Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 36437 posts, RR: 86 Posted (10 years 4 months 5 days ago) and read 921 times:
What do you all think of the new 'retro' cars?
I like the idea that car manufactures are doing something different. However, most of them can't hold a candle to the originals.
I am glad to see a departure from the boring round sedan/coupe i.e. Camry, Accord, Taurus, Lumina etc.
For a while, cars were looking boring. This 'retro' trend is one I hope will continue in to the future.
Even if it's just a trendy yuppie status symbol, I'd say it's better than yuppies buying SUVs.
2002 Ford Thunderbird
Plymouth Prowler
Chysler PT Cruiser
Volkswagen New Beetle
Lincoln Continental concept expected to come out in 2004.
I hope this goes in to production!
Nik From Germany, joined Jul 2005, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 887 times:
I like the idea of retro cars, it has great potential, but I also think there are some problems. After a few months the initial interest in the design disappears, and then the car has to offer something else, something that makes it really special.
The Alfa 156 is an example of an incredible succes, a car that will be remembered not only for its design, but also for the way it handles, the engines and so on. All in all a worthy successor of the classic Alfa Romeo models.
The New Beetle is an example of a miserable failure, which will be forgotten, or (even worse) remembered as a failed attempt to make money from an old success.
At least an ordinary Golf is going to be remembered as a best-seller.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 36437 posts, RR: 86 Reply 4, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 885 times:
Nik: The New Beetle is an example of a miserable failure...
Are you sure?
The New Beetle was selling for almost 50% of it's list price when it came out in 1998. Of course it can't compete against it's original model (1949-79). I do think it is a little girly car but they seem to sell well.
Can you post a photo of this Alfa Romeo that people are talking about?
I like Alfa Romeo. They are one of my favorite European car makers.
I know that the New Beetle has sold well in the US, but I still don't think it is a good retro car. First of all it is not a Beetle in the original sense, since it is way too expensive ( in Europe anyway ). I believe that a retro car should have some connection to the original car other than the design.
Besides that, the car is nothing special. It's basically a Golf in fancy clothes and less practical. The design is interesting and different / cute, but I don't see the car as a successor to the classic Beetle, and I don't think that the car is going to be just as appealing in 20 years' time as the classic Beetle is now.
It's nice that VW makes something different, but in my opinion they shouldn't have called this car a Beetle.
Lubcha132 From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 2776 posts, RR: 9 Reply 6, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 858 times:
I like that Continental, as well as the Beetle and the t-bird. but you forgot the best one of all!
the Mini!!! I LOVE that little car! I want one in blue with white stripes
Staffan From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 854 times:
In Europe i believe Alfa Romeo with the 156 were the first in the line of manufacturers who added retro looks to the cars. Who was first in the US?
The mini is not a small car anymore, if you compare it to the old one, it's huge. I think alot of the charm with that car would have been kept if it wasn't so big.
Alessandro From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 847 times:
Well, the car industry produce way too many cars, so
they have to find new ways to sell them. The "new"
Beetle was way too expensive when it came to Sweden,
so they had to lower the price and lease out the "left-overs".
Starship From South Africa, joined Nov 1999, 1098 posts, RR: 18 Reply 9, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 842 times:
I loooove retro cars, but you seem to have left out a few. The new Mini by BMW, the Rover 75, and various others in the pipe-line.
GM in my opinion led the way in terms of style around 40 years ago - somehow they completely lost their way and hopefully Bob Lutz will now put them back on track.
I think we need some of these Firebird concept cars put into production. Forget about the retro.
Flight152 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 3247 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 831 times:
The Jaguar is really nice, my friends Parents have the same one posted in Superflys post, only in their famous dark green.
Though, one would not catch me dead in a Volkswagen New Beetle, those lack taste and class.
Flight152
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today
CPDC10-30 From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2000, 4744 posts, RR: 31 Reply 12, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 826 times:
Hey that new Lincoln Continental concept looks like one mean mofo! I hope it goes into production too, but usually these kind of concepts get watered down.
BH346 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3265 posts, RR: 20 Reply 13, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 818 times:
I like retro cars, they're neat. Out of those, I like the Prowler, Mini, S-Type, my favorite out of these probably would be the S-Type. Really nice looking car. I think the Thunderbird would be really nice if it wasn't for the awkward-looking back end. I don't like that Continental, looks boxy. Anyway, isn't the Continental being cut? The New Beetle? Yuck. I wouldn't be really comfortable driving around a car with a flower vase as standard equipment.
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Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 52 Reply 16, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 792 times:
Well now c'mon Superfly....you're slipping.
Would you have a problem with "retro" audio components (reel to reel, 8-track, and LP) coming back into vogue?
I didn't think so.
Speaking of retro cars, I know I'm going to get clobbered for this, but I would really like to see Honda re-introduce the CRX.
I really loved that body style (the '89-'91 style, not the earlier version), and I know a lot of other people that did too.
1991 was the last year the CRX was made. Bring back that body style, throw in updated controls, or-if you will-avionics, a minimum 125HP V-Tec engine, airbags, and sell it for about $18-22K.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7595 posts, RR: 22 Reply 18, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 776 times:
The New Beetle is an interesting car. They flew off of dealer lots when they were new. It wasn't meant to replicate the cost of the old Beetle, but rather the "feeling" of the old Beetle. It is still a good car and not a bad value, still costs about as much as a comparable Golf (which has not been too successful in the US), but it has love it or hate it styling. Personally I do like the New Beetle, well just the Turbo S model.
What the New Beetle did was get people back into VW dealerships, and people ended up buying Jettas and Passats in large numbers. Retro cars generally are not meant to be high volume vehicles, but rather interest grabbers.
Superfly: I don't think anyone will miss the front-drive Taurus based Conti... not quite gone but already forgotten. The Continental concept is something that needs to be built in some form, though maybe that slide out trunk is a bit much. Ford needs to take risks and stop building so many damn trucks and SUV spin-offs. On a related note Cadillac needs to make the Cien, but I doubt that will ever happen.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
Fordlover From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 194 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (10 years 4 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 762 times:
I really got a kick out of the PT Cruiser when it first came out. A retro car from Chrysler. It's retro all right. It looks like a 37 FORD sedan. The Prowler looks like a 33-34 FORD roadster. Not that I'm biased or anything. Personally, I'd rather have the real retro car, with modern mechanicals. I think there was a program with the T-bird like that around 1980 or so. A fiberglass 57 body, with your choice of Ford's current powertrain offerings (turbo 4 or a 302 v-8 as I recall). Can you imagine going into the dealership to buy a new 40 Ford Coupe, 57 Chevy convertible, or a Barracuda? Just an idea.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 36437 posts, RR: 86 Reply 22, posted (10 years 4 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 743 times:
The PT Cruiser is a good looking car but the devil is in the detail. It's Neon underneth. It is powered by a 150HP 4 banger that's front wheel drive.
If they made it a little bigger and made it rear-wheel drive and drop in a V8 or even a V6, that car would have had a lot more balls.
Or they could have put it on the Prowler platform.
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