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Style of Eye - August 2007

cars

August 13th 2007 03:11

I have a very vague memory of my parents’ first vehicle. I was an infant, so it must be one of those lodged in the cobwebbed far reaches of my mind kind of memories, more of a feeling rather than an image. But the feeling does conjure an image as well, aided by my parents confirmation. It was a 1954 canvas top Land Rover. And they’d have me snug in my little baby-carry in the back.

It made some sense then that as a young boy the car I really fancied was the mid-to-late 70s model of Range Rover. Apparently the Range Rover has been preferred by many in the off-road fraternity as their off-road vehicle of choice. To an impressionable young car lover it oozed vehicular sophistication, girth, power, style and luxury. I bet you didn’t know it is the only vehicle to have been exhibited in the Louvre as a work of art!

I loved my die-cast model cars. The UK brands Matchbox and Corgi and the fancier European-manufactured brands Majorette and Siku. I would stage long dramatic traffic jams along the sides of the hallway which would last several days (and if mum moved any of the cars whilst vacuuming I was furious!)

Years later at high school I became close friends with a buddy who introduced me to the Lamborghini Countach and everything changed. While visiting relatives in England an old school chum of my mother’s gave me a beautiful collector’s pictorial hardback book on the history of Lamborghini. He was a wealthy Ferrari nut and he wrote in the front of the book that I was “a Lamborghini fan, but he'll learn …” Well, I haven’t yet and I still own a Lamborghini key ring, but I moved on from the flamboyance of the Countach to the sleeker, earlier Lamborghini Miura. A truly beautiful machine indeed … the libido with an engine.

Italian car designer Bertone is a legend. Along with the Miura he has designed many of the world’s most magnificent looking driving machines. I’m a huge fan of that futurist design that was prevalent during the late 60s and early 70s. They don’t design them like that anymore. Well, perhaps some of the latest cars are returning a little to that ultra-sleek, super-stylised look, but still, most cars these days all look the bloody same.

Maserati Birdcage Pininfarina concept car

As you can see I fancy the wedge shape, cars that look like panthers, big headlights, small windows, curves in all the right places. Feminine contours with a big masculine engine and the quintessential Euro stamp that says “I am the ultimate driving machine!” But I’m also partial to those terrific American muscle cars too; more rectangular, but still armed with puh-lenty of visual pizzazz. But if I had to nail it down to a top five? (It was damn hard enough keeping it under 30, so I broke my “rule of 24” for this post). 1. Lamborghini Miura P400S 2. Lamborghini Countach LP500S 3. Chevrelot Corvette Stingray 4. Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible 5. Alfa Romeo Carabo.

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: technology

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2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by charles

August 13th 2007 06:16

FanFootball
ZCars
Ponderous

A mighty fine selection of cars there Raoul.

The Lamborghini Countach is one of my faves too. To this day, it is still unmistakeable on the road with tremendous road presence and wow-factor!

Charles.

Comment by Raoul Duke

August 13th 2007 07:35

Style of Eye

Charles, how impeccable of you to be first up

And I'm doubly impressed that the Countach is one of your faves as well.
Any specific others "roar" at you?

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