Favorite/greatest body style ever?

[StevenGuthmiller]

I'm sure that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but one of my all time favorites is the 1961 Olds 88 hard top.

Here's my reasoning.

I've always loved the bubble top roof line and the swooping A-pillar of the '61 GM cars, but was never crazy about the styling under the roof on the Chevrolet or the Buick.

The front of the olds is stylish with it's, what I guess you would call, an "inverted waterfall" grille, but is otherwise quite understated.

Body lines are quite basic.....and then you come to the rear end, with it's "boat tail" quarters, lower "wind splits", deeply sunken tail lights and thin, custom looking rear bumper.

It reminds me a bit of the old "mullet" cliche of "business in the front, and a party in the back".

 

It's always struck me as a sort of factory custom without all of the work.

Lower the stance, add some custom wheels and you've got a very clean looking custom without cutting any sheet metal whatsoever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Edited April 21, 2021 by StevenGuthmiller

[89AKurt]

Such a subjective opinion driven by emotion and/or memories, steeped in personal tastes.  Since I'm into sports cars, it's an obvious choice to pick the Ferrari 250 GTO.  It was the end of an era when one could drive to the race track, race, and drive back home if you didn't crash or break.  Datsun used the basic architecture for their popular 240Z.  Pontiac stole the "GTO" nameplate.  It had real wire wheels, when they were functional and sexy.  The exhaust sound is like a mechanical orgasm.  The other 250 models such as the Lusso could also qualify, but sticking with the GTO.  One nut paid $70M at an auction, so ask him this question.  ?

I see someone picked the '68 - '72 Chevrolet Custom series pickup.  I can afford one of those.  ?

[Venom]

8 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'm sure that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but one of my all time favorites is the 1961 Olds 88 hard top.

Here's my reasoning.

I've always loved the bubble top roof line and the swooping A-pillar of the '61 GM cars, but was never crazy about the styling under the roof on the Chevrolet or the Buick.

The front of the olds is stylish with it's, what I guess you would call, an "inverted waterfall" grille, but is otherwise quite understated.

Body lines are quite basic.....and then you come to the rear end, with it's "boat tail" quarters, lower "wind splits", deeply sunken tail lights and thin, custom looking rear bumper.

It reminds me a bit of the old "mullet" cliche of "business in the front, and a party in the back".

 

It's always struck me as a sort of factory custom without all of the work.

Lower the stance, add some custom wheels and you've got a very clean looking custom without cutting any sheet metal whatsoever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

Yeah, I can really see what you are saying in that! .... I’m not sure why a couple of your pics turned out looking somewhat condensed, so I thought I’d re-add a couple for good show?.... Beautiful one!

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Venom

[Snake45]

Oh we're doing trucks now, too? That one's easy: '67 El Camino. Y'all can argue about whatever's in second place. 

[Bucky]

My all time favorite body style is the 1968 Chrysler 300, 2 dr hardtop or convertible. Please feel free to add some pics, as I'm posting this from a cheap phone.

[NOBLNG]

7 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'm sure that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but one of my all time favorites is the 1961 Olds 88 hard top.

 

 

Steve

I don’t believe I’ve ever laid eyes on one of those before. It IS very nice! ?

[drodg]

17 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Good choice. IMHO, two of the most influential body styles of the last half of the 20th Century were the '53 Stude and the '63 Riviera. 

Totally agree on the 1963 Riviera!  I am also thinking from a domestic manufacture the 1968 Charger is quite the style leader.    This is a MPC version of my 1:1 car that  is long gone.  Should of kept that car!!!!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Lotsa great looking machinery on this thread.

Kinda makes me wonder if the folks who designed this horrible mess had ever actually SEEN a car before...

[ksnow]

Lots of great looking cars here. Back to my youth, and nothing said sexy horsepower to me like the last gen Trans Ams.

[Venom]

29 minutes ago, Bucky said:

My all time favorite body style is the 1968 Chrysler 300, 2 dr hardtop or convertible. Please feel free to add some pics, as I'm posting this from a cheap phone.

1968 Chrysler 300 2dr (as per Bucky)

[Venom]

12 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Lotsa great looking machinery on this thread.

Kinda makes me wonder if the folks who designed this horrible mess had ever actually SEEN a car before...

Nope... they only saw a frog.?

[thatz4u]

Car:  1967 Cougar

Truck: 1956 F-100

[Ace-Garageguy]

14 minutes ago, Venom said:

Nope... they only saw a frog.?

Unemployable 3rd-rate emoji designers hired to design cars?

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Venom said:

1968 Chrysler 300 2dr (as per Bucky)

One of my best friend's mother drove one of those, red with a white vinyl top and interior. Pretty snazzy for an old lady, which she was! 

[papajohn97]

No argument with the previous postings above, love ‘em all! The timeless favorites for me that I never get tired of looking at are the C2 Vette, series 1 XKE, ‘65-66 Mustang 2+2’s and,  I think would definitely add the Mercedes 300 SL Gull Wing to this list. Gotta build another one of those Tamiya 1/24 Gull Wings, what a fabulous kit.

[NOBLNG]

9 minutes ago, papajohn97 said:

No argument with the previous postings above, love ‘em all! The timeless favorites for me that I never get tired of looking at are the C2 Vette, series 1 XKE, ‘65-66 Mustang 2+2’s and,  I think would definitely add the Mercedes 300 SL Gull Wing to this list. Gotta build another one of those Tamiya 1/24 Gull Wings, what a fabulous kit.

I agree. I have this kit and have been really tempted to crack it open lately. My only worry is that my painting skills will not do it justice.

[RichCostello]

19 hours ago, Khils said:

Body lines.....just say it all

I gotta go with Kevin on this one!

[sfhess]

10 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'm sure that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but one of my all time favorites is the 1961 Olds 88 hard top.

Here's my reasoning.

I've always loved the bubble top roof line and the swooping A-pillar of the '61 GM cars, but was never crazy about the styling under the roof on the Chevrolet or the Buick.

I have always thought that all of the 61 GM bubble top cars had nice lines.

[drodg]

2 hours ago, Venom said:

1968 Chrysler 300 2dr (as per Bucky)

Nice!

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Bucky said:

My all time favorite body style is the 1968 Chrysler 300, 2 dr hardtop or convertible. Please feel free to add some pics, as I'm posting this from a cheap phone.

I had a '67 in high school if that counts.

I don't have anything in the way of photos of it except for some horrible, grainy snap shots, but mine looked just like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[sfhess]

62 Olds Starfire.  The stainless side panels are cool and Ford cribbed the front end for the 67-69 Thunderbird.  (Those are pretty cool too)

[NOBLNG]

The amazing thing that this thread brings to light is that a lot of cars that I didn’t find visually pleasing many years ago, now have a “classic nostalgia” that I can now appreciate. I know those cars haven’t changed.

Edit: And it is sad that aerodynamics plays such a huge role in design today.

Edited April 21, 2021 by NOBLNG

[sfhess]

65 Chrysler 300

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 minute ago, sfhess said:

62 Olds Starfire.  The stainless side panels are cool and Ford cribbed the front end for the 67-69 Thunderbird.  (Those are pretty cool too)

 

The '61 Starfire was a beauty too, but only available as a convertible

 

 

 

 

Steve

[NOBLNG]

2 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

The '61 Starfire was a beauty too, but only available as a convertible

 

Steve

Now THAT is beautiful!