Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and eyes change; tastes change. As a small child, I’d happily hoover an entire tray of raw oysters while going out of my way to avoid eating a raw tomato. Now I enjoy both. Also as a young person, I extremely disliked the early ’90s fourth-gen Chevrolet Caprice.
My whole family had this anti-Caprice bias. I used to call it the roachmobile because, to my pre-pubescent eyes at least, the pinched grille and narrow headlights, coupled with the rear fender skirts made it look like the giant insects that would occasionally sneak into our apartment. My disdain was strong.
Now I can’t get enough of them. Whether the car is in basic police-spec or luxurious faux-wood-paneled Buick Roadmaster Estate, I appreciate the design as a crisper aerodynamic alternative to Ford’s extremely ovalur language at the time.
Obviously, the best of these B-Body cars is the mid-’90s Chevy Impala SS. The hot rod aluminum five-spokes, body-color trim pieces, and deleted fender skirts make for one mean car. It didn’t hurt that the car was basically a hopped-up version of the 9C1 police car, complete with a Corvette-derived LT1 V8 good for about 260 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque.
I’ve gone from hating it to not-so-secretly desiring one.
[Ed Note: For me it’s the Audi A2 and the BMW i3;
I used to find them stubby and hideous. Now I love them both. -DT].
What about you? What car did you not initially love that now you’re completely taken with?
When I first took notice of the BMW Z4 in 2005 or 2006 I was confused at the design and language, especially in pictures. However, when I saw it in person, and the closer I looked at it, the more I appreciated the artistic qualities of the intersection of lines, use of space.
Its actually a really cohesive and thoughtful design, I love the hidden Z when viewed from the drivers side and how to door/ hood shut lines as well as the body panel lines are incorporated into the look of the car and not just there because the need to be. The purpose of everything is so elegant.
That’s why I bought one in 2009 and still have it now. With a few upgrades- headlights, wheels and suspension, it doesn’t feel dated and is a great summer roadtrip car for me.
Saab 9-5 sedan. I always loved the Aero wagon, but the sedan is elegant and understated. The 9000 took decades to become beautiful to my eye as well.
Also,I thought the 986 Boxster looked like a bar of soap when it came out, but now I think it’s one of the prettiest cars ever made. I bought a new 2001 M-roadster over the Boxster S back in the day, and I have the inverse opinion of the first-generation MZ3 now. Likewise, the MZ4 looks great when I see them now, but I hated the Bangle design language when it launched (Land Shark! was the advertising tag if I recall).
1971-1976 GM products. For whatever reason, when I was a kid, I thought that they were bulbous, ponderous, and were not sharp and trim like their cars from the mid 60’s on.
But now, I get what they were going for, and I like them more each day…
Speaking of donning a flame suit, here goes.
When it first came out, I did not like the Lexus LFA. My eyes could not get over that huge gap between the front bumper and the hood. That and the disjointed look in the rear with all of the creases and vents that probably aren’t needed. I was able to get past some of that when that amazing V10 crossed 8,000 rpms and sounded like a line of F1 cars in the tunnel in Monaco, but the gap and the somewhat odd proportions to fit that V10 as a front-mid install, to the strange vents behind the doors/windows – I felt a little cold towards it at first.
Then I look at the grossly overdone designs coming out today where cars are a mashup of fake vents, pointless slashes and creases, gaudy LED light designs everywhere, and I came around to the LFA, massive gap in the front and all. Because now it looks like what I think Lexus was aiming for in the beginning – an understated design to showcase one hell of an engine for a crazy amount of money.
Yes on the fake vents! What’s a little mind-boggling to me is that we had this design battle like less than 10 years ago, and you’d have thought the victor (clean design) would still be in power, but NO, the fake stuff is everywhere again. I guess it’s the internet, but in the past, it took a much longer time for bad stuff to return to fashion like this.
The Fiat Multipla. I mean, it’s still as ugly as hitting your mom after she confiscate your Ben 10 Omnitrix replica, but I began to love it due to its cleverness, quirkiness and the absolute balls of osmium of Fiat directors to approve that project.
> I extremely disliked the early ’90s fourth-gen Chevrolet Caprice.
Dude. That car is magnificent, especially the SS. Glad you saw the error of your ways.
I used to be indifferent to or dislike the Mercedes 190, preferring the butt on its sibling the 300. But now I love that design. Not sure why. Maybe it’s the ribbed tail lights.
> ovalur
Whut
For me it’s got to be the Porsche 911 – any generation. When I was a kid, I thought they were awkward and ugly frog looking things. Now, I look at them and enjoy how they completely buck the trend of the accepted formula of what a good sports car should be, while also probably being the first sports car a lay person would think of when asked, alongside “an Ferrari”. Its shared history with the VW Beetle, in a way, makes it cooler for me, not something that should be shunned.
I would never want to own one, or even particularly drive one (I have an aversion to wanting to drive anything with any kind of power because I’m a total pragmatist when it comes to my driving talent). I do definitely appreciate them from afar much more than I did when I was a stupid brat, though.
Late 80s square jawed F-series and Chevrolet CK. Their rugged beauty was so ubiquitous I never appreciated them in their time.
The first gen Acura MDX hit the market in 2000 as a 2001 model year. The fact that they packaged seating for seven in a vehicle that was only 188 inches long is remarkable. Back in the day I found the styling odd, but it’s smooth flanks and high grill have aged well, and on the road today it doesn’t look nearly as dated as a 2000 Explorer or Chevy Blazer. I saw one this summer with bronze rims and it was a revelation – it looked fantastic!
I used to loathe the AU Falcon, I still hate the Series 1, but I can’t get enough of anything newer in any trim level
PORSCHE 914, Very early 1970s SUBARU Wagons, 79 Mustang, VW Squareback/Fastback. 1958 Impala.
Honda Del Sol. Any pre 76 Toyotas. BMW 1600,and 2002. Oldsmobile Vista Cruisers 1960s. Pinto Panel Wagons. Chevy Vegas
I feel the same about those BMWs and almost listed them in my comment. There’s a 2002 near me and it’s so cute.
I used to hate the third generation Taurus (1996 to whenever) and I still hate it. It was and is a tortoise. Thr designer and everyone that didn’t tie themselves to a tree and exhibit a hunger strike to stop its production, should be exiled from earth.
I used to hate the latest gen Camaro, but I saw a few of them enough times and didn’t think of bumblebee to finally get some appreciation. The last year!
Hate you Gen 3 Taurus, forever!
Lastly, I never really liked your car. Yes you! But as I watch it pull away from your home every morning, it just strated to grow on me.
….. the last paragraph is humor, not real in any way, and in no way should be used as a way to incite a riot, unnecessary escalation, instill panic or cause anyone to break out their personal pocket Karen.
…… the use of the name Karen is not intended to insult, defame, or imply any form of negative sentiment and is only used as human through first amendment rights.
92-95 Grand Am. Back in the day I hated how it looked like they went Jellybean just like everything else 90s. Now I think they look pretty sharp, especially the white ones with alloy wheels.
I had trouble coming up with one. The cars of yesteryear I disdained due to styling – goggle-eyed 911s, 928s, and Pacers, catfish Taurus/Sables, bubble-butt Caprices, C5s, and Civics, worn soap-bar F150s – all still make me want to hurl.
But as I was about to hit the “post” button, I recalled that I use to be grossed out by 1st-gen Corvettes. I still don’t care for the 53-55 models, but the 56 restyle did wonders, and the 61 is now one of my favorite Corvette models.
The first gen ones, esp. the first two years, are tough to really like as they don’t feel in tune with what we’ve known since the ’60s as “the Corvette thing.” They’re definitely more from the personal luxury coupe mold ala the T-bird, which of course was the reason for the course correction. The wire grills on the headlights of the first ones are esp. weird to me b/c I know they’re on a Corvette.
The Evo 7/8/9. It’s not that they look good, necessarily, but it’s about respect and what they represent.
I wasn’t a big fan of the BMW 1 Series Coupe when it was first released. It’s grown on me a lot, though I think the subsequent generation 2 series designs might be making be a bit more nostalgic. But I never really thought it was ugly, just meh. The cars I genuinely found ugly at best might have gotten to the point where I consider them meh rather than ugly.
Yeah put the car in the start up then explains.
Well 1st I question your love of cockroaches just wrong. But I hated and now would like to get a Pontiac Aztec. Ugly turns odd and if my Vehicross fails I would buy an Aztec.
7th gen Celica