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50 Years of Ugly Cars --You Be The Judge! - READ ONLY

54 messages,  Last post on Nov 10, 2010 at 6:09 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying, Automotive News, Classic Cars, Coupe, Convertible

Messages Page 5 of 6

#35 of 54 Re: Staying within the past 50 years: [andre1969] by fezo

Nov 09, 2010 (6:36 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Nov 09, 2010 6:07 pm)
A Granada? We had one of those, too. It didn't inspire too much Ford loyalty.....

#36 of 54 Re: Staying within the past 50 years: [fezo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 09, 2010 (6:44 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 09, 2010 6:36 pm)
Volvo 240 ---it's hard to call a shoe box "ugly".
 
Maybe the writer is remembering how quickly a Chevette GOT ugly. One year on the street and it was cooked.

#37 of 54 Re: Buick, Oldmobile [xrunner2] by berri

Nov 09, 2010 (6:52 pm)

Replying to: xrunner2 (Nov 09, 2010 11:27 am)
The 58 Buick may be garish, but the 58 Olds is one ugly sucker!

#38 of 54 Re: Buick, Oldmobile [berri] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 09, 2010 (7:46 pm)

Replying to: berri (Nov 09, 2010 6:52 pm)
yeah but worth $30K-$50K. Ugly but loved I guess ???

#39 of 54 Re: Staying within the past 50 years: [berri] by andre1969

Nov 10, 2010 (7:08 am)

Replying to: berri (Nov 09, 2010 6:34 pm)
For the most part, I think 1960 was actually a pretty attractive year, although it was a time of growing pains, as the auto makers were sort of stuck between the era of late 50's excess and early 60's sensibility. Off the top of my head, the only 1960 car I think was truly ugly was the Plymouth...and it would get a lot worse for 1961! I think the rest of the Mopar lineup that year looked good, though.
 
I'm also not that fond of the 1960 Mercury...not really hideous, but kind of awkward yet plain, at the same time. But the Ford and Lincoln, I find oddly appealing.
 
And I thought GM's cars that year were okay, although I thought they all got much better looking for 1961-62.

#40 of 54 Re: Buick, Oldmobile [berri] by lemko

Nov 10, 2010 (7:13 am)

Replying to: berri (Nov 09, 2010 6:52 pm)
I, personally, LOVE the 1958 Buick, especially the Limited with the 15 slashmarks down the quarter panels. This car was actually two inches longer than a 1958 Cadillac DeVille. I'd love to have one of these for my personal car!
 

#41 of 54 So Ugly They're Cool! by lemko

Nov 10, 2010 (7:18 am)

1958 Edsel
1958 Buick
1958 Oldsmobile
1960 Lincoln
1960-62 Valiant
1961 DeSoto
1961 Dodge
1961 Imperial
1961 Rambler Ambassador

#42 of 54 Re: Buick, Oldmobile [lemko] by andre1969

Nov 10, 2010 (7:48 am)

Replying to: lemko (Nov 10, 2010 7:13 am)
Yeah, I think the '58 Buicks definitely fall into the ugly but cool category. And I think it pulls off that look a lot better than the Olds, which IMO tends a bit more towards ugly and a bit less towards cool.
 
I just looked up the specs in an old brochure, and just learned that the Limited was actually 8" longer than the Roadmaster...227.1" versus 219.1". I guess all that extra length was in the rear deck?
 
As for something like a 1958 Edsel, I think they're actually pretty attractive from the side and rear...it's just that front-end, with the jutting headlights, and that horsecollar/toilet seat/sexually suggestive looking central grille theme.

#43 of 54 Re: So Ugly They're Cool! [lemko] by fezo

Nov 10, 2010 (8:34 am)

Replying to: lemko (Nov 10, 2010 7:18 am)
That's a great list! I think i agree on all of them.
 
Back to the Chevette - they didn't get ugly until you had to ride in one. That was one narrow car! At the time I rode in one I was maybe 130 pounds (at 5'5") - pretty skinny - and I felt cramped as hell. That takes some doing. I was way more comfortable, if not less embarrassed, in a Gremlin.

#44 of 54 Re: So Ugly They're Cool! [fezo] by andre1969

Nov 10, 2010 (8:46 am)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 10, 2010 8:34 am)
Back to the Chevette - they didn't get ugly until you had to ride in one. That was one narrow car! At the time I rode in one I was maybe 130 pounds (at 5'5") - pretty skinny - and I felt cramped as hell. That takes some doing. I was way more comfortable, if not less embarrassed, in a Gremlin.
 
I could actually see that. AMC really didn't have the money to do a "proper" compact car, so they simply took the compact Hornet and chopped something like 12" out of the wheelbase, all of it in the back seat area. The result is a car that feels like a compact up front, although the back seat was probably as miserable as any other subcompact of the time.
 
Last time I sat in a Gremlin, or Hornet, I just remember the steering wheel being in sort of a bad position for me, and overly large in that mid-60's fashion. And the seat was pretty thinly padded.
 
Can't remember the last time I sat in a Chevette, but I'm sure I'd hate it if I had to repeat the experience!

Messages Page 5 of 6

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