The Most Elegant Car Ever?

Sprocket can haz elegances?

4cylndrfury wrote: Sprocket can haz elegances?

Sure, but not that one

eekwalz

On a side note, black seems (to me ) to be the predominant color for "elegant" cars of the '30's...then maybe silver.By the same token, (again to me), they all have long nose/shorter decks by comparison.

I think elegance has a soul.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Simple, beautiful, purposeful.... elegant.

My pick as well.

Motorbike? Anything from the board track era works for me.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I disagree with you on the Miata through. An NA Miata without any additions is simple elegance, the spoilers form the R package ruined that for my eye while the NB is simply fugly and the NC is boring.

Funny, I've always thought the NB far more attractive than the NA or the NC. Much sexier.

Plus, all these pontoon cars look like they belong in cartoons or old gangster movies.

Oh, and while I'm pissing people off, the Citroen DS is all kinds of awkward. I don't care what designers say.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: To my eye elegance has both beauty and simplicity. Excess for its own sake does not do anything to add to a beautiful thing. As the laws of physics have an elegance in mathematics that is difficult to relate - I know it when I see it but have a great amount of difficulty describing it by its attributes. It just is. The Mura is, the Opel GT is not. The Elan is, the Miata is not. Why? No idea. YMMV.

What does it mean if you own both of the "is not" cars like I do? I do like the Elan but the Mura is just OK. Maybe it's just the Lambo name that makes it that way for me.

PS122 wrote: "It does not necessarily fit the title but I do love me some GTV. " Yeah, you are right. My first thought was this: But I prefer the GTV... maybe elegance just isn't in my genetic make-up.

EEkk, I never liked the S type, they may have added IRS, but they managed to ruin the classic elegant styling of the Mk II, look at the front, the S type is all wrong, now look at the Mk II, particularly moving the turn signals from the top of the wing (fender) to those ugly combined monstrosities lower down and the lip over the headlight. Small changes that kill the car for me.

The boot lid (trunk) shape got massacred as well, it may have more room and be more practical, but the higher line just ruins the proportions of the car.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: This is a great thread, I was thinking of starting something similar a few days ago. I would also argue that elegance has more than just timeless beauty to it, it's also has an element of a car fitting with the style of the times perfectly. Many of the cars on my personal list have already been shown, including 1. C type Jag 2. E type Jag 3. Lamborghini Mura Now I'll add a couple of my own. For the 80's For the nougties, I'm biased about this one, but when I saw this car at the 07 NAIAS I was flawed by it's elegant beauty. Note both the C30 and 944 are derivatives of other cars that just don't seem as harmonious, the changes that lead to these models added to my mind timeless elegance that was also perfect for the period. Also with both I don't like the facelifted versions, the 968 to the 944 or the 2010+ version of the C30 compared to the 08/09 original

Agreed. I'd have never thought of your choices but I think they're really good. Whoever threw in the Super 7 has my vote too. I can't quite let go of the image the 3rd gen Prelude burned into my head. Unfortunately the image I wanted to hotlink wouldn't work, so I had to use a different one.

Also, elegance isn't the only way to build a nice-looking car. I love the look of pretty much all the Lancer Evos, for example, but I definitely don't think they're elegant.

3Door4G wrote: Also, elegance isn't the only way to build a nice-looking car. I love the look of pretty much all the Lancer Evos, for example, but I definitely don't think they're elegant.

there is certainly a difference between elegance and badassery...an elegant car can also be BA, but not always the other way around

I will raise your elegance and badassery and combine them

The BMW M 635

wlkelley3 wrote: What does it mean if you own both of the "is not" cars like I do? I do like the Elan but the Mura is just OK. Maybe it's just the Lambo name that makes it that way for me.

It means nothing, I guess. I've loved some cars that would never qualify as elegant, nice or even useful.

I even love the idea of the Miata. I would not hesitate to rock one... but I'm not ever going to look over my shoulder at it when I'm walking away. It is not beautiful. I can't say why - its just not to me.

A supercar by definition cannot be elegant. By its very nature it must be crass, loud and rather vulgar.

An elegant car is one that would not embarrass a lady being escorted to dinner with the queen. I must be subtle, refined, and beautiful.

Also the OP asked what is the most elegant car you have actually owned.

So by these standards the most elegant car I have ever owned is:

Yes, I am a peasant...

Weissman GT, this would be the first car I'd order if I ever won the lottery. Although I guess I'd need to play to be able to win, anyway....

These count, then? The top is my car, the bottom is what my other one should look like someday.

3Door4G wrote: Inspired by today's question on my blog, I figured I'd bring it here. What, in your opinion, is the most elegant car you've ever seen?

No ownership required.

Dammit, I failed at reading

I saw this car today at work (same wheels, same color)and thought of this thread. To me, this car looks so right. It was in a row of three cars backed into their spaces at a fancy country club. The others were one of those new Maserati's and a Bentley Conti Supersports, which looked nice, but THIS car, the Vantage, just makes me literally stop an stare. It's such a beautiful car. To me, anyway. :) I think the Conti SS would smoke it, but the Vantage is just dripping with radtastic hotness!

96DXCivic wrote: This.

Especially with the red inset on the side, truly amazing.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Opel GT is not.

Since it was never really designed to be elegant, per se, I'll let that one slide. Given how well that body has stood the test of time stylistically, though, and the response they get in person, I suspect you're in the minority with that opinion.