original 1968 ford mustang bullitt

Hooniverse Asks: What’s your favorite year for cars?

Jeff Glucker

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Loyal Hooniversalist Batshitbox suggested a Hooniverse Asks; What’s your favorite year of manufacture? Here’s why:

While researching the last HoonAsk, I realized how many cars made in 1961 were favorites of mine. The first Scouts ever made (and the first Scout I ever owned), the Chevy and GMC trucks with the bizarre ‘eyebrow’ hoods that they abandoned after a couple of years, and all of the GM Y-body cars.

I wonder if you could own as many cars as you want but they all had to be manufactured in the same year what year (and of course, what cars) would that be?

It’s a good question. And we may have done it before, but that was in the before… today is the now-now. My own answer would likely be 1968. There’s some seriously good metal that came out that year. My only gripe would be that my preferred 1968 Charger would be wearing the wrong taillights. But I could live with that. And I could live with all the cool cars and trucks that are built and sold in 1968.

What’s your favorite year?

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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37 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What’s your favorite year for cars?”

  1. Mister Sterling Avatar
    Mister Sterling

    What an awesome question. I love ’68 and ’69 myself. But I have to go with a year in which I was alive. I think I have to go with 1993. I’m sure that’s going to be a popular answer here. The last batch of Japanese bubble sports cars, Japanese bubble luxury coupes (the SVX, the Leopard/Infiniti M30, the Soarer/Lexus SC400), and classic Japanese off-roaders (I’m thinking of the Trooper and Montero). We also had the Porsche 964 (although I think I love the 993 more). OMG, and the McClaren F1! But the OMG moment for me personally was seeing my college roommate purchase an FD RX7 in early May 1993, years before anyone else I knew. He had to the be the first person in Massachusetts to own one. Lucky rich bastard.

    Reply
    1. smalleyxb122 Avatar
      smalleyxb122

      My immediate thought was “a year from the late ’60s”, and then settled on 1993. There are enough clues in your comment to know that we are not secretly the same person (I never lived in Mass), but to land on ’93 from a preference for ’68 and ’69 is an interesting leap for both of us to have. The FD and a certain British supercar were also deciding factors in my choice, but for me the Brit was the XJ220.

      Reply
    2. smalleyxb122 Avatar
      smalleyxb122

      My immediate thought was “a year from the late ’60s”, and then settled on 1993. There are enough clues in your comment to know that we are not secretly the same person (I never lived in Mass), but to land on ’93 from a preference for ’68 and ’69 is an interesting leap for both of us to have. The FD and a certain British supercar were also deciding factors in my choice, but for me the Brit was the XJ220.

      Reply
      1. Mister Sterling Avatar
        Mister Sterling

        Oh yes! And it was the time of last pre-Volkswagen Lamborghini (and therefore, arguably, difficult to drive compared to what followed), the Diablo.

        Reply
      2. Mister Sterling Avatar
        Mister Sterling

        Oh yes! And it was the time of last pre-Volkswagen Lamborghini (and therefore, arguably, difficult to drive compared to what followed), the Diablo. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2e7acf2404ee7b990dbdaccfd71cdd60c163b4b5eed7d13477b8390b583cf0ba.jpg

        Reply
  2. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    Crap… I have difficulty when people try to nail me down to just a decade. But a single year?

    I’m torn, because my favorite muscle car is a 1970 model (AMC Javelin) and my first muscle car is a 1966 (Mercury Comet), but considering the entire spectrum of cars available in a year, my interests fall more in line with 1967. And then I’m ignoring the early-to-mid 50s altogether, which is just wrong. But, I’ll go with 1967.

    So, regarding taillamps, you’re saying you prefer the square lamps over the rounds??? That’s just crazy talk.

    Reply
  3. Scoutdude Avatar
    Scoutdude

    Well if you were to look in my driveway it would say 03 since there are 3 from that year. 1972 would be the runner up with 2.

    Reply
  4. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    Hey, a chance for a geologist to fumble a statistical analysis! The car I’ve owned much, much longer than any other is from 1959, but both the mean and median of all my past and present cars is 1969. The mode, on the other hand, is 1965 (five examples), with 1959 as a very close second (four examples). The years range from 1937 to 1983. This excludes one pickup truck (1970) and all other street-legal motor vehicles that are not legally cars. I have no clear idea what to conclude from all this in terms of a favorite year, but I suppose it gives me another excuse not to buy this rather overpriced 1972 Taunus, in that I don’t want to redo all this math:

    https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/d/lakewood-1972-ford-taunus-cortina-tc/7241808318.html

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      That’s a slightly different approach and a baffling conclusion. Taunus like that are quite respected collector’s cars here. There’s an older lady in a village one hour from here who dailies a very similar car to the one you’ve shown – always a headturner.

      If I get my cars right, it’s 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1996, 2002, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2015. Apart from the 145, the 240s and Centennial, I’ve mostly owned practical cars rather than desirable ones.

      Reply
    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      That’s a slightly different approach and a baffling conclusion. Taunus like that are quite respected collector’s cars here. There’s an older lady in a village one hour from here who dailies a very similar car to the one you’ve shown – always a headturner.

      If I get my cars right, it’s 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1996, 2002, 2002, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2015. Apart from the 145, the 240s and Centennial, I’ve mostly owned practical cars rather than desirable ones.

      Reply
      1. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell

        Mostly this was a sneaky attempt at injecting a bit of Craigslist Crapshoot into the discussion, but at $8500 that Taunus is about twice the highest price I’ve ever paid for a vehicle and closer to three or four times the price of one of my more typical purchases. I’m a cheapskate.

        Reply
        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Crapshoot-mode is engaged very easily, and I can confirm that the price is quite stiff even seen from over here…

          https://www.finn.no/car/used/search.html?filters=&model=1.767.1061

          Reply
          1. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            These don’t come up for sale in the US all that often from any year, but even so I’d prefer one of the earlier versions with the V4, if only just to see that engine finally in its native habitat after having owned SAABs of models 95, 96, and 97 that were so equipped.

          2. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            No Seitenstreifentaunus for you? Just so you can tell people you own a Seitenstreifentaunus…

          3. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            An excellent point, but there’s still a case to be made in favor of provoking the reaction of “What do you mean it’s a V4? There’s no such thing! Why does everyone who doesn’t know anything about cars call every engine a V-something?” It’s a teachable moment.

  5. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I’m gonna go with 1962, rather than 1961. As much as I love the heavy eyebrow GMC, I wouldn’t take one over my beloved Bentley S3 which began production in 1962. I’ll have both, please.
    And I’d like my 1962 RHD Scout back, but in showroom condition
    With an IH Metro for grocery getting
    Of course, the Y-body cars, Tempest, Skylark, Cutlass, as mentioned last week
    And throw in a Studebaker Gran Turismo for something nearer to the end of it’s production life
    Oh, and don’t forget the Intermeccanica Apollo GT

    Maybe I should have a Ford? I like Fords. I’ll get back to you on that; this is going to be a long list.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e795ed6de01e8333862747b8b136f78bfaa5279e4eeea679fcd2d929b8cee2d8.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c4c0b8b4e8c2055b8964beddee191a9249f5c8f90d41f8d1301785375a224a4c.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd08a6894d1c86747eeaaf469b3f1e100ba7fbd5adbc8a21aa46a76065a1a272.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e95d0105c3aeec812c01e3a6caab1fa6e019fe74e3bdad3c765b937f5d088a1c.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1557ba828bbe60bb83959a5272b61fce49c9a93bae706a527df0b23c79c6576.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/16104baed875d04c8d99cc035c2175af7426d4c1bd34e0547fd09ddb723e23d9.jpg

    Reply
    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Not ford but Lincoln; specifically a suicide door Continental because my whole life I’ve had a scar on my head from falling out of one (okay, my whole life after age 2.)
      And just to balance out the Bentley, a ’62 Ford Anglia with flames up the side, as driven by Vyvyan Basterd on The Young Ones

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a1d951b4e8590e65961101aebc19ca6f088087c3a409c496960f447165aa7c26.jpg

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d1699401cf2c1cb957650d70177ecd35b3f3c6cb65064e34713b674242f18a0.jpg

      Reply
      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        JFK also suffered permanent scar from a head injury received in a suicide door Lincoln, though his car was a 1961 model.

        Reply
  6. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    Oof, a single year? Man, with just one year, I guess ’63 would be tough to beat – Shelby Cobra, Galaxie, Impala SS, Catalina SD, the entire Plymouth line up (but not those homely Dodges, yuck – they need another couple years to get on track). How about a ’63 Studebaker Avanti? First year of the Stingray Vette and the Riviera. Bill Thomas Cheetah. Although I prefer the ’64-’66 Chev pickups, ’63 was the first year of the better looking grill. Now add in all the gorgeous, absolute classics from across the pond – hello, 250 GTO! E-Type and Maser 3500GTi. Yup, 1963 for me please.

    Yeah, I just keep adding to my 1963 list here – you could still get a first gen Power Wagon and it was the first year for the Wagoneer. My favorite year for Cadillac. Even a brand I take very little interest in, I’d still looooove to have a Porsche 356B.

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      In my haste, I didn’t even consider non-U.S. vehicles. Hmmm…

      Reply
      1. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        Have you considered a British car? The ’60s were the heyday of the British motor vehicle industry. You may want to stick to the late-60s if you like things like disc brakes.

        Reply
        1. daniel Avatar
          daniel

          bdlpartner.yahoo.Com

          Reply
  7. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    I’ve had 5 1970 cars, and no more than 3 of any other model year, so perhaps I’ll stick with what I know best:
    Obviously, load me up with assorted flavors of Challengers and ‘cudas. Also Superbirds. And a 68 Charger looks both cleaner and more menacing than a 70, the 70 still looks pretty good. Speaking of looking good, I’ll need a 300 Hurst to escort a 1970-vintage Linda Vaughn. And a Dude pickup.

    On the Ford side, Give me a Mach I, and if we can count them as 1970, then a GT500. I’ll take a 70 Bronco, too.

    My bowtie fleet would include 3-door Suburban, a split-bumper Camaro, an astronaut-spec Corvette, a Monte Carlo, LS6 Chevelle, and an OG donk. Other GMs would include a W30 Olds, a 500 CID Eldorado, a Jetway 707 to haul around 14 of my closest friends, a GSX, a Judge, and a Trans Am.

    For exotics, I’ll take a Monteverdi HAI 450, Citroen SM, Ferrari Daytona, Lambo Miura, AMX/3. And I want to ride like the King, so let’s throw in a Blackhawk. How about an Excalibur for some grins, too.

    Reply
  8. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    I’d go with the year I was born, 1982. Lots of cubist stars available simultaneously: The Volvo 240 that would outlive its replacement, the 760:
    https://www.cdn.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00943/Volvo-760-side-utel_943431a.gif
    The GAZ 24, or Volga:
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/GAZ-24_%22Volga%22_in_Estonia.jpg
    The Toyota Century:
    https://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1982-Toyota-Century.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      That’d be an interesting poll. If you had to choose a car from the year of your birth, what would it be?

      My birth year (1973) was, for the auto enthusiast, either the last hoorah or the beginning of the end, depending on your level of anxiety. There are a few good choices, but nothing like it was 4-5 years prior.

      Reply
      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        for the American auto enthusiast

        ?

        I could live with 1973. The last 140s, strange cars almost morphing into 240s, are odd collector’s items today. Almost bought one in 2003, earlier owned by the king of Norway. You got the DeTomaso Pantera and Datsun 240Z. The fabulous Mazda 929, economy favourite Toyota Starlet and, not least, the Izh 2125 were introduced that year.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          Indeed, the “few good choices” on my short list would include the 240Z, Volvo 140, BMW’s 3.0CS and 2002– all favorites of mine from across the pond. From an American perspective, I also would put the AMC Javelin, Pontiac Firebird, Ford Bronco, Jeep Cherokee, Toyota FJ55, Toyota Celica, and Dodge Challenger in the mix as pretty cool. And getting more exotic, the Aston Martin Vantage, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Ferrari BB, Lambo Countach, and Porsche 911, all represent the year pretty well.

          So no, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, but the late 60s (again, looking here at North America) was considerably better, in my opinion.

          Reply
  9. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    I have to go with 2011, but from necessity rather than desire, due to my steadily declining financial status (Thanks kids!).

    2011 was before kids, or any plan to have kids. I sold my GS500 and got a near-new Crossrunner (VFR800x). A year or two later (Maybe 2013) my trusty ’93 Fairmont became more expensive to maintain than a new(ish) car, and my wife didn’t like driving it much (too big). Enter the 2011 Subaru Outback.

    Then 2014, kids came along. Economics became an issue.

    About 2015 my wife’s 300,000km Corolla was rapidly deteriorating to the point at which it was no longer safe. Enter the Ford Focus – 2011 of course.

    Some time after (2018?) It turned out that the Subaru fell well below the spec required for towing the camper, so a tow vehicle was sought – a 2011 Touareg.

    Finally, earlier this year, the Subaru caught fire. While I wont speak against Subaru’s generally, our particular one was a lemon and gave us a lot of trouble.
    Insurance was kind to us, so we replaced it with a 2011 Mazda6 wagon.

    You know how they say men choose a golden year, and live the rest of their lives as if it was still that year? Well car (and bike)-wise for me, that year seems to be 2011.

    Reply
  10. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
    SlowJoeCrow

    I like 1967 as the last year before US emissions standards and also a period right before a lot of American cars got fatter. In the rest of the world there was also all sorts of interesting stuff, the Mini, the early 911, the Renault 16 was new the Citroen DS.was still competitive and the Volvo 145 was only a year old.

    Reply
    1. salguod Avatar
      salguod

      I was going to say 1967 as well. The year of my birth saw the first Camaro and Firebird, a nicely refreshed Mustang and a sleek all new Barracuda. There were some good looking GM full size coupes available too.

      Reply
  11. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    I had forgotten about this Datsun 200SX that used to be in my neighborhood.
    Stay away from 1981, I guess is the message. Evidently it was a bad car year.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f5b35faa2b8cdc6a10939a6f870fe5328b4d9271a74a5c6edd93cc2940b41a2d.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b56ce28b61c1beb61f1f783510ebc7da24aab96e8788c0fefdca191770cacd87.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2691964bdf6df8e56da5595bfda89b02a4e84dca705e4017e82bf0a41c8f392b.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6461e28f7b5a959e098c269acf096198845cc7dd77d221696a670ad34e09d632.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d08441c0c44547d1a13b657c1eb9a9ab3962d64b76d8e2d0783aebb447eb4fec.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d441b2c47314077a1831b2da0e9849eb2c4d2a90489e1799202db7df0086d41.jpg

    Reply
    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Oop. Forgot the hood

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8872bee224028be00928c063218ea67974db9cbdf8e67afbd471ca61dc4daff4.jpg

      Reply
    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Really inviting a conversation, that one. How odd!

      Reply
  12. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    1970. One company brings out both of these. Still a future away today.
    .https://static.wheels.ae/imgs/4975_autowp_0-medium.jpg.
    https://car-images.bauersecure.com/pagefiles/94490/citroen-gs-auer-01.jpeg

    And from the other side of the channel a new brand is born
    https://www.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/images/car-reviews/first-drives/legacy/rrr_wales_065.jpg

    Reply
  13. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    1992 – but based on living in a country you could personal import from Japan without much hassle. 60s cars might look cool, but I’d argue the 90s is peak motoring, cars have all the good stuff that makes them useable like EFI and electronic ignition in many cases, reliable engines (well Japanese ones anyway), performance without peaky cams and cantankerous carbs. The Suzuki Cappucino and Honda Beat had been launched the year previous, with the AZ-1 launching in 1992. You could buy the last of the line V-Spec II R32 Nissan Skyline GT-Rs and there was a ton of other great JDM cars such as the second gen MR2, Nissan Silvia, Figaro. Peugeot was still making decent cars, The TVR Griffith had been around a year (their peak in my view), the Dodge Viper launched in 92 and to top it all off, the McLaren F1.

    Reply
  14. hilman zakka Avatar
    hilman zakka

    how bout 2021 aventador ??
    https://shrinke.me/LAMBORGHINI_AVENTADOR_SVJ

    Reply
  15. hilman zakka Avatar
    hilman zakka

    how bout 2021 aventador ??
    https://shrinke.me/LAMBORGHINI_AVENTADOR_SVJ

    Reply