Z-Cars named to 25 Best Cars Ever List

[sblake01]

Since this is GRM's list it would be skewed toward the type of vehicle they deal with. Having the Camaro and Mustang on their list kind of surprises me, even the Corvette to some extent since they are 'American' cars as they tend to be tough on the American manufacturers. But, as Russ touched on, they really aren't consistent at what they choose to call the 'best' as it seems to change from list to list. Escort? People bought those becuse they were cheap. Not all that prolific, really. It was the Pinto's successor after the Fiesta failed to fill that niche for Ford.

[FastWoman]

To me, what gives a car "greatness" is its impact on the automotive industry and also its impact on a culture. Certain cars tend to define certain aspects of a generation. I think it's quite arbitrary to set any cutoff in age, whether 25 years ago or post-1930.

Consider the Ford Model T: THAT was a great car -- the first assembly-line car that put an entire nation on the road. Surely nobody can deny that.

The Stutz Bearcat: Arguably the first mass-produced sports car. As I recall, certain incarnations of the car had an 80 hp 4 cyl, 16 valve engine! For a car from the teens, it was pretty amazingly fast.

The late '20's Lincolns: These were not only impressive mechanically, but they were the favored car for the elegant body modifications that defined the style of the day.

The Auburn Speedsters and the related Duesenbergs: Very advanced machines that would be considered state of the art in many respects until only recently. These are some of the most beautiful cars (to me) that have ever been produced. Even the elegance of the Auburn hood ornament is an oft-referenced symbol of the enormously important art deco movement.

The numerous 50's fin cars: They're not my cup of tea, but one can't deny their importance to American culture.

The numerous 60's muscle cars: These were beautiful cars aesthetically AND mechanically. Yes, rather ordinary modern cars can run circles around most of them, but they did define a generation. I feel that the Mustangs and Camaros deserve a special place in this category, because they were the muscle cars of the masses. They achieved the greatest popularity. Not many people could afford a vette, after all.

The 70's were unique. That's where I spent my teens. I feel that's where imports got their foothold, and the Z was foremost in the invasion. The 70's ushered in a rethinking of automotive design, with much tighter suspensions, more efficient engines, emissions spaghetti, primitive electronic fuel injection. For better or worse, we were in transition. While the Z's and the Mopars muscle cars were among the desireable cars of the day, let's not forget cars like the flaming Ford Pinto. Yes, it was a crappy car, but it defined a movement in the auto industry. It exemplified problems that had to be overcome. I actually saw a Pinto at a gas station a couple of years ago. It looked like @$%, but it made me extremely happy to see it. The owner's wife told me, "Yeah, we get that reaction a lot." I truly wish there were more restored Pintos out there, because I've never seen one.

Notable cars since then? I'll pitch another unlikely candidate -- my Saturn SL-2 and the other earliest gen Saturns. They represented an experiment in the US automotive industry to reclaim lost market share from the Japanese. Ultimately the experiment failed, but it was a great little car (with a revolutionary design), a good company, a good business model, and a very admirable try.

Next? The Prius, the Tesla Roadster, the Volt... and the beat goes on.

My take on automotive history might not be spot-on, but my only point is that all varieties of cars (not just the sleek, fast ones) are worthy of consideration, and any of them might have an important place in automotive history for any variety of reasons

[sblake01]

You're taking about some 'movers and shakers' there! Definately cars that had a notable impact on the industry. Not every car on GRM's list falls into that catagory. Everyone has their own take on automotive history. I was a teen in the 60s, so mine would be a little different from yours. It's not possible to do a list of the 5 'best' or even the 25 'best' cars ever without lots of disagreement and discussion. Oh, and I'm not sure I would say that Saturn failed as much as they got caught up in GM's numbers game and ultimately became part of the 'fat' the had to be trimmed. I still don't understand keeping Buick and dumping Saturn. Whats being made as Buicks could have easily been Chevrolets.

[TomoHawk]

There are a lot of notable cars out there. Start with the first car ever made. There are others like Studebaker, Frazier, and Delorean. The "new" stuff comes from the technology, not the concept. Like the first electric cars, which were built almost 100 years ago, and "plastic' body panels have been around for decades.

There are many more to add to the "Top 1000" significant cars ever made, though they won't make it to GRM's list probably.

thxZ

Edited December 2, 2009 by TomoHawk

[rdefabri]

My own 2 cents - (hey, opinions are like...well, you know). Any list without the Model T is lame. Any list without the Jaguar E-Type is lame. Any list without the Corvette is lame. Any list without the Ferrari GTO is lame. Any list without the 240Z is lame.

Surely there are more, but 10 best ever, IMHO (there I go again!) has to TRANSCEND just performance / driving experience. Cars that made people say "holy...!" either when they saw it, or retrospectively.

There's really not many cars like that - surely not the Dodge Neon or Honda CRX!!

Then again, it's fun to argue / discuss, which is really the purpose of said list now, isn't it?

PS - I am biased, having owned a 240Z (until recently) and still own a Jag E-Type. That being said, their respective significance in the world of automobiles is hard to deny...FWIW