If You Had A Time Machine: What Car Would You Want Travel Back Into The Past To Drive?

Many still herald the golden age of performance to be the 1960’s.  While technically a modern day sport sedan can run rings around the all but the benchmarks of the era, it can be argued that vehicles have lost the character of that generation. 

Are the days of thrashing through the corners on the edge of control, being replaced by high tech nannies that allow you to go faster than ever with minimal skill.  Making a 13 second ¼ mile pass used to be a hair raising experience but is a non-eventful practice where launch control handles everything and shifts are automated.

We can argue the driver is insulated from the whole experience giving the false illusion of skill that really isn’t present.

By now some of you are thinking we can go faster and far safer than ever, what are you whining about?

Well perhaps, just perhaps, the magic is wining from most performance cars on the market.  The driver is now along for the ride as ABS, traction control, predictive suspensions, and launch control all act in unison to remove the risk and the skill needed to actually on the edge.   Are we replacing the real thrill for the safety of an amusement park roller coaster ride?  Is the real experience gone?

What if you had a time machine, where can you go back in time and experience the most iconic cars of a time period? Where, when and what would you want to drive? That a look back over the last 50 years and tell us what car you would want to take out on the road and experience the thrill that might be missing today.

nguyenvuminh - 6/27/2016 1:38:40 PM

+2 Boost

009 - This is a very cool post. I don't think I'm interested in driving A PARTICULAR CAR back at certain period as opposed I love the thought of driving IN THAT PARTICULAR PERIOD. The road, the roadside stops, society, the atmosphere, the people and the clothes, the buildings/architecture back then. I think I'm most curious about the 60s, driving in Europe. Perhaps I'm influenced by the European/American movies with European setting but I would be most interested in going back to that period. Thanks for a great subject.

TomM - 6/27/2016 2:35:09 PM

+2 Boost

There is only one possibility that I know of -

The DeLorean Time Machine -

I am unaware of any other cars that are capable of time travel!!!!!!!

carsnyc - 6/27/2016 2:47:38 PM

+2 Boost

Any Duesenberg

PUGPROUD - 6/27/2016 3:14:07 PM

0 Boost

Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird land speed record car.

Agent009 - 6/27/2016 3:31:10 PM

-2 Boost

I think some of the Italian supercars of the 60's would be cool. They would be trounced today, but they were the pinnacle of era.

I can imagine the skinny tires, the clunky gear shifts and marginal brakes all adding up to be one hell of an experience.

MDarringer - 6/27/2016 4:11:37 PM

-7 Boost

By the same token, today's cars are so refined that they have lost a lot of the "machineness" of older cars.

I hate the modern 911. I'd rather have an old 911S from the late 60s simply for the "machineness" of it. Numbers must decidedly are not the whole story. If that were the case, no one would buy Miatas.

I adore the 914-6, but you could not get me to buy a Boxster. A buddy of mine has a real, all numbers matching 914-6 with less than 75K miles on it. He had us build him a fake 914-6 that was the mirror image so he could have it as his daily driver. The "machineness" is excellent.

MDarringer - 6/27/2016 4:05:51 PM

-6 Boost

I've been fortunate to have ridden in and/or driven more than a few vintage cars.

Being a swinging bachelor with an Islero, Miura, and Daytona back in the day could be fun.

knowitall1985 - 6/28/2016 4:12:54 PM

+1 Boost

PORSCHE 917 Hopefully I would be good enough to open it up....