C+S Autumn Edition

[alfagtv58]

Cross + Serpent has arrived in the letterbox tonight, nice work Sheldon & Co.  An absolute must read is the great article by David Roberts on Car Design in the Naughties.

David mentions in his article "I struggle to recall too many history defining cars of the 70's - 90's" --- I have a contender, although it's not European I think the MX5 meets the history defining criteria (Disclosure, yes we own one!).

[a sharp]

If we get many more MX5 owners in the club we will have to have a name change,

[Anth73]

I received my Autumn 2007 Cross & Serpent issue today along with confirmation of my membership, a few back issues, member cars and stickers. Thanks guys.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

While I would certainly agree that the mx-5 could quite rightly be considered a history-defining car of the era, to which I would add the original Audi Quattro and Peuguot 205 GTi among others, I think David is referrring to cars that were history-defining in terms of purely their design. 

While the mx-5 was a brilliant return to the days of the affordable sportscar, it's styling was at best extremely derivative, and at worst a blatant copy of the delightful Lotus Elan.

In some ways I think it's unfair to slight the entire period as uninspiring because maybe it's still too fresh in our memories.  Of course iconic cars from earlier years that we only knew as children, such as the E-type, 1959 Cadillac, Muira and so on are always going to be highlights, there were certain landmark cars of the 70's that defined car design for many years.  I'm thinking the whole wedge, straightedge kind of look.  Epitomised by the original Countach, Lancia Stratos, and Lotus Esprit.

This look carried over into the 80's, look at the 75 and GTV for example, and wasn't really replaced by a more rounded, organic look until the late 80's-early 90's, look at the mx-5 again.  I think the look is still quite unpopular, so some of these designs aren't viewed as so iconic or classical as some of the "coke-bottle" shapes of the previous decades. 

The wedge will be back sometime, then perhaps this era will be looked back upon with slightly kinder eyes.

just my two cents worth.

Excellent article though, and it did it's job, got people talking.

[Scott Farquharson]

I loved the cars of the 70's - it is really when the supercar era found its feet.  Original Countach - mind blowing at the time - straight out of Space 1999! Or any Gerry Anderson production......I think it was the eighties that it all started going wrong, cars, music, hair styles, yeach!