Moderator Comment:

You found time to type in that it is long past Friday yet you could
not save it until then?!

You must have a draft folder in your compooder. Please drop it there
next time you have the "urge" to post something that you feel should
be posted on a Friday.

Thanks  <sigh>

BenT
Sent from my mobile device

On Mar 1, 2010, at 2:42 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM
 > wrote:

> hi.  ( shoot fridaye is long past ! )
> You are very close on my personal choice for one of the best ever,
> if not the best ever, American car designs...
> which I say is the 1963 Corvette Stingray Split-Window Coupe.
>
> Only one year for that split rear window too.   A 'perfect shape'
> and a very American shape in my opinion.,
> And man, does the Stubaker Hawk ...the first version ...
> purely for the shape -  that deserves a major Honorable Mention as
> one of the best american car designs ever too.
>
> the Car of the Century was the Porsche 911 I believe.
>
> Scott
> www.turobvans.com
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: Annie
>  To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans
>  Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>  Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 1:29 PM
>  Subject: Re: Are Vanagons pretty?
>
>
>  To the best of my knowledge, the Car of the Century - that won the
> #1 spot - was not a 60's era vehicle. In fact, only 1 of the top 5
> was even American made and it was not a 60's era.
>
>
>  The #1 car? Ford Model T followed by the Mini, The Citroen DS,
> Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911.
>
>
>
>  But I'm guessing the car you're talking about is a 63-67 Corvette,
> which did make the list, but not anywhere in the top 5.
>
>
>  ~Annie
>
>
>  On Sat, Feb 27, 2010 at 1:08 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com
> > wrote:
>
>    I would not use the word 'pretty' to describe the shape.
>
>    but ...the shape, and some nuances on it grows on me at least.
>    I wake up where I can look out at least 10 vanagons.
>
>    I particularly like the treatment around the rear air intake
> vents - very
>    nicely integrated there.
>    The crease down the side, the shape and shape of the windshield
> and front
>    door side windows..
>    like all of that.
>
>    They beautifully maximized the interior volume while keeping the
> box shape
>    to a certain size...
>    and ....very nicely, the sides are not flat at all.
>    the are curved top to bottom of course,
>    but they are also curved front to rear if you look closely.
>
>    the 'look' of the front - the grill with two eyes and the lower
>    grill...........all very nice.
>
>    what I find is that 'after many years' most well-known car/van
> body styles
>    take on a certain 'right-ness'.
>
>    For example...the classic 300SL Gullwing mercedes sports car,
>    and the Jag XJ6 ....the original early ones ...and XKE...
>    you could not change *one line* on those cars by even half an
> inch and make
>    it better.
>
>    Same for the Porsche 356.
>    The 911...........I have always regarded that as 'an OK
> shape'.....rather
>    practically shaped.
>    914's............now there is a controversial body style - many
> consider it
>    either good looking, or ugly, not much in between.
>    I had a Porsche 914-6 in my shope for about a year.
>    The -6 is a 'real' Porche...........911 six cylder engine, 5 lug
> alloy
>    wheels etc.
>    ( the 914 IS a volkswagon .....Type IV air-cooled 4 cylinder
> engine, 4 lug
>    wheels etc. ) ...
>    the look very similar of course.
>    And the earlier ones have nicer early stype bumpers, ...
>    my point is ...
>    the more I had that 914-6 around, the more I looked at it ...
>    the more I got it ........what a great shape it is.
>    I think the 'sail' pannel on the side is awkward .......just
> doesn't fit
>    with the rest of the shape of the car.
>    Where it's really nice ......just looking purely at shape from an
> art/design
>    point of view ...is there rear ...
>    the rear fenders that are subtly bulgey, the rear deck is nice.
> The flat
>    small rear window is nice.
>    And the slenger-top front fenders are slick too.
>
>    so give all that ...
>    how a shape grows on you ....
>    yes, vanagons are very , very nice.
>    There's more emphasis on practical shape than there is on making
> it 'good
>    looking '..............but still, not bad.
>
>    and .........like old photo's .....
>    you know, a picture of whatever, a picknik table and a campsite
> can be so
>    mundane for a long time.
>    But see that same picture 25 years later - it takes on a lot more
> value.
>
>    same on car shape and design ....give it 20 years or more, and
> certain ones
>    start looking really, really 'right.'
>
>    and ....I will close with this question .....
>    purely subjective of course .....and many cadidates ....but there
> is 'One'
>    Amercian car shape/design that is very, very 'right'.
>    What car is it ?
>    60's is one hint.
>
>    oh ....it's a lot like this ...around Y2K there was online voting
> for car of
>    the Century.  Many were suggested, VW Bug, Citroen 2CV, Model T
> Ford etc.
>    etc. etc.  Cobra even ( and There, is another shape/design that
> is flowless
>    and 'perfect' with the passage of time )
>    I thought and though about what car might be the Car of the
> Century.
>    I'm thinking it has to be very well known, should be good
> looking, should
>    have great performacne, even racing history , and probably many
> of them
>    made.
>    I finally figured out what car that would be...
>    and by golly,  the one I finally came up with  was the car voted
> as Car of
>    the Century.
>    Car to guess or say what it is ?
>
>    Scott
>    missing having a 'real' saltwater sailboat.
>    Ex-Sausalito-ite.
>    www.turbovans.com
>
>
>
>    ----- Original Message -----
>    From: "Mark Hineline" <hineline@HELIX.UCSD.EDU>
>    To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>
>    Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 12:23 PM
>    Subject: Are Vanagons pretty?
>
>
>
>      Who thinks their Vanagon is pretty? I have a decidedly positive
>      reaction whenever I see a Vanagon, and I really like the way
> the sheet
>      metal goes together on the nose, but objectively I can't say it's
>      pretty (the way a 911 is pretty).
>
>      So?
>
>      Mark