Alfa Brera

Citroen C6

Prefer the Alfa GT to the Brera ‘cos you can get a mountain bike through the boot door, whereas you can get f*** all through the Brera’s rear door:

All Land/Range Rovers.

Alfa 156 GTA Sportwagon

Any Pre GM Saab

All Land/Range Rovers.

🙂

hora – Member

2CV SHOULD be there but I don’t think it ever really did outside a few people.

They made about 8 and a half million of them, so more than a few people ‘got it’ 🙂
And it’s got probably the most active social scene and support network around the world of any vehicle going, bar the Defender.

Stone cold classic, the most intelligent use of space and materials ever.
As with many older Citroens, we’ve not caught up yet.
Simple, minimalist genius, so much fun to drive.

Can’t see how the new FIAT 500 is in any way a classic.
The original, yes. The new one is a pastiche, typical of the shocking lack of imagination prevalent in new car design.
The old one looked how it did because that was the best way to package the 27 bits and pieces that made it go.
The new one looks like it does because some tosser in a black polo neck was told by the marketing deparment to make a Panda they could sell for nearly twice the price.

This is a classic, and has been for a while:

The new 500 is about as classic as a new Beetle or BMW MINI.

deadlydarcy – Member

Quick shout for The Mokka

You, greyhaired boy at the back, what is YOUR name?

Anyone that’s interested, I believe there is a FJ40 or FJ45 nestled out the back of the Pillars Of Hercules farm/cafe in Falkland, Fife looking in desperate need of a new home.

This was a year or so ago mind you.

TurnerGuy – Member
Prefer the Alfa GT to the Brera ‘cos you can get a mountain bike through the boot door, whereas you can get f*** all through the Brera’s rear door:

Going to buy a Brera or GT sometime in the nearish future. I have decided whichever I get, I will budget for a bespoke bike carrying modification. Brought this up on an Alfa site and was “burned” as a Heritic. Thinking of some sort of rear boot modification or slide outs. There are super strong magnet roof mounts that can be used as well.

some tosser in a black polo neck

that’ll be the same tosser that designed the mini and alfa mito then.

I like the 500 – plus it’s a lot better looking than the Panda.

Mitsubishi Evo’s are already semi classics in that they don’t really depreciate anymore.

My brother has an EVO VIII which he will probably sell for more than he paid for it

Subaru Impreza 22Bs are already their. Try getting one for less than £25k

Any future classic will have to have been made in relatively low volumes and be distinct enough to be easily recognised in 20 years time.

The V8 M5’s are getting to the point where they aren’t getting any cheaper and good examples will start to appreciate.

Honda Integra Type R’s are in the same bracket but try finding a straight one.

TurnerGuy – Member
that’ll be the same tosser that designed the mini and alfa mito then.

He designed the BMW MINI as well? Are you sure?

If he did, that’s even worse!
The most morally and intellectually bankrupt piece of car design I can think of.
And the most cynical marketing campaign too.

The Mito’s quite nice, but again, it’s a Punto in a nice frock.

Leaving the Mokka suggestion aside for the moment…

Would any of our 21st century SUVs make it into our STW experts’* lists?

*Liberal usage of this word.

cars that folk remember fondly as their first cars

Really? I had one of these. oved it, but unlikely to be a classic!

.
Citroen C6, yes good call.
Anyone seen a Subaru SVX lately?
Audi A2 (as much as I hate to mention an Audi)
Vauxhall Calibra?
.
On the other hand anything once it gets rare. Mk4 Cortinas for example are classics, a Mk4 Mondeo will be one day.

TurnerGuy – Member
Caterham Super 7:

I think the Lotus 7 might have already claimed that spot

Turner Guy, apologies, just realised what you meant. I thought you were talking literally. 🙂

Sorry, I just don’t like reto pastiches, for the reasons detailed above.

But that’s what’s good about these threads, we’ve all got opinions, none more valid than anyone elses. 😀

Would any of our 21st century SUVs make it into our STW experts’* lists?

*Liberal usage of this word.

Interesting. Really don’t know the answer to that one.
Gut feeling says they seem like a bit of an evolutionary dead end, tbh.

Anything with a big petrol engine… especially without a turbo.

He designed the BMW MINI as well? Are you sure?

not now – I was sure I read that somewhere – maybe it was a different set of 3 super-minis – but I cannot find it now.

I remember I was surprised at how someone could design both the mini and the 500.

Any future classic will have to have been made in relatively low volumes and be distinct enough to be easily recognised in 20 years time.

Cobblers, loads of high volume / mass market cars become classics – go to a show and count the Cortinas, Anglias, Rover SD1s, Minis, Beetles…..

My first ever car (in this red)

The Alfa 4C will be a classic as soon as it hits the forecourts.
The Elise is already a classic, the Mk1 Exige, and 340R go for mega money. (my liz is staying in the garage)
It is really hard for common manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, Citroen to be a classic, more cult cars. The Mk1 MR2 will be as close to classic as possible along with the Mk1 MX5.
Whoever said a Peugeot will have some classics are just so wrong. They have only done this with the 205 and that was because it was the benchmark. Nothing they have done since has come close to defining a generation of cars.
The Porsche GT3 and GT3 RS will be very cool along with rare variants of the Cayman.
Saabs have always had a cult following and anything pre-GM will be very popular. The quirkier the better (try buying a V4!)
If I were to wrap something in cellophane and forget it for 20 years it woud be a 4c, or a XKR, Alfa SZ, Exige V6 or Europa. All of which are low volume, aspirational cars, critically aclaimed and niech and the pinicle of burning hydrocarbon in its heydays before it becomes impossible to burn petrol.

To pull out of a garage in 100 years… I would wrap up a Tesla Model X…. or an early Honda Insight.

I remember I was surprised at how someone could design both the mini and the 500.

Well, they are both awful. 😉

hora – Member

My first ever car (in this red)

Mine too 😯

Didn’t have a blue door & wing & a ‘Vote Commissioner Gordon’ sticker on the rear bumper did it?

Less than 300 left on UK roads. How sad.

How many left?.com

First/best/last of a style is often a good indicator

as above Mk1 Honda Insight is a good one, probably not been a better hybrid since.

Mk1 Espace? The first MPV nobody knew they even needed one till Renault made it now MPV/SUVs are everywhere, makes me sick.

E46 M3 CSL and E90 M3 CRT

Carrera GT last of the proper supercars and has a proper gearbox.

TVR Griffith 500 if not already

Another vote for the Puma. I had an early 1.7 for 5 years. Sadly went via the scrap scheme, 12yo and the bodywork was shagged 🙁

This…

[/url] Untitled by artaylor910, on Flickr[/img]

Another vote for the Brera here. The picture above just doesn’t do it justice. Although that 8C is quite nice in a crazy kinda way too.

The MokKa LOL Really ? Dont forget the Agila 😉 There hasnt been a decent Vauxhall except where Lotus has been involved and cant see a Lotus badge on it anywhere.
I am going ultramodern with the Subaru BRZ/ Toyota thing, with rwd and funky styling.

The Aguila was just a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R.

I always thought that the Street Ka was begging to be a classic. Not many of them about and look great fun for posing round town in the mythical sun.

mk1 impreza
mk1 mx5 (just sold wifes because of baby, sob)
mk1 mr2
elise
audi TT

First/best/last of a style is often a good indicator

^ this

Another vote for the Brera here.

I can’t get past thing that the Brera was where they designed the spider first and then thought

‘hey, if we put a roof on it we have another car’

which is why the brera shares the tight rear seat arrangement of the spider. at least people can sit in the back of the GT.

The thing with the Brera is that, although it looks pretty, from what I’ve read it isn’t that great to drive. I think to achieve acclaimed classic status, particularly for an Alfa, that’s kinda important.

Brera vs GT its worth considering the 3.2V6 in the GT is the last of the Italian built Arese (sp?) engines with the lovely chromed inlet pipes. one of THE best engines ever

the Brera 3.2L has a GM unit which although it sounds pretty nice is not very characterful (brera is also a very heavy car)

My dad has the 3.2 spider that matches the brera and damn its pretty and sounds amazing but its v heavy and the skuttle/shake through the chassis is terrible! a true cut the roof off and do nothing to stiffen it up approach

and a teaser image to finish 🙂

Or two

going a bit left-field, as much as I hate them, I think the original BMW X5 will become a classic.
First generation of the not-fit-for-purpose desirable roller-skate ****-mobiles.

The X5 looks particularly fetching in that shade of norovirus brown.

There hasnt been a decent Vauxhall except where Lotus has been involved

…What, like the Monterey? 😆

the vauxhallizusu monteray trouper ?

Vauxhall Frontera? There can’t be any left, they were so bad, therefore must have a cult following?

Vauxhall Frontera? There can’t be any left, they were so bad, therefore must have a cult following?

Sadly a work colleague has one. Wishes he didnt……….. I drove it to the local MOT place recently , i told them they could keep it……..hateful machine………

Jaguar XJ220. Perhaps already there?

I expected a lot more from this thread, some appauling shouts…

Would go along with:

Focus RS
Golf R32
M3
Elise
156 GTA
MX5
Impreza

Not so sure about:

KA’s
Seat Leons
Fabia VRS
Z4’s
Citroen’s (exc 2CV above)

Not even desirable now, never mind in the future 😕

Some are already classics, 2CV, XJ220 etc

Expected a lot more….on STW?

Standard forum rule for any thread on any subject is suggest what you own/have owned first without even thinking how sensible it may be hence Ka, Fabia etc