According To You: The Vehicles With The Best Silhouettes
There’s nothing quite like the sleek side profile of a vehicle with a long hood, a fast roof, and a smooth decklid. But there is more to our shared love of cars, because, we should also consider the smooth, singular sideline of a minivan. While that isn’t an answer one would expect when asking about the most appealing vehicle silhouettes, a minivan is indeed one of the many candidates we received here in this latest installment of our According to You series.
So what other vehicles did members of the Hagerty Community offer for this question? Have a look below and tell us what you think in the comments!
Shelby Daytona Coupe
@DUB6: Hard to beat an early 911 in my book, but really, I’m voting for the Shelby Daytona Coupe. It has some of the muscle of the Cobras built in, with the sloped down nose for aero, the long, sleek roofline, and then that striking rear spoiler and chopped-off tail.
It may not be the most beautiful, but to me, it’s the most striking silhouette out there.
Chevrolet Corvette
@Bernard: The first few years of the C3 Corvette. I wasn’t around to see them new, but the C3 has always stood out in the school of cool, IMO, especially the silhouette. I think the crash bumpers and other stuff of the later years softened them up too much, but the silhouettes of the early ones could’ve been used as scalpels.
@Tony: I’d say any modern Corvette. They’re all designed in the wind tunnel these days so they’re all aero-efficient, but the later C4s with the rounded ends I think look great.
@Dave Massie: C3 Corvettes—especially the ’80–82 models.
@C: I agree. I am partial to my 1973 Corvette coupe. It’s a one-year-only design and looks great in silhouette.
@Paul: 1984–90 C4 Corvette. The concave rear bumper is just cool. On the other hand, the convex 1990 ZR-1 bumper and its use on the 1991–96 models are strong candidates. In my C4-centric world, the Corvettes nailed the Silhouette Sweepstakes.
Jaguar XKE
@Ken_L: I am partial to my C3 Corvette, but I must say the Jaguar XKE coupe has been my favorite since I was very young.
@Howard: And its “top-down” sibling, the XKE droptop roadster … great road car.
@Doug: Hands down, Jaguar E -ype coupe (XKE)
@Jeff: Had a ’68 XKE roadster. I was about to cast my vote for it, but you astutely beat me to it!
@Lew: The first Jag E-Types with the worthless bumpers and glassed headlights.
Jaguar XK-120
@Gayle: In ’56, my uncle bought a ’53 Jaguar XK-120 FHC and I have been enamored with that gorgeous profile ever since, especially with the disc wheels and the spats (skirts)!
1963 Riviera
@Snailish: ’63 Riviera … Not sure what got us there, but for decades after, so many vehicles owed it a debt. It would likely still be a cutting-edge design if evolved to today’s construction methods/rules. But it’s also amazing from several directions, not just the side.
Lamborghini Countach
@Shiven: Lamborghini Countach! It absolutely accentuates the ’70s and ’80s realm of excess!
Toyota Previa
@ap41563: Toyota Previa! Turn the lights off and illuminate it from behind and the egg shape still looks fresh today, even at 30 years old.
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
@Colton: For the more modern, cheaper cars, I’d say the first generation of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The car itself was a mixed bag (I owned one for eight years), but the side profile, especially in low light, just highlighted how well that body was sculpted.
MG TF
@T.J.: Without a doubt, my 1954 MG TF is a constant head turner with classic vehicle lines (running boards, smooth curvature in fenders, spoked wheel on the exterior of the gas tank, etc.). A timeless beauty.
1961–63 Ford Thunderbird
@Jon: I have always liked the 1961–63 “bullet” Thunderbirds. There was just something perfect about their profiles.
Third-Generation Pontiac Firebird
@Espo70: Third-gen Firebird/Formula/Trans Am. One of the best designs to come out of GM. Still looks exotic today.
Aston Martin Project Vantage
@George: I might be biased, but the Aston Martin Project Vantage Concept—which became the Vanquish—is the most cohesive and accomplished shape of all time.
1958 Chevrolet Impala
@Don: How about the 1958 Chevy Impala 2-door hardtop? My wife’s uncle thought it looked like a water buffalo!
GMC Motorhome
@Chuck: For oversize vehicles, the 1973–78 GMC Motorhome. Ahead of its time when new, smooth and sleek (compared to other coaches), and has aged gracefully.
@Kent: Still a very sought-after vehicle after all these decades. Would love to have one!
Ferrari 250 GTO
@David: One of the most recognizable, and possibly the most desirable profiles of them all: The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti.
Fiat 500
@Alex: 2012–19 FIAT 500: Totally unique and unmistakable. You would never confuse it for any other car from any other marker.
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
@John: Without question for me it is the 1966 (and only the 1966) Oldsmobile Toronado.
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic
@Tom: So many Ferraris—the Dino, 250 GTO, 275 GTB, La Ferrari, etc., as well as the GT40, Miura, E-Type, and numerous British Roadsters of the ’50s and ’60s. But the granddaddy of all side silhouettes has to be the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.
2003–08 Mazda Mazda6
@Mike: From a basic sedan point of view I’ve always loved the 2007 Mazda 6 profile with the spoiler.
1956–57 Continental Mark II
@Jeff: The 1956 Continental Mark II is still the most elegant and beautiful production American car.
1984–86 Pontiac Fiero
@Jack: 1984–86 Pontiac Fiero notchback. Best-looking shape of the 1970s and ’80s wedge cars.
Flintstones Car
@Greg: The log car that Barney Rubble drove on The Flintstones … feet and all!
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C5 Corvettes have an amazing silhouette. So low and streamlined with a .29 drag coefficient. Looks very similar to the Ferrari mentioned.
So, these opinion pieces are just that: someone(s) opinion. But, really, no 1957 Chevy, no Citroens, how about a Lotus Esprit or a 260Z 2+2 or VW Beetle? Anyway, that’s my opinion.
The first and third generation RX7s seem overlooked and more than worthy.
‘63 Avanti, ‘68 Dodge Charger, and ‘68 Mercury Cougar have stood the test of time.
1973-75 PUMA GT should also be mentioned for its stylish body. Specially considering its design history.
I’d add the Porsche 914 to these iconic ‘side’ views. There’s nothing else quite like it…
The original Lotus Elite
’53 Studebaker
Original Lotus Elan
Glad my ’66 Toronado made the cut… :>)
I might be biased because this was my first car, but the 1972 Pontiac Luxury Lemans in silver looks stunning!
https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1972-Pontiac-12-1.jpg
Two I think could have made the list: The Willys MB and the Viper. Those are iconic. I can see an argument against the Viper’s profile being similar to a number of the other sports cars on the list (it’s a shape that is approximated by the Vettes and others on the list that pre-date it) but nothing looks like the MB in profile.
1961 Dodge Lancer
I already know I’m “unique” so no one has to point that out, but I think most convertibles look better in profile with their roofs UP than the hard top version of the same car. First generation Camaro/Firebird and C3 Corvette especially. Hooray the system is letting me post today!
Dear Sajeev Mehta:
I read your columns assiduously (How’s that for a 25 cent word?), and I enjoy every one of them. Your columns on silhouettes and styling took me back to a subject I’ve been considering for some time: how to evaluate the relative beauty of a car.
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m a baby boomer, I confess but with some embarrassment, so I was born and raised in the 1950’s, and I’ve been a car guy all my life. Years before I could even drive a car, I would ride my bicycle for miles to the nearest town that had a car dealership row, and I did this, ritually, every year when the new car models were introduced, so I could collect the brochures—that is, if I could, because the salesmen knew I wasn’t old enough to buy a car, so some of them were not very sympathetic. Fortunately, others were, so, over the years, I accumulated a large collection of car brochures to add to my collection of car magazines. I’m now retired, but I spent most of my career years as an English teacher, so I had some reason to consider the matter of aesthetics as well.
As the well-known saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This is true, but only to an extent, because, while certain things are subjective, other things are objective, as I tried to explain to my students. Otherwise, we could never agree on anything ever in our lives.
For example, while there may be many people who question the beauty of the Mona Lisa, there are many more who can see great beauty in that painting, which is why it has endured as a work of art and a standard of beauty for hundreds of years.
In my youth, when I looked at cars, I found myself evaluating them in a very emotional and subjective aesthetic standard, but a pattern emerged: clean lines and curves in the right place, and in the right proportion. Admittedly, my choices for the twenty most beautiful American cars is very subjective, since my standards for beauty were formed in the late 1950’s and heightened in the 1960’s.
When I completed my list, I realized there were many other cars I would have added to an Honorable Mention list, and it made me think of how my perception of car styling has changed over the years. In 1959, I recall thinking the huge fins on the Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet were ugly. Today, however, while I wouldn’t include these cars on my beautiful car list, I do see them as works of art, and I am grateful that many of these old cars have been preserved and not discarded in a junk yard and crushed into oblivion.
As for silhouettes, you should add the new Toyota Prius to your list. In the future, it may become regarded as a work of art, but I doubt that it will ever become regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. In fact, I doubt that many of our current cars, other than foreign exotics, would make anyone’s list of timeless, beautiful cars—but that may be because of my baby boomer bias. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The Twenty Most Beautiful American Cars
1940 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
1956 Continental Mark II
1957 Ford Thunderbird
1961 Lincoln Continental
1965 Ford Mustang
1966 Shelby Cobra Coupe
1966 Ford GT 40
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-Window Coupe
1965 Chevrolet Corvair
1963 Buick Riviera
1966 Buick Riviera
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
1963 Pontiac Grand Prix
1963 Studebaker Hawk
1963 Studebaker Avanti
1963 Chrysler Turbine
1963 Chrysler 300
1968 Dodge Charger
1970 Dodge Challenger
1970 Plymouth Barracuda
Hi John, thank you for your kind words as I sincerely appreciate hearing from my readers! I like the way you think, and your life experiences have clearly shaped your passion for cars. In a good way I might add, as your choices are excellent. Fantastic, even!
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Gen Viper
3rd gen Firebird
C2, C3, Vette
CTS-V Coupe
Most any Porsche except the Boxter and whatever the suv is called
Nothing in my book will beat the side view of my 1960 Plymouth Fury 2dr. HT with the big fins out back. Look it up! It looks fast sitting still.