While I’m sure the musclecar fans amongst us would go wild for all manner of classics from my storied birth year of 1968, I’ll confess that muscle machines have never really been my thing. I suppose if I had to choose something from the category, I would be quite happy with a Shelby “King of the Road” GT350 or GT500. I’ve always appreciated the Mustang as being the smaller, more sports-car-like machine of the muscle era, whether or not that was always true.
What I’d really like from 1968 is a Volkswagen Beetle. As much as I loved my 1974 Super, I always wished it were the slimmer, flat-windshield “regular” Beetle. And for non-Super Beetles, 1968 is considered a great one. Totch knows infinitely more about best years for Beetles, but I don’t think you can go wrong with a ’68.
Now let’s check in with Antti Kautonen and Mark Tucker:
Antti
As a former Peugeot 205 driver and enjoyer, I’ll nominate the 205 GTI. While the full-force 1.9 GTI was only introduced later, the 105-hp 1.6 GTI was new for 1984. It also brought the iconic three-door side window shape to the 205 model palette, as the 205 was initially launched with five doors.
The 205 GTI was a great hot hatch and one of the best of the genre. It was light, willing, versatile and perfectly fine to be used as the only car, and importantly, it also looked immensely cool. The 1.6 GTI only came with the 14-inch pepperpot wheels, so you can differentiate those from the 1.9 cars with the 15-inch wheels with a different design. My ideal 205 would be the carbed 1.3 Rallye, but those were also sold from the first light facelift on. My 205 was a warmly sporty 205 XS, so it was spiritually closer to the Rallye as it had a TU engine instead of the bigger, backwards-slanted XU of the 205 GTI.
Mark
1973 … lots of good choices, actually. Big American cars: boat-tail Riviera, fuselage Chryslers, first-year GM Colonnade coupes. Smaller sportier numbers: Datsun Z, Opel GT, Triumph TR6, Fiat 128 Rally. If I’m dreaming big: Pantera.
Top graphic image: Bonhams
Alfa Romeo Alfetta
1983 VW Golf GTI Mk2!
I was born in 1973. I own and drive a 1973 International Harvester 1310 All-Wheel Drive pickup with a V345 V8 engine and four-speed manual transmission. She’s a beast of a pickup with no heater, no air-con, no radio and no seatbelts. She starts on the first turn of the key, her engine purrs like a very big cat and she stops on a dime! Her steering is tight and she tracks so straight down the road it feels like she’s on rails! I absolutely love that old girl!
1979. That means the 911 SC, RX-7, and Fiat X1/9… the Lotus Esprit, 280ZX… OG 323i?
Man… modern cars kinda suck, huh?
1965
I’ve already owned two of them, albeit from later years – MB 300SEL sedan, and Citroen DS
Corvair Corsa convertible, plus a Monza 4dr hardtop, both with stealth Yenko engine and suspension mods
Chrysler New Yorker, because my grandfather had one
Alfa Giulia
1978….
911 SC
RX-7
280Z
Celica Liftback GT
633CSi
320i
Scirocco GTI
FJ40
IH Scout II
VW Type 1.
Porsche 911, Toyota Land Cruiser. That should also cover a good chunk of the readership.
If it has to be American, I maintain that no long running American car has done a better job of looking better than the Corvette, but it certainly had some worse years.
This is just not a fair question for Gen X’ers.
All good.
1977 240D or 300TD.
Actually owned a 240D manual. Miss that slow ride. Slow, but very very dependable.
1962 was a very good year. 2nd year of the Lincoln Continental, the Jaguar XKE, Ford Thunderbird. I’d drive a sensible Falcon Wagon with a 3 speed auto trans.
The GT4.
Just don’t have 80K for one right now…
Let’s see 1988…There is a surprisingly strong assortment of stuff from the accessible to the legendary. My list would be:
If given a chance to take any of those home, I’d gladly do it.
One of those new Nash-Healys. Petula Clark and Clark Kent drove them.
1982 was a good year for car lovers by the looks of it. I’m spoiled for choice.
My young heart cries for the Firebird aka KITT. The rugged outdoorsman I often see myself as in my mind’s eye while pulling on a pair of over-engineered boots wants the Ranger.
The impeccable 190E “Baby” Benz also merits a longing for a car built well enough to munch a million miles, and handsome enough to remain timelessly gorgeous. Bruno Sacco kicked it out of the park with this model, Smoke Silver on black wheels, and some nice tan leather seats to cosset me.
But yeah, reality wins. 1 Camry to go, please.
According to Wikipedia the Cizeta-Moroder V16T was launched in 1988,but then again it tells me it was made from 1991 to 1995,but I will go with that.
Other than that I would maybe choose the Alpina B12,lots of great options actually.
I would love to drive a 1966 VW Type 2 Westfalia Camper Van. I saw one recently that had been restored to perfection, and I just love it.
I had mine for several years, a 1963 Ford Falcon Station Wagon!
I would drive a 1967 Riviera GS or if were really dreaming, a Muira.
1961 was a pretty good year for cars. It would be tough to choose between these two.
1961 Thunderbird convertible
https://cdn.dealeraccelerate.com/cam/34/1728/70114/1920×1440/1961-ford-thunderbird-convertible
or 1961 e type
https://media.classicandsportscar.com/sites/default/files/styles/slideshow_slide/public/2021-02/01-intro-jaguar-e-type.jpg?itok=H91LfoxV
I’ve daily driven a couple of 1995 cars. One was a Ford F-150 with a stick, which was pretty good. The other was a BMW 325is which was fantastic. I’d daily those again in a heartbeat.
Once you get into the ‘90s this challenge gets much easier, I don’t even think I can list all the cars I would daily from 1995.
1969:
Luxury: Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Limousine, Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special, Cadillac Deville Convertible, Lincoln Continental Mark III, Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Convertible, Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado
Sports: Any Corvette or Mustang with a big engine, but most likely a convertible.
Wagons: Any hearse. Buick Sportwagon, Chevy Kingswood, Olds Vista Cruiser, Ford Country Squire
And so many others.
It’s a tossup between a 58 MGA Twincam, 58 Imperial Crown and a 58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, of course.