There are some things that take place when your young that never leave your head. They are so powerful that they will forever play a role in how you think. It can be music, places you travelled to. Certain smells of places. Watches you try on. And cars you come into contact with.
Here are 7 cars that forever have affected me in one way or another.
(Main picture credit: Heise.de)
I was born in the mid – 1970s so it was obvious that some of the following cars were going to affect me. With one exception, all cars below were made in the 1970’s and for most of the brands, the models I have chosen happened to be large successes for the car companies. The list is Porsche heavy – but that is because it is maybe my favourite brand in the world that speaks most my heart.
But other cars have influenced me too. A Jaguar while I was in boarding school and a BMW 323i that my uncle had in Germany.
I am quite sure the 7 cars I show have influenced me how I perceive cars and why I have chosen the cars that I own today.
Let’s get started. The cars on in no particular order but I start with German cars first.
(Runner up list: Some cars that also influenced me but I didn’t include are: Ferrari 328 GTS, Porsche 924 & 944, BMW M3 e30, VW Golf Mk1. For more info why these cars didn’t make the list please see comments at the end of the report).
1. Porsche 911 SC
Many of you know that I have a weak spot for Porsche. That comes from my father who loved the 911 and owned several models in his home in California.
But my influence for Porsche started already earlier growing up in Zurich. As a 6 year old I would wait for my mother in the car park after ice-hockey practice. An older man who also ice skated owned a dark blue 911 SC and he would park in the same spot every evening. I fell in love with his car and the Pasha seating. I also love the ‘cookie cutter’ wheels (a nice departure from the famous Fuchs wheel (which I wrote about here) which is so typical of this car (see picture below for cookie cutter wheels).
The model 911 SC (SC standing for Super Carrera) was built between 1978-83. Many people don’t like it today because of the bumpers. But I love the design and the wheels and of course the 911 SC badge on the back. Whenever I see a car in real I stand still and admire it. This model, more than any other within Porsche, has influenced tremendously as a kid.
Apparently today it is one of the last real old school Porsches that is also affordable. For a video on how it drives please see here.
Below the famous 911 SC badge. I love the font of the writing and the script.
(Credit: Roadsport.com)
2. Porsche 928
The other Porsche that played a role in my life when I was small was the 928. That same man who owned a 911 SC also had a 928 in light brown. I remember him telling me like yesterday that it was even more special than the 911.
Looking at the back of the 928 (and the distinctive tail- lights) I also noticed how special it was – especially from a design perspective and so different than the 911, I was completely awestruck by this car. Porsche brought out the 928 to replace the 911 in 1978 (which almost happened as Porsche executives deemed the 911 outdated, but decided to save it in the end). The 928 was extremely successful for Porsche despite its extremely high price – and it was made for an impressive 17 years.
For the first time Porsche made a V8 engine inside a Porsche car. Made in different series – I have always preferred the first series that was pure and was also the car that I had fallen for as a six year old boy waiting outside the ice-skating ring.
I also love the so called ‘Telephone dial’ wheels (thank you Paul for pointing out the correct name) which I associate only with this car. I see a bright future for this now almost old-timer – as more people understand how special it was and so far ahead of its time.
For a driving review on how it drives see here.
(Credit: Heise.de)
It is the back and the special tail lights that have captivated me to this very day. A 928 is special no matter how you look at it.
An advertisement from the 1970s showing both the 928 and 911 SC together in a German magazine. It mentions how the 928 is more expensive than the 911 but you also get a lot more (V8 and Weissach rear axle technology).
An incredible fact: more customers ordered the more expensive 928 when it came out than the 911 SC.
3. Mercedes R107 & C107: 280SL, 380SL, 450SL, 560SL
This car left a huge influence on me too. Why?
It was the car my father drove in Rome and he wanted to buy my mother one for Zurich too (he passed away before he got a chance to do that). These series of Mercedes Benz reminds me of my youth so much. My friends hot mothers would pick up their children in it and I would see the car all the time on the streets of Zurich.
It reminded me of luxury, German efficiency and everything that was great about Mercedes Benz (even if I was more of a Porsche fan I admit). Also some of these cars (like the 450SL) was featured in the series Dallas which my mother would watch and I would watch a few episodes with her.
This car left a mark on me for odd reasons too: The automatic gear shift knob and wooden panneling and I can tell you the sound of the engine immediately (it has a nice purr to it).
It was made between 1971 and 1989 and was one of the most successful models for Mercedes. Notice the large rear bumpers in the picture below, which were mandatory for the US market.
Below the automatic gear shift handle and wood paneling that reminds me of my youth, like few other cars do.
(Credit: Unknown).
For a driving review of the R107 see here.
4. BMW 323 i
Much like the R107 from Mercedes, this BMW left an incredible mark on me as a child.
Not only did my uncle have one, it was the first luxury car my mother considered getting (she ended up getting a 635 csi instead). I remember studying the BMW emblem as a young child and would ask my uncle what BMW stood for. He told me Bayerische Motor Werke, and I probably knew this fact before I even knew my alphabet in German. BMW stood for sportiness and it was the 323i that soon became my dream car to own. As many of the cars above, it was also made in 1970’s – 1975 to be exact.
How strong was the 323i in terms of influence on me? So strong that I ended buying an M3 after my university studies.
(Credit: Pininterest).
I found something very pure in the design of this car. An original ad for the car in 1974 (also my birth year).
(Credit: Unknown)
5. Maserati Bi turbo
Although I had a weakness for German cars (especially Porsche) I did like Italian cars too. Strangely enough not for Ferrari but for Maserati (that has reversed since).
One car that I remember being completely mesmerised by was the Maserati Bi turbo. The plush interiors with the wood trimmings and the seats that looked more like sofas – I found the car extremely luxurious when I was young.
I also liked the style of the car, the trident on the side and front of course helped me become fascinated with it. At around 12 or 13 I dreamt of owning this car someday. For me it represented the best of Italian luxury (only later would I find out that it was not a good car technically speaking). Still this car influenced me tremendously.
It was built between 1981 and 1995, under De Tomaso ownership. Plenty of them were produced and this ensured that I would fall in love with them on the street.
(Credit: Unknown)
And the exterior styling below appealed to me very much (something I find harder to understand today).
(Credit: Carthrottle.com)
An ad below marketing the Italianess of Maserati the brand and the Bi turbo.
(Credit: Ebay)
For a driving review on how this car performs see here.
6. Jaguar XJS
When I was 14 my mother sent me off to British boarding school.
One the boarding school kids (let’s call him J) had a father who apparently was a top corporate lawyer in London. This dad pulled up in a XJS dark blue Jaguar one day and it I never forgot it.
The lines of the car and the plush leather interior – it really caught my attention for what British luxury was capable at the time. His car was probably an early 1980s version and I still think it is one of the most elegant cars Jaguar ever made. Made for an incredible 21 years from 1975 to 1996, the Jaguar was a success (producing more than 100’000 cars) even if the car it replaced was truly a Jaguar legend (e-type).
For a driving review of the XJS please see here.
(Fraziermotorcompany)
An advertisement for the XJS which boasted a V12 Engine.
(Credit: Pinterest)
7. Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
This car is very easy to explain.
It was the car that made a lasting impression on me when I was 5 years old, as my father drove one at the time. I still have the smell of Connolly leather in my nose and the opulent interior. Whenever I see this car still today – it brings me down memory lane. Sooner or later I will own this model – as the memories are too strong and too powerful to ignore.
The car was made from 1965 -1980 and over 30’000 models left the factory. It was Rolls Royces largest ever production to this day for a model.
For a driving review of the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow see here.
(Credit:Favcars.com)
Rolls Royce certainly made an impression on me as a young kid, it probably made an impression on the people my father dealt with in business too.
Concluding thoughts
Now a fair comment would be; if these cars influenced me so much, why don’t I own any of them today?
My answer would be as follows: I own (or have owned) derivatives of these cars. I would have no problem owning any of these cars today – all of them are 100% my taste. My only explanation why I don’t own any of these cars, is that they were made in abundance. I like to own cars that are beautiful but perhaps produced in less quantities. The advantage of these 7 cars I listed was that you saw enough of them on the street when growing up and thus they definitely had an influence on me. Probably also indirectly even on my buying habits today. But it doesn’t mean that I have to own them.
Also, not everything you find beautiful – you necessarily have to end up owning. I find a Lamborghini Periscope LP 400 beautiful -but I don’t have to own that.
The last point I would like to make: it is interesting to note that 60% of cars that influenced me were German. Is that a coincidence? No. I grew up in Zurich, Switzerland and obviously was surrounded by German cars. Had I been brought up London – I bet my list would look a lot different.
Runner up list comments: The Ferrari 328 GTS is car that is dear to me. The series Magnum with Tom Selleck was of favourite of mine when I was a young and seeing the Tom Selleck driving one continuously was the personification of cool for me. While the car is beautiful, the downside was that I would never really see them on the street – which is why the car in the end did not make my list.
Porsche 924 & 944 certainly influenced me as a Porsche fan but also because I would see them everywhere in Zurich. Did I like them? I think I was more fascinated by who would actually buy such a Porsche than anything else. With time I have grown to appreciate these cars too.
The BMW M3 e30 was a dream car and I first encountered one at university. A friend owned one and it did impact me but not as a young child. However I was more awestruck by the BMW 323 i – the original model.
The runner up list car that affected me most is for the sure the Golf Mark 1 car. Did I find it beautiful? Certainly not – but again they were everywhere in Zurich and I was impressed by the design even if I never dreamt of owning one. This car is an absolute Icon today, and I am glad it played a role in my life.
