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Journal: What Was the Most Exciting Period for Buying a New Car?

What Was the Most Exciting Period for Buying a New Car?

By
May 28, 2013
15 comments

We debated whether we should ask this question, as we think the most obvious and popular answer would be “The ‘60s”. I certainly am of that opinion, because even though I entered the car market in the mid-1980s and lusted after many new cars of the time, I can’t help but think that the mid- to late-1960s saw the climax of car design. In the ‘50s, coachbuilders and designers introduced radical and beautiful models with performance to match. The decade of the 1960s was not simply an evolution of what started in the ‘50s, but rather a time when manufacturers continued to push boundaries in design and engineering and introduce revolutionary models. 

BMW gave us the Neue Klasse, which kicked off the successful lineage of sport sedans that are still copied today. The same long-lasting success can be said with Porsche who is now celebrating 50 years of the 911. Alfa Romeo gave us the sexy, sporty 105 series that includes the GTA , GTV, and the TZ. Meanwhile in the US, Ford introduced the Mustang, Chevrolet the Camaro, and Dodge the Challenger, and so the muscle car wars began. And Ferrari? They were perhaps a bit ahead of the game, introducing the 250 series in the late ‘50s (in my opinion the most beautiful and iconic Ferraris ever).  But even then Ferrari’s more exciting variants, in my opinion, came in the ‘60s with the Lusso, the 250 GT SWB, and, of course, the 250 GTO.

Now we want to hear from you. What was the most exciting period for buying a new car?

Tags Exciting Time to Buy/ New Car/ Question
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Emily Lopez
Emily Lopez
8 years ago

Thanks for sharing the details of right buying period for vehicles but its totally depends on you are leasing or by loan. The methods different the effects different so always careful about the [url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Az7gX2jNM”]planning of vehicle buying[/url] .

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Allesandra Snow
Allesandra Snow
10 years ago

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Sheldon Mcknight
Sheldon Mcknight
10 years ago

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Allesandra Snow
Allesandra Snow
10 years ago

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Allesandra Snow
Allesandra Snow
10 years ago

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Lamond Jack
Lamond Jack
10 years ago

THE 1980’s was the MOST EXCITING PERIOD for buying cars!!!!! No other period in HISTORY gave such a diversified offering of brilliant and fun machines that looked good and ran well. Think about it guys!!!!.[b] Porsche[/b] 911, 924, 928, 930, 944, – [b]Ferrari[/b] 308, 328, Mondial, Testarossa, 288 GTO, F40, 365 Boxer, 400, 412 – [b]Lamborghini[/b] Countach, Jalpa, LM002 SUV – [b]BMW[/b] M3, M5, M6, 7 series, ALPINA, AC ACHNITZER, M1, Z1 – [b]Mercedes[/b] SEC, SEL, SL, E, CE, 190, G class – [b]Volkswagon[/b] Golf GTi, Rabbit, Jetta, Scirocco, Corrado, Passat, Polo, Fox and so on and so on and so on (I’m running out of breath here so I’ll stop!)

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Terrence Dorsey
Terrence Dorsey
10 years ago

The ’60s were a good time for cars, but I’ll take the contrarian view and say the ’80s were even better. Carmakers had mostly figured out the emissions problem, fuel injection and engine control systems. They were building new designs with lighter, well-engineered engines, with much better economy considering the power on tap. Turbo applications were getting sorted out and coming into mainstream use. Corrosion-resistant chassis!

The classic 911 is still available and getting better all the time, not to mention the fantastic new 944 and 928. BMW e28, e30 and the first M cars. DTM and Group B homologation specials from Mercedes, Audi, Lancia and others. You can still get some nice Alfas in the US, including the “graduate” roadster. Mustang 5.0 GT (and that cool SVO turbo). C4 Corvette. Toyota Supra. Nissan Z turbos. RX7. VW Scirocco and GTI. Not to mention piles of cheap, RWD Japanese econoboxen that ended up having serious sporting potential under the surface.

I happen to think many of the cars from that period are great looking (maybe it’s a generational thing), but they’re also pretty lightweight compared to today. I think current cars have incredibly advanced, powerful, efficient engines… in drab, overweight chassis. Not interested.

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Hudson Valley Chronic
Hudson Valley Chronic
10 years ago

The mid ’50s to the mid ’60s. Cars were beautiful, fast and dangerous. Like the one in this song by Biff Thuringer:
http://biffthuringer.bandcamp.com/track/automobile

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Leucea Alexandru
Leucea Alexandru
10 years ago

Regardless of the year, the best period for buying a new car is most certainly when you are a teenager and you can fully enjoy it. Because you don’t care about space, emissions, practicality, comfort, tickets, or getting old. Or the midlife crisis, when you don’t really care what other people think about you being 40 and buying a Lamborghini. There’s something magic about the 80’s though..

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Eddie Relvas
Eddie Relvas
10 years ago

As a peak for styling and engineering likewise, you can’t beat the 60’s, obviously. Everything started going south from there onwards.

But I still can’t quite set aside the pre- and post-depression years, the 20’s and early 30’s turned out some amazing machinery, and lateral thinking was still quite common then, so it’s my second favourite.

I quite like the jet-age styling, but the solutions underneath all that jet-propelled fantasy were mostly still pretty pedestrian, so it’s a firm third.

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Jarod A
Jarod A
10 years ago

’60s, definitely ’60s.

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Matthew Lange
Matthew Lange
10 years ago

I’m pretty much with Afshin in that the late sixties and through to 1973 are the era for me. I like to call it the GT era when the like of the Ghibli, Grifo, DBS, Daytona (obviously), Jensen Interceptor and Lamborghini Islero, among others, ruled the roads of Europe). Probably something of a romantic notion but still.

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BiTurbo228
BiTurbo228
10 years ago

I’d say the 60s, but not necessarily because the cars were better than at any other time in history. What interests me about that particular time is the sheer variety that was available.

On the highest level, you had the differences between the major automotive nations, each shaped by the environment of their domestic market.
-The Americans were producing big beefy cruisers and bruisers suited to their arrow-straight highways.
-The Germans were focusing on solidity and good engineering with a good amount of speed thrown in
-The Italians were making gorgeous if fickle jewels (they use the word ‘beautiful’ like we would use ‘good’)
-The Brits were building little sports cars to suit our narrow streets
-The French were pretty much obsessed with ride comfort above almost all else
-The Swedish built cars that didn’t disintegrate in constant wet and salt, and actually started in minus temperatures
-The Japanese were building little clockwork wonders, if still a little derivative of the Europeans

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john tolle
john tolle
10 years ago

Definitely the 60s. Corvette Stingrays, E Types, real British machines, Bimmers, Alfas, and real Ferraris, Maseratis, Lambos ! I also agree with the comment about the 50s optimism and jet age design.

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Adam Holter
Adam Holter
10 years ago

Two periods spring to mind: either the early-mid ’50s with the incredible optimism and jet-age design in the US auto industry; or the mid-late ’60s with it’s stunning power, extremist street cars, and epic racing rivalries.

Basically, though, I’d be happy in any car-buying era before 1975.

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