The 70s and 80s featured a huge number of ghastly looking cars and very few good ones. The 90s were better by far , if not as much as the 60s . What other decade produced such gems as the Miura, 250 GT0 , 105 series Alfas and Duetto , Gordon Keeble , Espada , Elan , Bora , Mangusta , DB5, Corvette C2 , AC 289 , Camaro , Mustang, Marcos coupe and many , many more .
Come on, there was also rubbish in the 60s. No decade is better or worse than any other. Except maybe the 40s, because, you know, a World War had people mostly occupied on other things. Tastes change. Cultures change.
In your era, of the 50s and 60s, no one really cared what non-European origin peoples thought of design. The Japanese car companies had to hire Italian stylists, or were accused of imitation, or had to put up with cars names are English salesmen (the Cedric).
Its different now; the Japanese have had for a while their own sense of style. For instance the NA MX5 incorporated elements of Japanese theatre into the exterior design, and the tea ceremony into the interior. I am detecting confidence in Korean design, after their disasterous flirtation with graduates of various English design schools (Ken Greenley was responsible for some of the more hideous Ssangyong efforts, eg. the Rodius was his attempt to make a car look like a boatâŚ). China; one doesnât have to look far to see elements of the Dragon in their car, a creature that is all things including wisdom, power, dignity, fertility, and auspiciousness.
But some college students on the other side of the world has got a bunch of old gits on the other energised about something. Probably all they wanted to achieve; provoke discussion about design, and the effects of culture. Concept cars are rarely about a product in its entirety, but about design elements.
Honestly, cars like the Mk2 Escort, Austin 1100, Ford Consol Capri, Ford Zodiac (whatever mark), Austin Cambridge, Austin Maxi, Fiat 125, Vauxhall Victor 101, Hillman Hunter, Daf 66, Renault 8, Reliant Regal, Triumph Renown, Wolseley Hornet (and Riley Elf) were hardly bywards for âstyleâ.
I donât recall saying that there wasnât. I was talking about the high points , not the low ones.
Every decade had highs and lows. You proceeded to rattle off a selective list of cars designed in the 60s, asking what other decade produced such designs. Well, given these were 60s designs, obviously none.
No decade should be signaled out as being âgoodâ or âbadâ. Its just a generational thing. Some say good design is provocative. Older people often donât like newer things and some of us donât like old stuff. In the 60s, designers only had to please Europeans and Americans. Fairly easy given largely common cultures and ideals of beauty. Designers in the 21st century have to please a global audience, a much more difficult task.
BTW, wrong decade for your Bora gem.
Itâs called having an opinion . Iâm relatively ancient , but will I happily acknowledge that some current cars look stunning . But I lauded the 60s because it was probably the last decade when designers had an almost completely free hand before legislation and safety concerns impacted design flair. It was an era before nostalgia , when society looked forward .
My bad about the Bora - but Iâll plead in mitigation that it was conceived in the sixties . But dates arenât really set in stone - the Mini epitomises the 60s but was released in 1959 . The Escort reeks of the 70s but was a '68 car
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