Ask The Best And Brightest: What Car Would You Build For 25 Years?
Cars are rarely built for very long. This is, after all, the industry that invented the concept of planned obsolescence, and ever since GM surpassed Ford in the first half of the 20th Century cars have come and cars have gone. Of course there are a few exceptions. South Africa’s Citi Golf was a 25-year run of slowly-evolved Mk1 VW Golfs. And here’s news of another Volkswagen Methuselah: ChinaCarTimes reports that FAW will build the same Mk2 Jetta it’s been pumping out since 1991 until… 2015. If you could (given the hypothetical resources and market necessary for such a foolhardy venture) start with one car and slowly evolve it for 25 years, what would you start with and why? Are there any modern cars you could see being built for a 25 year run? Me, I’d do for the Lotus Elise what several small British companies did for that other great Lotus, the 7. Not because it would necessarily be easy, cheap or popular, but because it’s a vehicle that will likely never be replicated again, especially with Lotus now aiming for the Ferraris of the world. In 25 years, I’d be shocked if it had any real competition. Or if I ever got bored with it. What about you?
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The Checker cab, best old design out there...
E39 M5; Porsche CGT :)
E39 for me. Still looks good and very solid.
The Fiat 131 is still being produced in Ethiopia IIRC. The Mazda121/Ford Festiva/Kia Pride is being produced in Iran. Also the Peugeot 405. The Nissan Tsuru (B13 Sentra) is still being produced in Mexico GM still produces the Corsa 2 or B in may countries, facelifted in some cases. Fiat is still making the Uno in Brazil. Same with VW with the old Gol. The XJ Cherokee is still being done in China (under other brand) Is also being done in Europe. I think that a car to be evergreen (as Mr. Schmitt says) needs to have general public acceptance, be reliable, well built, simple and be "cheap" to keep.