American Muscle Cars age better than exotics?

[polychronopolous]

They pretty much all had that bug eyed look, you know like American cars from the 50s all had the chrome and big front ends, then the tail fins.

But, the Ferrari 330 GTC and Steve McQueen's 275 GTB have a certain look to them. The fenders, the backside, and the wire wheels.
But, the front ends all have that stereotypical euro sports car front end. I guess it was the "in design" at the time, then they went to pop up head lights.

That guy Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars would probably jizz his pants and hand over the keys to his shop if you brought that car in; he's a HUGE Steve McQueen fan.

[Parker]

That guy Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars would probably jizz his pants and hand over the keys to his shop if you brought that car in; he's a HUGE Steve McQueen fan.

His 1963 250 GT Lusso is one of the baddest old skool Ferrari's of all time
originally I think it was Brown, I think he son may have it now, or that it was sold at auction

[Palpatine Q]

American? You mean Italian with an American motor

Designed by an American, American powertrain, sold by Ford in America.

I know. I know....I'm really reaching here 

[cephissus]

awesome

[Shockwave]

awesome

Meh.

[BIG DUB]

awesome

this..

[FitnessFrenzy]

there is a subculture / niche market for old american muscle cars all over the world. Even in the middle east.

[JBGRAY]

American Muscle Cars are timeless.  Today's overpriced exotics have no soul, no personality.....all they say is "Look at me, look how riiiiiiiichhhh I am...and btw, I couldn't even change my own oil if my life depended on it.  I gotta take it to a deeeeealeerrrrr to get it fixed."  Folks that drive exotics remind of the lawyers and doctors that trailer their Harley up to Sturges.

A real muscle car fan has their own toolbox in the trunk because you never know, shit can break down at any time.   Give me a Lambo or my '77 Vette, I'll take my Vette every damn time.  Loud, no A/C, T-tops, and listening to some hair band metal while rowing the gears while blasting down US 27 just can't be beat.
 
To each their own, though.  A car enthusiast is a car enthusiast.  For fucks sake, there's even a Toyota Corolla car club.

[quadzilla456]

any us muscle car looks like absolute shit compared to a testarossa


69 camaro ss and 71 firebird are cool, though.some c3s looked awesome, but piss poor engines(80-82)

Thanks for another perfect example of a exotic that did not age well. I forgot about this turd that John Carmack had.

[NarcissisticDeity]

it looks amazing.

also, keep in mind those american muscle cars didnt come stock with those wheels as posted in recent pics.

with stock wheels and tires, they looked like boats on sticks

At the time it was considered an abortion and nothing like the original ' red head ' I liked it but love the original much more

And this in my opinion is much better looking

[avxo]

Thanks for another perfect example of a exotic that did not age well. I forgot about this turd that John Carmack had.

To each their own. I think the Testarossa, at 32 years old, still looks good and performs great. I'd even go so far as to say that it has that certain je ne sais quoi that some cars have that make them timeless.

But sure, if you're trying to apply todays aesthetic to it, it may not be the most beautiful car on the road, but that's not a dig on the Testarossa; the simple fact is that aesthetics change.

At the time it was considered an abortion and nothing like the original ' red head ' I liked it but love the original much more

Who considered the Testarossa an abortion? Sure, the car became synonymous with yuppies but that doesn't take anything away from the car itself, which was almost universally acclaimed and praised.

[NarcissisticDeity]

To each their own. I think the Testarossa, at 32 years old, still looks good and performs great. I'd even go so far as to say that it has that certain je ne sais quoi that some cars have that make them timeless.

But sure, if you're trying to apply todays aesthetic to it, it may not be the most beautiful car on the road, but that's not a dig on the Testarossa; the simple fact is that aesthetics change.



Who considered the Testarossa an abortion? Sure, the car became synonymous with yuppies but that doesn't take anything away from the car itself, which was almost universally acclaimed and praised.

Ferrari purists and a lot of the auto magazines. It was more to do with it being compared to the original Testarossa then it's contemporaries. It was a better driving car than the Countach which was it's main competition

[quadzilla456]

well, posting the testarossa in unfortunate angle, and the c2 vette in a professional perfect angle snapshot isnt balanced viewing

I gets worse...



I will give you a better one to be fair. There are very few examples of nice wheels on the testarossa. The stock wheels are hideous!

[avxo]

I gets worse...



I will give you a better one to be fair. There are very few examples of nice wheels on the testarossa. The stock wheels are hideous!

Except those aren't the stock wheels... they stock ones weren't painted Tweety-bird yellow. And what's your point? That any car can be made to look like shit if the owner smears shit all over it? Isn't that a given?

Blech...

Ferrari purists and a lot of the auto magazines. It was more to do with it being compared to the original Testarossa then it's contemporaries. It was a better driving car than the Countach which was it's main competition

I obviously didn't read every magazine, but at least from the ones I've read the car was widely acclaimed, both for its performance and the crispness of its handling. Also, when you say "original Testarossa" what do you mean? The 250TR? Anyone comparing the Testarossa with the 250TR is a buffoon: the 250TR was a bona fide race car. The Testarossa was not.

[quadzilla456]

Except those aren't the stock wheels... they stock ones weren't painted Tweety-bird yellow. And what's your point? That any car can be made to look like shit if the owner smears shit all over it? Isn't that a given?


Blech...


I obviously didn't read every magazine, but at least from the ones I've read the car was widely acclaimed, both for its performance and the crispness of its handling. Also, when you say "original Testarossa" what do you mean? The 250TR? Anyone comparing the Testarossa with the 250TR is a buffoon: the 250TR was a bona fide race car. The Testarossa was not.

I didn't say those (yellow ones) were stock wheels. Just that I could find even worse examples of the testarosa. The point is the stock wheels were / are hideous!

[oldtimer1]

An American Muscle car makes the exotics look like kit cars. Put an old muscle car in a lot with the same year exotic and no one will give a damn about the exotic.

[avxo]

An American Muscle car makes the exotics look like kit cars. Put an old muscle car in a lot with the same year exotic and no one will give a damn about the exotic.

That would depends on who is doing the looking, and which muscle car and which exotic are on the lot.

[oldtimer1]

That would depends on who is doing the looking, and which muscle car and which exotic are on the lot.

Pick a year like 1969. Put a Mustang, Charger, or Camaro in a lot with any Italian sports car.

[Psychopath]

My friend is a mechanic, and he worked on a Toyota MR-2 converted to look like a Ferrari Testerossa via custom body kit.

[oldtimer1]

Don't laugh but have you seen Toyota's new 2 plus 2 Scion? It looks like a Lotus. It's powered by a 200HP boxer motor. It just came out this year I believe. I did a double take in the show room. Really a cool looking little sports car. Must fly with it's power to weight ratio.

[MAXX]

Just saw that pic of Jay's older Ferrari which made me think about how those cars age. To me it seems only the new ones are always cool. Now when you see Magnum PI's Ferrari it appears just so dated. Yet 40-45 year old Muscle Cars still have that badass appeal. I am sure some exotics age better.

But let's face it the Lamborghini Countach just looks silly after all these years. Like a kit car or something from Back to the Future.



Which would you rather drive? I know this car has been completely reworked but I am talking purely appearance wise it looks more badass to me than the Lambo.

I think it looks wierd and kit carish because of the thin wheels. it had much wider wheels than that!



edit: okay my bad the lp400 had the thin wheels. models after had wide fenders and wider wheels.

[Mr.1derful]

Thanks for another perfect example of a exotic that did not age well. I forgot about this turd that John Carmack had.

X2

[Mr Anabolic]

Beyond bad...

[BILL ANVIL]

American Muscle Cars are timeless.  Today's overpriced exotics have no soul, no personality.....all they say is "Look at me, look how riiiiiiiichhhh I am...and btw, I couldn't even change my own oil if my life depended on it.  I gotta take it to a deeeeealeerrrrr to get it fixed."  Folks that drive exotics remind of the lawyers and doctors that trailer their Harley up to Sturges.

A real muscle car fan has their own toolbox in the trunk because you never know, shit can break down at any time.   Give me a Lambo or my '77 Vette, I'll take my Vette every damn time.  Loud, no A/C, T-tops, and listening to some hair band metal while rowing the gears while blasting down US 27 just can't be beat.
 
To each their own, though.  A car enthusiast is a car enthusiast.  For fucks sake, there's even a Toyota Corolla car club.

not necessarily true, some of the older exotics are almost just as brute and rough as some of the older muscle cars in ways, and are just as unreliable lol.
 I had the opportunity to ride in a twin turbo Diablo once as well as a Countach, and both were loud, rough, scary and even smelled like musty interior and burned fuel, like that sort of experience should be. i would personally pick a Lamborghini merely for the mystique they have, and not purely based on image.

[avxo]

Pick a year like 1969. Put a Mustang, Charger, or Camaro in a lot with any Italian sports car.

And where is this lot? I don't expect many people in rural Georgia to know that there's anything other than rural Georgia, much less about exotic cars.

But I'd take the challenge anyways - put a stock '69 Mustang against a stock Ferrari 250GTO and the Mustang is unlikely to get a first, let alone a second look. But looks are ultimately subjective.

If you want to look beyond just looks there's simply no comparison.

Take the Lamborhini Miura, for example. In '69 it came with disk brakes all around; the Mustang didn't. In 1969 it came with a V12 engine 4L engine that put out 350 horsepower; the Mustang topped out with a 7L V8 that put 335 horsepower; the Miura had double wishbone independent suspension all around; the Mustang had leaf springs and a solid rear axle sourced from the Fairlane; the Miura had a 5-speed manual; the Mustang a 3-speed automatic (or a 4-speed manual). The Miura did 0-60 in under 7 seconds and hit 170mph; the Boss Mustang took 7 seconds to get to 60 but topped out at less than 120mph.

That's not to take away anything from American muscle cars - they were in a category all their own and definitely more affordable than an Italian exotic. But it's largely idiotic to assert that they were the best thing on the road, or that an exotic won't merit a second look where a muscle car will.