25 April 2010

Car Styling

I am a believer that a car should be more than just well engineered, though that is very important. It also needs to have a 'wow' factor, or at least be pleasing on the eye.

I feel that Italian styling with cars is good. From Ferrari to Alfa, they look right and thankfully are better engineered than they used to be.

I also like the style of what is left of the British car industry; Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguars are examples of what I'm talking about.

The French can be stylish but they don't set the pace as they used to in the style department.

The USA is a mixed bag, from the 'box on wheels' Jeeps, to the iconic Corvettes and Mustangs. Japanese tastes are far too conservative and it shows in their cars. In a word boring.

The Germans are obsessed with engineering and style is secondary. I quite like where the Volkswagen brand is heading, whereas the German premium brands are losing their way. The styling direction of Daimler is shown below in this concept. Does it push the right buttons for you? Is this the shape to enhance Mercedes Benz cars?


The bottom line: Taste in styling is subjective, but this to my eyes is getting into the ugly zone.