radius with a pocket deep enough to hold about 30 grand.
I finally had to give up and get an appliance, just like everybody else does these days. Except everybody else doesn't begin to understand the downgrade it is from what we had 50 years ago, give or take.
Your perspective is always an interesting read....and is especially impressive coming from a fairly young person. Am I remembering correctly that you said you were in your 20s or 30s?
Your comment about the 60s and early to mid 70s is a bullseye, for that was the American auto industry's greatest era. My 2017 Sonata gets me where I want to go, but it's an appliance. An appliance that can be nearly impossible to identify in a large parking lot, but for the license plate number. I got it last year only after a long and exhaustive search for an affordable classic in great shape that wouldn't need a lot of costly restoration. I finally had to give up, realizing that for practical purposes they just don't exist any more. Your choice is megabucks for a (hard-to-find) professionally restored car or a tired and badly weathered old master that needs extensive work on....well....most everything to bring it back to its former glory.
In the 70s you could go prospecting for a weekend within a 10 mile radius with a thousand dollars in your pocket and come back with a like-new, clean and shiny, classic that begged for a trip across the country. A true inspiration and new chapter in your life. And I did it several times. Today, make that more like a 2500 mile radius with a pocket deep enough to hold about 30 grand.
I finally had to give up and get an appliance, just like everybody else does these days. Except everybody else doesn't begin to understand the downgrade it is from what we had 50 years ago, give or take.
I appreciate the comment.
I am in my early 30’s but I’ve always been this way since I was even younger. You can call me an old soul, but also I’m a realist and honestly feel that the newer things have become, the worst they have become in terms of durability and styling.
My 17 Impala is great and all, just like your Sonata, It does the job and gets you from where you need to go safely, but in no way is the car better than my 64 Cadillac. If I could drive the Cad everyday I would. There’s times where I also miss my 94 Caddy Fleetwood for its smooth ride and comfort, but I simply needed something new that did better on gas and I didn’t have to worry about something breaking down on it.
You also make great points and are probably the only other member on here that actually “gets it” besides for a few others. Not too many people on this forum have owned truly great classics, especially the big luxury cars. Once you experience a classic Cadillac or Lincoln of that era, it’s really hard to compare them to something new since they drove and rode so amazingly smooth.
This is why it’s so important that we cherish the past and hold onto it as long as we can. Because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good and there’s no way we can ever bring it back.
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