7 Cars That Have Been Consistently Brilliant Throughout Their Long Lives

They say, “Things grow better with age.” The same can be said with many prominent cars in the automotive world. Like ginseng, fine liquor and Jennifer Aniston, famous cars that were great since birth managed to keep it’s stellar reputation as 10 out of 10s that they are among aficionados, and definitely for good reason. Its within the name, the looks, the technicality and detail, and most especially the presence they bring.

Not counting short lived names such as exotics, 7 out of many cars out there get an honorable mention for their long-lived existence, and how they evolved to stand as the rightful bearers of their legendary titles.

1. BMW M3

As if the already famous 3-Series wasn’t enough, the eggheads at ///M Division during the 80s decided to take some E30s, and give them an upgrade of their own devising. The already swollen popularity of the 3-Series just skyrocketed. Getting a refresh with custom house parts, the small boost of performance was more than enough to win the hearts of car enthusiasts.

Even to this day, the M3 is an extremely popular name in the world of performance cars, and to this day, every single generation of the M3 is coveted in some way, from the classic masterpiece, the E30 M3, the scrappier, cheaper, rather citric E36 M3, the CarThrottle favorite, stereotyped E46 M3, the post-modern transitional phase, V8 powered E92 M3, to the current, technologically advanced, turbocharged F80 M3. ///M Division has somehow made a 3-Series for every kind of car enthusiast, of every taste.

2. Nissan Skyline GT-R

A legendary name from the Japanese car maker alongside the Fairlady Z, the Skyline has been a boon for many a Nissan enthusiast since the 1950s, and much like with the BMW 3-Series, Nissan managed to make a crazy recipe of success by modifying the Hakosoka Skyline of the 70s with the well known GT-R name, a title briefly forgotten during the time of the R30 and R31, but revived successfully starting with the R32, and forever immortalized into car and pop culture with the R34 and R35 (though the R35 was only in a GT-R form to begin with).

Before you complain that with the R35 came the end of the Skyline name, take to note, the Skyline namesake still lives on with Infiniti, because after the R34 generation of the Skyline, the Infiniti’s G35 and succeeding G37 still use the Nissan Skyline name within Japan, and with that Skyline DNA, it lives somewhere within the R35.

Though the GT-R moniker has been used by various other performance cars over time, no other car has quite been able to cement it into the mainstream than the Skyline.

3. Volkswagen Golf

Considered by many as the “original hot hatch”, this peppy little German car has led the charge and revolutionized the modern hatchback genre of the automotive industry. It was the materialization of the ideal “car for the masses”, a mission that is well attributed to the motor company it is made from; Its got simple looks, ample interior space, accommodating comfort, appropriate size: not too big, but not too small either, a refined platform, and a nice, reputable engine, whether it be diesel, or petrol.

Such a famous and successful car it was since 1973, it has continued to be a go-to car for new car buyers, teenagers, couples, families, and race-ready car enthusiasts. Despite a brief period of infamy due to a scandal revealed in 2015, it has never faltered in quality, still being attributed to being a remarkable every day car with nigh-endless viability.

4. Ford Crown Victoria

The Ford Crown Victoria is to USA as the Volkswagen Beetle is to Mexico. This full sized, rear wheel drive land barge is a common staple in the streets of America, and has been adapted to all sorts of uses, thanks to it’s simple construction and body-on-frame build. It has seen action as ordinary civilian cars, police interceptors, taxi cabs, and sometimes, drag racers and tuner projects.

Even throughout the years, the design and engineering of the Crown Vic, as it is nicknamed, has changed little, and throughout it’s entire life of production, it has managed to win the hearts of millions of car enthusiasts, simply because of the simplicity of it.

They say, if its perfect, you don’t need to change it. The same principle kind of carries over to this car.

5. Rolls Royce Phantom

To think of “Rolls Royce Phantom” and not think of “rich” right afterwards is like thinking of Johnny Depp and not think of “Captain Jack Sparrow” right afterwards.

Probably the oldest name in this article, the wonderfully luxurious Rolls Royce Phantom has always been the stereotypical, undisputed king of luxury automobiles. It is commonly called a “land yacht”, and for good reason; a graceful, beautiful car, with an interior that is essentially a royal palace on wheels, bought mainly for leisure and symbolism this British bombshell is often the subject of want, envy, vanity, and mass fortune… But these elements are what makes the exclusivity of a Rolls Royce so coveted, and the Phantom is the proper benchmark of this subject.

6. Honda Civic

The Honda Civic; a car synonymous with V-TEC and a certain grain crop. Jokes aside, the Honda Civic has always been a stalwart choice of car for practically every kind of sentient being; man, woman, dog or cat. Such an easy, user-friendly car it is, that it has grown into huge icon in the world of car enthusiasts and also ordinary drivers, mainly because, like the Ford Crown Vic mentioned previously, it has got a simple build, its easy to maintain, it is fun to drive, and has endless modification options.

The Honda Civic is basically the McDonalds cheeseburger of the car world; its a small, simple, cheap, mass produced but delicious and popular way to satisfy the appetite of the hungry, and with that, Honda has become one of the biggest names in the world, in more ways than just cars, though the Civic is a significant benefactor to it’s popularity.

7. Porsche 911

Stuttgart’s world famous stallion most certainly deserves a place in this list; its even in the cover photo!

Renowned as the “people’s sports car”, the 911 has never failed to disappoint aficionados, save the time when the 996 generation was introduced, switching from the homey air-cooled engine set up to a water cooled version, with much complaints and criticism and also when the 991 generation utilized electric steering from hydraulic steering, though these criticisms have mostly been doled out and hecklers moved on and accepted the change, save for die-hard 911 veterans.

Nevertheless, with a shape and reputation unmistakable for anything else, the 911 is arguably one of the best cars… In the world. The meticulous engineering behind it, jokingly referred to as borderline “black magic”, is a core selling point alone, not only in the finances, but in the hearts of owners. Whatever generation of 911 you pick, you will most certainly not regret it; from the dangerously voluptuous classic 930 to the stunningly quick and fresh faced 991, you will understand why there are enthusiasts that wouldn’t trade anything else for one of these, and if you get to personally experience it, it may even seduce you into that Germanic magical touch.

As an ending note, there are many other cars out there that deserve an honorable mention, such as the Mercedes Benz S-Class, Land Rover Range Rover, Mazda MX-5, and probably a few others out there. If there are any other aged automotive masterpieces out there, let me know in the comments section and also for others to know!

Thug Bird, out.

ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

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