What History Can Do to a Great Design

My Top Ten list changes every year. I know what I like, but once in a while new cars creep in. I love a great new design, but old designs often make a “comeback” on my list after a hiatus from the visual mainstream.

A great car design hits me emotionally. It makes me want to write bad checks, risk a third mortgage, consider selling a kidney. A lasting design often gets fused to my brain, unified with innovation and beauty. But, many great designs, heralded upon release, loved by many and celebrated worldwide, suffer a lack of market acceptance and wind up ignored by the masses. Further still, a great car will sometimes become quickly dated, or take a hiatus from desire only to return a hero again. Even a great design can become tainted by poor mechanical performance or unfortunate business/manufacturing circumstances. Three of my favorite and wildly different examples are the Lamborghini Muira, the Studebaker Avanti and the Porsche 911.