What year was ‘peak car’?

[brownnova]

Peak car… the year before it drifted downwards into the modern bore-fest that cars have become.

For me that year is 1997.

In 1997 cars were very capable, they handled well, had useful safety features (ABS and airbags being fairly common) and could keep a good pace over a long distance. The unreliability of the 70s was long behind, and cars were even reasonably frugal, especially is specified in the ever increasingly popular diesel flavour. But in 97 we don’t have the annoyance of over assisted steering, numb feeling driving experience, and overly complex car computers rendering home spannering impossible.

In 1997 some of the greats were still in production… the Volvo 940, the Saab 9000, the Mk1 MX5, the original Mini and the Ford Escort. But look at the list of cars introduced and some greats are there too.. the Alfa 156, Land Rover Freelander, Mercedes CLK and the inimitable Isuzu VehiCross. It was a time when Merc still produced great cars, a time when Audi’s weren’t all driven by wankers and BMWs were still cool. It was when Peugeot still made the 306 before it became the 307, when pop up headlights were still legal and Rover still existed. 

After 1997 cars started their decline, and whilst I’ve found some post 97 cars to be competent… I’ve never loved something post 97… 

So for me 97 is the peak… I was 12. What’s your peak car year? 

[fairkens]

Was 1995 when John Cleland won the BTCC? If so, then 1995. If not then whatever year he won it. Alfa 155, Volvo 850, Cavalier, Mk1 Mondeo etc etc

[chris667]

In 1996, my dad bought a 1.2l Corsa. He used it for his business until it got scruffy, then bought another when it became my mum's. When she was dying of cancer, I sold my car (a slightly more modern Vauxhall) and used the money to fund her last Christmas.

I kept that car until 2009, when it had done 140,000 miles. No breakdowns. I sold it on to someone else. It was the first car I drove where you didn't need to know any of the bits of folklore that used to be required to operate a car. It just worked. For me, it was the year cars went from being things to get enthusiastic about to merely being consumer products.

[dollywobbler]

It's about then. As an example, a late Xantia Hdi is a superb car, the replacement C5 more complex, uglier and struggling to deliver any real benefit over the car it replaced. Much as I liked ours, it just didn't seem to move the game onwards. I love GSAs and BXs, but the Xantia is more rounded than either as daily transport.

[DoctorRetro]

Yeah, somewhere from 94 - 97 would be my vote. Pretty much everything I've owned in that bracket has been the right mix of interesting, simple, reliable and comfortable.

1995 Rover 418SLD Tourer would be my choice.

[eddyramrod]

Mid 90s?  I'm inclined to agree.  Ford and Volvo still made RWD cars.  FWD and diesel hadn't taken over yet.  Actual colours were available, and some people were even choosing them.  As has been mentioned, the German manufacturers were still trying to live up to their reputation rather than simply trading off it.  The Japanese had even begun to discover rustproofing.

Ahhh those were the days.

[Bstardchild]

For barges 1992 - Senator 24V

For hot hatches 1985 - 205 GTi

[brownnova]

I wasn’t expecting so much consensus! 😂

[Asimo]

1970/71  So much choice.

Front engine, rear engine, air cooled, water cooled, front drive, rear drive, four wheel drive, Wankel, rubber springs, gas springs. Comfort rather than luxury, handling rather than track times. Utility rather than economy, beauty rather than brand-identity.

Or put another way

E type, 911, Ro80, 2CV, Beetle, Minor, mini or Maxi ( or Landcrab / lobster!) Range Rover, XJ6, Zodiac, GS and SM, 8.2litre Cadillacs, Escort, Dino, R16, Tatra 603, Stag, Giulietta, 164, Interceptor.

[Dyslexic Viking]

For me it is 1984 when there were still simple carburetor engines and simple cars and some of the best cars produced were new like the W123, Volvo 240/740 and Peugeot 505 to name a few. Rust was still a problem but I can live with that. My 2 school teachers are still driving around in the same Volvo 740 that they have had for over 30 years now. Over 30 years of economical and reliable car ownership and it can probably last another 30 years. That's why I like this era of cars.

[Broadsword]

Defo 94-97 as most agree here. Also coincides with Jag I think at their best, both the X300 series with really reliable and solid saloons alongside the gorgeous XK8. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Any year before the VW Dieselgate scandal.

[Ghosty]

I agree with mid-90s. Things work, you can fix them, and they're rewarding to drive to boot. 

[Liggle]

I'd say 1999 - before Euro 3 emissions were introduced and things started getting more complicated.

A late 90's Toyota or Honda has got that drive until the end of time feel, of course it'll rot away in the mean time though

[Shite Ron]

For me the peak year was 1981,  I was also 12 years old then. New cars were far more exciting then than they are now.  Cortina’s, proper Granada’s, series 3 Jag’s, Rover SD1’s, Capri’s, Mini’s, Lotus Eclat, Esprit and Elite all still in production. If you won the pools you could buy a Camargue or Countach.The choice of cars was vast yet exciting. I cannot think of such a great selection since.  The end of Cortina production hit me hard as a 13 year old and I still have not found a better all-round car. I often wonder if age plays a part in forming our opinions as I was extremely interested in cars when young and knew all the models, spec, even colour and trim of all major manufacturers and could identify almost any car from a distance.

[BorniteIdentity]

Nostalgia.  It ain't what it was.

Cars are definitely better than they were 25 years ago, of that there is absolutely no doubt.  For those who paid close attention, you'll know I now have to drive a Nissan Leaf E+ when on business.  Things like radar cruise, forward collision warning etc are not only brilliant - I'm sure they are saving injuries (and worse).  The safety kit, the construction, all far far superior to what we were making in the mid-late 90s.  

I think we've also got better at design.  I saw an 02 (Mk1.5) Focus yesterday.  It's twenty years old and looked fab.  When the Focus came out (1998) nobody was looking at a MK4 Cortina going "They still look fresh and great today" (Apart from @Shite Ron!!)

Yes, there was probably more choice in the mid 90s - although VW and Audi were largely making the same cars then too.  But some of the choices available in the mid 90s were also shit and you wouldn't have picked them.  

There are some great cars you can buy today which are a bit left field, different to everyone else, stylish, good looking, well designed.  The problem is you just see a lot of bland stuff because that what lease buyers are choosing three years earlier.

Don't get me wrong, my driveway is still littered with 5 cars from 1983-2000.  But I can't shake the feeling that we might just be enjoying the golden age right now.

[andyberg]

Yeah late 90s, possibly up to  2005ish. I only have a small fleet of 2 cars, a 1998 Mazda Xedos 6 and a 2000 K11 micra. After many years of buying and selling cars I feel my fleet is about spot on now, but maybe it's just my age! I don't like modern styling at all, there is no modern car I would buy, and don't get me started on the hideous 'infotainment' screens. Give me good old separate controls anyday. Cars seemed more individual back along, and yes you could spend a weekend tinkering with your Halfords socket set!

Maybe it's an age thing, with rose tinted glasses, harking back to younger times. And maybe today's millennials will look back at today's cars with fondness. But I doubt it. Cars today just seem to be that 'a car' that gets you about. Because so many are not owned anymore it's all PCP ect there is no fondness for them?

[chris667]

Ah, yes. "Infotainment". TBH I find a lot of the mobile technology (that's seemingly now unavoidable!) creepy. And I don't want to be "entertained" in my car. It's like everywhere you go, you have to have a little screen in front of you.

[andyberg]

Exactly, and what's the difference to playing with that or your phone whilst driving ?  

[TheOtherStu]

Have to say, 97/98 were the years of the Scooby and Evo

However, as my MR2 didn't appear until 99, I'd put my hand up for that one and the Hyundai Coupe F2 Evo appeared that year. Rover 75 was introduced in June.

[steveo3002]

early 90s for me...last mk2 golfs , mk4 escorts .....as a vw fan the mk3 golf wasnt good, mk5 escorts sucked etc

   

[New POD]

What year was the mk3 cavalier GSi introduced. That must be the year. 

[HillmanImp]

In the 90s cars were galvanised, were reliable, easy to work on yourself, had safety features such as airbags and crumple zones so I'm with everyone else on this.

[eddyramrod]

49 minutes ago, chris667 said:

Ah, yes. "Infotainment". TBH I find a lot of the mobile technology (that's seemingly now unavoidable!) creepy. And I don't want to be "entertained" in my car. It's like everywhere you go, you have to have a little screen in front of you.

Infotainment is the work of Satan; in that respect I rate it even above diesel and FWD.  Stuff like heating controls, radio etc need to be simple and easy to find on the move.  There are FAR too many distractions built into new cars; combined with ridiculous thick windscreen pillars and slitty windows it's no wonder people are driving into each other!  It doesn't help that nobody knows how to cross the road any more - when did you last see a Tufty or Green Cross Man ad without going to Youtube?

 

Of the many many cars I've owned, I still say one of the best for all-round daily use was my mk5 Cortina: 2.0GL automatic.  Comfortable, powerful enough, smooth... and it even fitted in a standard parking space!

[St.Jude]

10 hours ago, brownnova said:

I wasn’t expecting so much consensus! 😂

Don't worry, I am here to contradict you.

I don't think there was a peak year as such, but a peak group of years. 1996 - 2005.

A lot of what you said applies around this near-decade. Reliability was on point. Cars were basic enough but had the right sort of technology being introduced to them. From 2006 onwards, cars started to become more reliant on electronics. Then the arse went out of it altogether after that. 

[JimH]

Galvanised, fuel injection, reliability, build quality, falling costs, infotainment, connectivity, blah, blah, blah. Bollocks to the lot of it. There will be time for reliability when you are dead.

By the 1990s cars were as dull as dishwater. Take a look at what you would have peered at through the windows of the Fiat showroom in 1973 before you claim that the 90s were where it was at. And not just the factory cars - look at all the Fiat based peaches you would have been able to buy in the same year. Sure they would have bankrupted you and been unreliable heaps of shit but when you looked like this who cares?

What would you want? Groovy family car? Big exec? Middleweight, professional sports car? Tiny shopping car? Mid-engined lightweight? Fiat gave you everything and more in 1973. 

So that is all I hang it on? One manufacturer at the top of their game? Bollocks, Peugeot would sell you this little heartbreaker.

 

The French really were on fire back then. 

Which end of the market do you want? At the top end you could have bought this angel in automotive form.

 

Perhaps you want the greatest van ever built. (Oh yes it was)

Cheating slightly here because it did turn up for another year but at least they were working on it in 1973. Yes, 1973 was so great even the Germans were starting to build decent cars.

And just to prove it wasn't a fluke Porker gave the world this...

 

Why else? Metallic paint was mercifully rare so we got treated to proper paint in proper colours. Cars and their manufacturers were still confident and there was a refusal to apologise for their existence. I suppose you could say that some of the cars asked a lot of you so there was a certain pride in being able to drive one and keep it going - sure, a slightly unreconstructed view but somewhat more agreeable than have cars with sixteen cylinders, four turbochargers and a top end well over the double ton that could be driven by your maiden aunt to the newsagent. 

In summary, fuck the 1990s, fuck reliability and set the controls for 1973. 

[JimH]

But what if you didn't want any of that foreign muck (can't get the parts, you see?). What would you have had in '73?

My choice would have been this rather ill-behaved offering from Vauxhall. 

Wouldn't it be nice to have a pretty little coupe that was nice to drive but didn't have a crappy B series engine in it? Yeah, one of those please.

 

Or maybe you would prefer a really funky engine in a wobbly old chassis.

1973 was so awesome even the Welsh got in on the act.

Back to Italy and stuff you never could have afforded but you could have had one of the greatest cars ever built in 1973.

Wow. Just wow. 

[sierraman]

‘Peak’ sometimes can be coloured with  sentiment. The 90’s diesels went on for a good mileage but they were slow,  unpleasant to drive and not particularly cheap to repair at the time. Move on 10 years the diesels went wrong a bit but were quick, nice to drive and did mega economy. There’s never been a time when there hadn’t been some sort of downside to progress. 

[Lacquer Peel]

My 90s diesel is cheap to fix, quite quick and pleasant to drive.

[Bitzer]

Circa 1995-2005.  AR GTV and 166, Mk1 Multipla,  Mk1/2 Punto...

I am running my third Mk1 Focus and, with this one, I am taking no chances re rust-proofing, because I cannot think of anything more user-friendly and practical.