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
My first car was one, actually.
My grandpa bought a Jeep Cherokee the year I was born, and willed it to me when he passed when I was 15.
I got it on the road and drove it through college and many adventures.
It met it’s untimely demise when I got in an accident coming home from the last day of college. My mom said it was him protecting me, but it just felt like I killed the last part of him that still existed in my life.
So yeah, I’d rock that specific 1988 Jeep Cherokee again.
I’ll list 10:
-Mercedes 300D
-Alfa Romeo Spider
-TVR Tasmin
-Porsche 911
-Porsche 959
-Toyota MR2
-Ferrari 288GTO
-Fiat X1/9
-Ford Probe V
-Pulse Autocycle
It was not a good year for cars of my taste. I hate wedges and like slippery, lightweight, low drag, curvaceous, over-powered, RWD things. All of my choices above are compromises, and one of them is a concept car. The 300D is the only one out of the above that would make an economical daily that can be run off of alternative fuels, thus it is listed first even if its driving dynamics are not to my taste. I used to own a 300 SDL.
57 Chevy Nomad
Not a ton of good options for 1981 so I’m going Accord hatchback 5-speed in that metallic green
1968 BMW 2002 of course!
1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4
For something actually affordable (in 1973), 1973 Datsun 510.
Well, I was pushed out in 73, so I’m aligned with the introduction of the C-10 Square body.
Don’t you mean evicted?
Technically, I was pulled out when my square shoulders got stuck (my mom never forgave me for that). So the square body is also descriptive!
Ow! On both sides.
You were like a rock!
1973 for me, too Mark! I always wanted a BMW 2002 from my birth year. But, like everything else, prices keep going up!
1974, a lot of the same choices as Mark but with bigger bumpers. It would be cliche to say Porsche 911 if you’re paying. Always had a soft spot for GM Colonnade 4-doors; maybe a Kojak Buick. Beetle, absolutely. Just missed the last of the Datsun 510s…
As a 1990 model year there are plenty of rad choices. As a Miata guy I have to mention the first year NA, but as I already am quite happy with my NC (I’m tall) I’d actually go with a ride I had and now miss, my 1990 Jeep Comanche Eliminator, just with a manual instead of the auto mine had.
1970 Dodge Power Wagon
1970 Jeep CJ
1970 Dodge Charger
1978-911 Turbo and BMW M1 for the unattainables, Trans Am, BMW 320i for the attainables.
1980 Ford Mk2 Escort Mexico.
1971 so I have a cornucopia of choices but I guess I would put a 240Z and Trans-Am ticket in the hat.No matter which one I pulled I would be happy.A Ferrari Daytona is many times more valuable but I would be afraid to wash it let alone drive it.
1972 BMW 3.0 CSL. I am not especially a fan of the brand, but I have always found the E9 very pretty.
Easy-peasy: a BMW 745i. Turbooooo!
It almost has to be a truck for me. 1984 is too early for the flagship 80s Euro machines, and too late for the true full size domestics.
I’ll go with a Ramcharger just to be different.
1984 is too early for the flagship 80s Euro machines
Still some great Euro options:
Then of course, cars like the De Tomaso Pantera were basically made forever, so you could pick up one of those…
But yeah, Ramcharger is sweet. The girl I dated in high school was a “horse girl”; the farm she rode at had a Ramcharger as their beater farm truck. I was allowed to drive the shit out of it in an empty field if I helped out. Would recommend. Would not recommend storing a wet pool cover in it all summer long though.
Testarossa was for sure introduced for MY85 or I’d have chosen it, I thought the 288 was as well? Even if not, it’s never really spoken to me with the 328-esque styling.
Countach was made for MY84, but I am the weird guy who actually prefers the later overwrought ones.
Wiki says both were introduced in ’84. No idea what that means as far as model years.
Went on sale in ’84 as ’85 models. I suppose I could have argued the point more, but I’m having too much fun in my 1984 RamCharger.
Funnily enough, my bro was also born in 84 and bought and restomodded a ramcharger…just to be different!
1975 De Tomaso Pantera
Same for me. The Pantera is often my answer for these fantasy questions as it’s just so cool and compared to almost every other exotic, livable.
And there’s really not a lot of great options in 75
More than two decades worth of birthdays are covered with this option.
1968 had a lot of great cars. I’d go for an AMC AMX or a Buick GS 400 (only 68 and 69 had the body style I liked on those)
This is a hard one for those of us born in the middle of the malaise era…I’d probably have to pick one of the custom vans with shag carpet, tear drop window, side pipes, and 80 hours worth of airbrushing down the sides.
Easiest question in a long time. I was born in 1970.
1970 El Camino SS454.
I don’t know how Chevy can watch the Santa Cruz and Maverick rolling around and just sit there not doing anything with the El Camino name. They could hack the back off of the Trailblazer and give it a bed and maybe a more serious drivetrain. Seriously they should have done this before killing off the Camaro.
Latin American Montana
That would do it, drop the suspension by a couple of inches and they’d have a hit.
I actually thought the earlier generation Montanas had more of the El Camino vibe. Luckily, they can be legally imported in a few years.
With a 4 speed I hope .
Of course. Although a swapped-in Tremec or ZF 6-speed would be better for the long drive to Elcofest in a couple of weeks.
Very few. Porsche 911 or BMW 6 series are probably it.
I do love a shark nose 6 series.
1989, Nissan 300ZX Z32 gen, I had a neighbor with one, it felt to me it was like a Ferrari but from Nissan.
Make Nissan great again.
Born in 1965 (at the end, so I ‘m looking at 1966MY) i can see myself in a Lamborghini Miura, a L72 Stingray, or a (more realistic) AMC Marlin.
1990, Miata is always the answer
But I wouldn’t say no to a M3 or M5 from 1990
the E34 M5 in the US started in 91
I could easily import one though