Which Popular Classic Just Doesn’t Do It For You?

I don’t like the Jaguar E-Type. There. I said it.

It’s not to say I haven’t tried to like the E-Type. Some of the low-drag ones are cool, but race-bred modifications tend to make certain cars more attractive—Jag’s cat is one of them. I respect the engineering, I respect its racing heritage, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that once the clamshell bonnet is open it’s an impressive sight.

I place the blame squarely on its “styling”, which comes from an era when men thought they knew where certain curves, lines, and bulges should be placed. But they didn’t, really, and as a result even a car like the hulking Dodge Charger Daytona is technically a bit more slippery through the wind. It’s from an era of braggadocio, and for many of its tens of thousands of owners, it was that the car could top 150 mph—if you needed it to. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Ted enjoys the car, and of course, I respect that. I also respect your love for the E-Type. But give me a classic Alpine, Panhard, NSU, Tatra… I can’t be the only one—does the sight of a Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Stratos, Porsche 911, or Ferrari 250 GTO fill you with a surprising amount of nothing-ness?

^{Photography by Ted Gushue, Federico Bajetti, Afshin Behnia, & David Zu Elfe}