# The Gentlemens Automobile



## Sr.Santos (Jan 23, 2005)

Since there are 4 important things a gentleman must have, 1. a quality wardrobe, 2. wrist watch, 3. shoes, and 4. Automobile. This topic seems appropriate for this forum. 

My question is What is the ultimate gentlemens automobile? 

Thank you, Santos

Have a nice day Gentlemen.


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## maxnharry (Dec 3, 2004)

An interesting question. In the US we have been treated to almost constant James Bond movies on TV on AMC and Spike (two networks) since the New Year. I was watching Goldfinger for a few moments and wondered what today's equivalent of the Aston Martin DB5 was. Any thoughts?


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## NewYorkBuck (May 6, 2004)

Im sure everyone will have their own favorite, but for me its the Porsche 911. Timeless, classic. One of the few sportscars than can be driven by a man of almost any age and be acceptable.


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## udeshi (Sep 29, 2005)

Today's equivalent to a DB5, why a DB9!

Vanquish is too showy, plus the gearbox doesn't work, and is not faster around a track.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

I'll volunteer the Kabbaz-Kelly fleet:

​
(Otherwise known as Clifford, The Big Red Truck ... and ... the Mama Bus) [8D]

*https://www.CustomShirt1.com

Kabbaz-Kelly & Sons Fine Custom Clothiers
* Bespoke Shirts & Furnishings * Zimmerli Swiss Underwear **
* Alex Begg Cashmere * Pantherella Socks **​


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## Smooth Jazz (Apr 28, 2004)

If you are looking for a new car -- the top of the line Rolls Royce Phantom in the amazing midnight blue I saw at the Rolls dealership in La Jolla -- custom-fitted to your satisfaction -- driven by your trusty chauffer "James." Otherwise, any number of painstakingly restored vintage cars. If the gentleman in particular would like to get behind the wheel himself -- the Ferrari 250 GTO -- only the Italians can make sexy, curvy sports cars.



> quote:
> My question is What is the ultimate gentlemens automobile?


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## David M. (Jan 5, 2006)

Although it may seem somewhat of a stereotyped brandname, much like Rolex, in my mind Rolls Royce will always produce the most gentlemanly of automobiles. 
In particular, the Rolls Royce 1955 Silver Wraith (with a chauffeur of course) is an excellent mode of transportation.

Elegant interior and exterior, spacious, smooth, quiet, and comfortable, Rolls Royces are made to extremely high specifications. Even these days (when many automobile lines seem to be slipping in quality) Rolls continues to produce wonderful cars. The '05 Phantom is a beautiful vehicle (although not as traditionally, "old school," elegant as the 1955 silver wraith I mentioned), its engine is handbuilt, and the remainder of the chassis and interior are produced with about as much human involvement as any other modern car line can truthfully boast.

In addition to this, while some might consider the strong assocations between RR and great wealth to be a negative quality (echoes of nouveaux riches and pretention or what-have-you), the fact that they have been so heavily relied upon by those that can afford them speaks to their quality and elegance, at least in my mind.

BTW, I'm not a RR Car Salesman []


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## guyinadiner (May 2, 2005)

The Gentleman's car...okay, I'll take a stab:

Weekdays
Black Ford Crown Victoria (with driver)

Weekends
1. Range Rover
2. Austin Healey 3000 III


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## Sir Henry Billingsgate (Dec 14, 2005)

Morgan


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

Bristol Type 411



m kielty


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## rnm0000 (Dec 29, 2004)

I go along with the current day model of the Rolls. Those suicide doors and intimidating front grille are big pluses that bring the car into the 21st century. However has anyone given thought to a Pierce Arrow from the 1930s? They were truly the finest handmade American autos but unfortunately could not survive the Depression. Do car fans know the last year the Pierce Arrow was built?

A long shot would be an Issota Fachini (spelling wrong, can anyone correct?). Made in Spain in the 1920s and 1930s. Was the car that Gloria Swanson used in Sunset Boulevard. Of course you can lose the gold phone and gaudy upholstered seating surfaces.


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## tps16 (Jul 13, 2005)

I think 1938 was the last year for the Pierce Arrow. Many of the great American cars from that era deserve mention... the Packard Twelve, Cadillac Sixteen, and the incredible Dusenberg SJ. 
I though Isotta Fraschini (sp) was Italian. The Hispano-Suiza was a great car as well...


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## Nantucket Red (Jan 26, 2006)

I am personally not at all fond of Rolls-Royce's aesthetic. I find the squared, chrome radiator -- scarcely changed from their earliest models -- to be graceless and garish. I far prefer the austere stylings of Bentley.

The Packard 12 is a sublimely engineered automobile. I learned to drive in a '33 convertible coupe roadster. They run almost silently and are sleek, powerful and fast.

Duesenbergs look good if you like a lot of chrome, but they are loud, unsubtle machines in my experience.

God gave us women; the Devil gave them corsets.
- French proverb


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## tps16 (Jul 13, 2005)

One of my great aunt's still has an old twelve sedan. Really a beautiful car, still running smoothly. I've seen some examples of Dusenbergs that are tasteful and some that aren't, but the SJ is in a class of its own when it comes to outright speed among the cars in that era. 
I've always liked the Cadillac 16 the best out of those cars as it had the smoothest engine, and was more powerful than all but the Dusenberg. Again, as with all of these cars, the bodies were up to the whims of the customer, and thus you find some nice ones and some really tacky ones (the 7 passenger car with cane work on the side comes to mind), though Cadillac offered "factory customs" as well as just the chasis to try to keep the car's appearence consistent. 
I agree with you completely about RR; never really liked them at all, much to flashy, especially the current Phantom. I too have always had a fondness for some of the old Bentleys. The Blower Bentley was a great car, and I have to admit, I like the early 50s Continental before they gave it an automatic transmission and other RR stuff.


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

Isotta Fraschini was an Italian company, one of the most expensive autos at the time. In _Sunset Blvd_ Norma Desmond's was a Tipo 8A with leopard skin seats.

Hispano Suiza was actually a French built auto although its origins were Spanish. It was the favorited auto of Spain's Royal Family, especially King Alfonso XIII.

There is also Bugatti to add to the stable if you want very large and expensive autos from the '20s. I personally think they are the ultimate in auto construction, things from that era.

I think a vintage Jaguar, maybe an E-Type would be rather nice for a gentleman's personal auto.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## comrade (May 26, 2005)

Isotta Fraschini is still in busines in Italy see:
https://www.isottafraschini.it/, however they have not
built automobiles since just after World War II.
Hispano Suiza also still exists: 
.
HS built the famed Pegaso sports cars in the
50s and early 60s and, as recently as 2002,
had a "concept car" at several shows. I 
believe it is primarily involved in military
aviation today


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

Many of these luxury auto companies built aeroplane engines during and after the war, never really returning to manufacturing civilian things.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## tps16 (Jul 13, 2005)

Actually, I believe that Hispano-Suiza produced cars in both France and Spain for a time. 
Others to consider adding to these ranks: Minerva (Belgian), Peerless, Mercedes, Maybach, Horsch, Marmon... 
Actually, there are many others that I think would qualify as gentlemen's automobiles, most of which were made during the twenties and thirties...
Modern cars don't seem to be lacking something in desgin when compared to cars of that era. The only design I've really liked much in recent memory was the Jaguar XJ, which they recently just changed and, IMHO, pretty much ruined by making it much more generic. It may be a better car, but it certainly doesn't look as good to me.


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## Keith Adams (Feb 19, 2005)

Landrover Series IIA LWB 109 in Bronze Green with Limestone hard top

Porsche 356 D 1960 Dark Navy with black convertible top and tan leather interior

Contemporary BMW 5 series

K.A. Adams


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## Fogey (Aug 27, 2005)

1901 Daimler.


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## n/a (Sep 4, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by JLPWCXIII_
> 
> 1901 Daimler.


And Edward VII.


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## hopkins_student (Jun 25, 2004)

I prefer Bentley to RR for luxury car, but I've seen so many "American jackass" twenty-five year olds driving both makes around here that I wouldn't be caught dead in either one. I'd choose something more discreet, Mercedes-Benz S55AMG with the 55 and AMG numbering/lettering removed from the back.


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## Fogey (Aug 27, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Jason Evans_
> 
> 
> 
> ...




By the way, where is your Cranmer quotation?


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## n/a (Sep 4, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by JLPWCXIII_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Please switch over to the Interchange and Vettriano Man's topic "how worried are you...(etc)" Navigate down near the close of the thread. I need to head off to the Tube so I need to get offline. Thanks, dear Sir.


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by hopkins_student_
> 
> I prefer Bentley to RR for luxury car, but I've seen so many "American jackass" twenty-five year olds driving both makes around here that I wouldn't be caught dead in either one. I'd choose something more discreet, Mercedes-Benz S55AMG with the 55 and AMG numbering/lettering removed from the back.


Odious bits of klass with a k. However, Bentley has been misappropriated by the rap set.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## Trilby (Aug 11, 2004)

A Bentley R Type Continental

However, I disagree with the opening premise that a car is essential. I get by perfectly well with taxis - yellow or black, depending on which side of the Atlantic I'm on.


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## Rich (Jul 10, 2005)

Would a Jaguar be considered gentlemanly?


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## Haboochi (Jan 18, 2006)

I think a Jaguar Mk IX (1958-1961) would be a decent candidate. It was sporty, luxurious, and had all the bells and whistles of the period's Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. Any Jaguar xk 120-xk 150 would also do. The E-Types are far too common and redolent of the 1960's swinger ala Austin Powers. A note on color: a gentleman does not drive a red car or one with a two-tone paint job. I have seen a lot of classic cars done up in both and the latter was never done on anything chauffer-driven as his livery always should have matched the car's color scheme. Can you imagine a driver in silver and Carmen red?


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## Haboochi (Jan 18, 2006)

I think a Jaguar Mk IX (1958-1961) would be a decent candidate. It was sporty, luxurious, and had all the bells and whistles of the period's Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. Any Jaguar xk 120-xk 150 would also do. The E-Types are far too common and redolent of the 1960's swinger ala Austin Powers. A note on color: a gentleman does not drive a red car or one with a two-tone paint job. I have seen a lot of classic cars done up in both and the latter was never done on anything chauffer-driven as his livery always should have matched the car's color scheme. Can you imagine a driver in silver and Carmen red?


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## Horace (Jan 7, 2004)

> quote:_Originally posted by LabelKing_
> 
> Hispano Suiza was actually a French built auto although its origins were Spanish. It was the favorited auto of Spain's Royal Family, especially King Alfonso XIII.


I believe other notable families of blue blood also patronized the maker. In fact, one of my favorite royal's in exile is reputed to have saved his from the angry mob.


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## ChubbyTiger (Mar 10, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Sir Henry Billingsgate_
> 
> Morgan


Amen!

I think that every gentleman should have a sportscar. Defined in the traditional sense: A sports car is a two-seater, preferably open,
that can, in a pinch, be raced.

I would like to add something about a driving cap and tweed jacket. 

CT


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## 80FJ40 (Sep 26, 2005)

1980 Toyota FJ40 (short wheelbase landcruiser)
BMW 3.0CSL
Land Rover double cab
DB9

80FJ40


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## Tim Correll (Jul 18, 2005)

Here are some of the cars that I like: 2004+ Audi A8/A8L, 2005+ Audi A6, 2007+ Audi S6 and S8, 2008+ or 2009+ Audi RS 6, 2005.5+ Audi A4 and S4, 2007 Audi RS 4, pre 2004 BMW 5 Series/M5, pre 2002 BMW 7 Series, BMW 6 Series/M6 (the 2004+ 6 Series and 2007+ M6 are the only Chris Bangle/Adrian Van Hooydonk designed BMWs that are downright gorgeous rather than horribly ugly), pre 2006 BMW 3 Series sedans, pre 2007 BMW 3 Series coupes and convertibles, pre 2008 BMW M3, BMW Z3 (I hate the Z4 that replaces the Z3), Cadillac CTS, 2005+ Cadillac STS, Cadillac XLR, Cadillac SRX, 2002+ Cadillac Escalade, 1964-1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport, 1958-1967 and 2005+ Chevrolet Corvette, 1990-1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 1967-1969 and 2009+ or 2010+ Chevrolet Camaro, 1964-1970 and 2005+ Ford Mustang, 2004+ Jaguar XJ, 2006+ Lexus GS Series, 2007+ Lexus IS Series, 2007+ Lexus LS Series, 2004+ Lexus RX Series, pre 2000 Mercedes S Class, pre 2003 Mercedes SL, pre 2003 Mercedes E Class, Nissan Maxima, 2004+ Toyota Highlander, 2006+ Toyota RAV4, 2005+ Toyota Avalon. Most of these vehicles are gentleman's vehicles; some may not be.


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## 44XT (Aug 2, 2005)

I'm with NewYorkbuck, I have owned my Porsche 911 for over 20 years, and it never fails to draw compliments. I have never once heard anyone say anything derogatory about Porsche ownership. The car is amazingly well built, parts are always available, and the handling of this older car still instills confidence.


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## Nantucket Red (Jan 26, 2006)

> quote:_Originally posted by LabelKing_
> 
> There is also Bugatti to add to the stable if you want very large and expensive autos from the '20s. I personally think they are the ultimate in auto construction, things from that era.
> 
> ...


For design, Bugattis are some of the most gorgeous cars -- every square centimeter of them -- ever built. I think they have something of a reputation for being tempermental divas, though. In one famous exchange, a customer complained to Ettore Bugatti that his car wouldn't start when it was cold, to which Bugatti replied, "Keep it in a heated garage."

God gave us women; the Devil gave them corsets.
- French proverb


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## JRY (Mar 22, 2005)

Hmm...,

For myself, if cost were no object, the Masarati Quattroporte. Very elegant and very fast and can comfortably seat four... sort of the automotive equivalent of a full-length tightly rolled umbrella with a hidden sword handle. No need to call undue attention to one's self, but it's there if you need it. 

Regards,
JRY

"There are many ways in which to break a plate, but only one way to put it back together." - Howard Roberts


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## benedictusoblatus (Mar 15, 2005)

You're all wrong! A gentleman would drive a black Mini Cooper S.


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## the diplomat (Dec 18, 2005)

Bristol Blenheim 3


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

The brand, I think, is not significant. I think the qualities required are: soundness, style, verve and that it be kept up well.

alaric

"Bunter, I shall have to look like a newspaperman." 
"Then, my lord, I would suggest the suit we don't like and the regrettable tie." 
"Perfect!"


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

As to the â€œRolls with chauffeurâ€ observations, I can only quote Sir Henry Royce: â€œThe best seat in a Rolls-Royce is behind the wheel.â€

alaric


"Bunter, I shall have to look like a newspaperman." 
"Then, my lord, I would suggest the suit we don't like and the regrettable tie." 
"Perfect!"


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## richb (Oct 2, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by hopkins_student_
> 
> I prefer Bentley to RR for luxury car, but I've seen so many "American jackass" twenty-five year olds driving both makes around here that I wouldn't be caught dead in either one. I'd choose something more discreet, Mercedes-Benz S55AMG with the 55 and AMG numbering/lettering removed from the back.


Why would you remove the numbering from the back? I don't understand why you'd do that.


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

So you don't advertise the exact amount you spent on the car.


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## I_Should_Be_Working (Jun 23, 2005)

Unfortunately, I think there exist very few "gentlemen's cars" left. Most vehicles built today are lifestyle props, possessing the same authenticity as a fused suit. They exist solely to make it through a 4 year lease.

My view of a gentlemen's car, like clothing, has much to do with quality, not flash. It must be solid to begin with, and must be a joy to own and periodically refurbish should one choose to keep it. Who really wants to own a BMW, Audi, or Range Rover well beyond the warranty? The Land Rover Defender, no longer available here, is one of the few remaining vehicles truly built to be owned. In two years time it, too, will be remodeled into the modern disposable car.

I long for a car that's built like a boat or a plane, something intended for long term ownership, not short term flash.


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## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

A racing green Morgan for the country and a supercharged gray Jaguar sedan for the city.


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Fortuna elegantes adiuvit.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by I_Should_Be_Working_
> 
> I long for a car that's built like a boat or a plane, something intended for long term ownership, not short term flash.


A boat or a plane eh?

I drive my late grandfather's vintage Cadillac.

When it came out, it was panned as being too old fashioned--Washington Post's Warren Brown referred to it in a review as "automotive baroque" "silly" and "embarassing".

But I figure, it's nearly 20 years old, has been nothing but reliable, rides like a cloud, and has never failed to start, or, despite RWD, been stuck in the snow. As long as you don't "pimp it out" with flashing hubcaps, hydraulics, etc, I think the old Cadillac Fleetwods are a classic for an American gentleman.


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

Fashion TC:



> quote:BMW Z3 (I hate the Z4 that replaces the Z3)


As an owner of the Z3 I couldn't agree more. I think the Z4 is hideous. It was a nice elegant little roadster, now it's pretending to be a Viper. Just sad. Caveat, I also think the Viper is hideous.

alaric

"Bunter, I shall have to look like a newspaperman." 
"Then, my lord, I would suggest the suit we don't like and the regrettable tie." 
"Perfect!"


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## tintin (Nov 19, 2004)

As a TT owner I roared with laughter when the designer of the TT was quoted in Auto Week, "The whole platform of the Z3 is wrong. People look like Circus Bears when driving it with the top down." Actually, I like the Z3 with the fixed head coupe. I understand the "M" is quite amazing.

My vote for pure classic is a 1990 Mercedes Benz 560 SEC or an old BMW 635 Coupe. Red w/ tan leather.


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## MrRogers (Dec 10, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Haboochi_
> 
> The E-Types are far too common and redolent of the 1960's swinger ala Austin Powers.


Where exactly are you from may I ask??

67 FHC XKE is the ultimate gentlemans car, hands down

MrR

"Give me the luxuries in life and I'll gladly go without the necessities"


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## Uncle Remus (Aug 31, 2005)

My stepdad's cars:

For fun, rebuilt by himself; his baby.

Another toy (i got my motorcycle license on this baby)









Function over form:

For the wife:

I think a key of the whole American tradly deal is that it's got to be economical, unless it's a toy, or you never go anywhere. All our day-to-day cars are American or Japanese, really cheap to repair, and driven into the ground.

A nice, higher-end tradlike family car is the mercedes station wagon (function and form unite).


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## nole_guapo (Jan 20, 2006)

Jeep Grand Cherokee for the day....(What I actually drive)...And my S 500 Benz for the evening......Working on that last part though....LOL...

"A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats...." B. Franklin


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## Asterix (Jun 7, 2005)

Audi (A/S4, A/S6 & A/S8) & Land Rover (Range, Disco, Defender)

______________________________________
Elegant minimalism and stealth wealth appeal.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

A few were sold at last weeks Barrett-Jackson auto sale in Arizona. A few more will be driven this weekend in Daytona at the Rolex 24. It's not so much the car as the gentleman.


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## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

"A gentlemenâ€™s car is the one that comes with the house."

Touche. 


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Fortuna elegantes adiuvit.


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by Horace_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I also managed to save my train car designed by Ruhlmann.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## Fogey (Aug 27, 2005)

I'm rather suprised this thread hasn't baited 'Adonis' out of hibernation. [}]


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## petro (Apr 5, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Sr.Santos_
> 
> Since there are 4 important things a gentleman must have, 1. a quality wardrobe, 2. wrist watch, 3. shoes, and 4. Automobile. This topic seems appropriate for this forum.
> 
> My question is What is the ultimate gentlemens automobile?


IMO:
https://www.mbusa.com/models/main.do?modelCode=E500S4

The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don't know.
P.J. O'Rourke


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## Nathan Detroit (Oct 12, 2005)

Well, boys, I don't think Mr. Paul Fussell, author of Class: A Guide, would be very impressed with your taste in automobiles. 

Here's his two cents: 

The automobile, like the all-important domestic facade, is another mechanism for outdoor class display. Or class lack of display we'd have to say, if we focus on the usages of the upper class, who, on the principle of archaism, affect to regard the automobile as very nouveau and underplay it consistently. Class understatement describes the technique: if your money and freedom and carelessness of censure allow you to buy any kind of car, you provide yourself with the meanest and most common to indicate that you're not taking seriously so easily purchasable and thus vulgar a class totem. You have a Chevy, Ford, Plymouth, or Dodge, and in the least interesting style and color. It may be clean, although slightly dirty is best. But it should be boring. The next best thing is to have a "good" car, like a Jaguar or BMW, but to be sure it's old and beat-up. You may not have a Rolls, a Cadillac, or a Mercedes. Especially a Mercedes, a car, Joseph Epstein reports in The American Scholar (Winter 1981-82), which the intelligent young in West Germany regard, quite correctly, as "a sign of high vulgarity, a car of the kind owned by Beverly Hills dentists or African cabinet ministers." The worst kind of upper-middle-class types own Mercedes, just as the best own elderly Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and Chryslers, and perhaps jeeps and Land Rovers, the latter conveying the Preppy suggestion that one of your residences is in a place so unpublic that the roads to it are not even paved, indeed are hardly passable by your ordinary vulgar automobile. And the understatement canon determines that the higher your class, the slower you drive. Speeders are either young nonAnglo-Saxon high-school proles hoping to impress girls of a similar sort, or insecure, status-anxious middleclass men who have seen too many movies involving auto chases and as a result think cars romantic, sexy, exciting, etc. The requirements of class dictate that you drive slowly, steadily, and silently, and as near the middle of the road as possible.
The class expressiveness of a car doesn't stop with the kind and condition of car it is, or with the way you drive it. It involves also the things you display on or in it, all the way from the rack holding three rifles, shotguns, or carbines in the rear window of the pickup with the Southern Methodist University sticker to the upper-middle-class rear-window announcement "I'd Rather Be Sailing." Proles love to decorate their cars, not just with mockleopard upholstery and things like dice and baby shoes dangling from front and rear windows but with bumper stickers (AUSABLE CHASM; SOUTH OF THE BORDER; AYATOLLAH - PIG'S ASSHOLAH; HONK IF YOU LOVE JESUS), and of course little plastic Saint Christophers and the like on the dashboard. The middle class likes bumper stickers too, but is more likely to go in for self-congratulatory messages like CAUTION: I BRAKE FOR SMALL ANIMALS.


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## jml90 (Dec 7, 2005)

I like the new Bentley Gt sedan.
Or a BMW


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## Vladimir Berkov (Apr 19, 2005)

I think an older Mercedes is perfect. I think the best gentleman's car is a sedan, although for young gentlemen sports cars are also acceptable. I used to drive a white 300E like this until it finally developed serious mechanical problems. And at the moment I drive a hand-me-down Camry.

https://www.mbspares.com.au/www/graphics/230E-white2.jpg

If I had a choice as what car to drive everyday it would be one of these.

Or this, for the retro-eccentric gentleman (like me)


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Nathan Detroit_
> 
> The requirements of class dictate that you drive slowly, steadily, and silently, and as near the middle of the road as possible.


Well the Cadillac matches up in that respect. One can't drive it faster than 85 (on the speedometer anyway), it accelerates 0-60 in 14 long seconds (the engine is made by Oldsmobile, oddly), it instantly shifts to whisper silent overdrive unless extreme pressure is applied to the accelerator (in which case it grudgingly downshifts and gets slightly louder), and it takes up the whole lane, so you're always in the middle of the road. []


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## FlatSix (Feb 23, 2005)

This topic comes up surprisingly often. This is my not-quite-stable:

Weekday



Weekend



Working



Track



Yes, I spend too much time fiddling with cars 


----------------------


"When you wear something like spats, I think you might as well wear your favorite players jersey bc what youre saying is I want to be powerful like the bear and Im wearing its hide to tap into its power." - Film Noir Buff

"First sense of what "normal" good clothes looked like came from my dad, of course, and from Babar books." - Concordia

" I have a related problem in that I often have to chase people. Leather soles are no good for this kind of work." - Patrick06790


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## ChubbyTiger (Mar 10, 2005)

Uncle Remus - Is that an R75/6? Pretty. One of my favorite bikes of all time is the /5. 

CT

Fabricati diem, pvnc. (loose translation, To Serve and Protect) -- Sign above the door of the City Watch House, Ankh-Morpork.


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## maxnharry (Dec 3, 2004)

> quote:_Originally posted by hopkins_student_
> 
> I'd never read anything written by Flusser until I read that quotation about cars. Wow. Why would anybody, anywhere take any advice from that man? If you want to be a character (and not in the good way), then I guess taking his advice would be the path of least resistance to meeting your goal.


Not Flusser, Paul Fussell. He wrote a notable book about American class structures.


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## The_Foxx (Dec 21, 2003)

gotta be the Aston Martin DB9.....what a machine. wish i had one!

https://imageshack.us


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## Sr.Santos (Jan 23, 2005)

Thank you Gentlemen for your responses. There are 3 cars that are now in the top list, 1. Aston Martin DB4 Zagato 2. Bentley 1952 Continental R type, and 3. Jaguar E-type series 1 Convertible. Thank you again Gentlemen!

Best Regards, Santos

Have a nice day Gentlemen.


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## hopkins_student (Jun 25, 2004)

> quote:_Originally posted by maxnharry_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, I really need to read more carefully. My apologies. Post deleted.


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## pleasehelp (Sep 8, 2005)

I think this is a difficult question that largely hinges on what one considers a gentleman and how one views an automobile.

If one views a gentleman as a well mannered, courteous and decent human being; and one views the ultimate automobile as one which will further that individual's ability to be a gentleman, then one must discount most sportscars. Many sports cars are loud, difficult to enter and exit, harsh and not particularly safe. If a gentleman wishes to give a ride to a lady or an elderly friend, then a sports car is unacceptable.

Is a gentleman ostentatious? If no, then one must consider where this car will be driven. In certain neighborhoods, Rolls Royces and Bentleys are commonplace, while in other neighborhoods they scream for undue attention. Assuming a broad range for this car, then flashy cars such as new Rolls Royces and Bentleys are unacceptable.

While reasonably minds may differ, I nominate a post-nikasil E-38 Sport. BMWs are commonplace enough to not be showy. The E-38 is comfortable and smooth enough to be courteous to passengers. The E-38 is one of the most attractive BMWs ever designed. The 4.4 has a smooth delivery and gives reasonable performance.


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## guitone (Mar 20, 2005)

It does not have to be unaffordable to be a Gentlemen's car.

Steed drove a Morgan if I remember correctly in the Avengers, but those days are gone.

A 911, yes that is a wonderful car, but at $80,000 a bit over many or our heads unless we are pretending.

BMW, Acura, Mercedes, Lexus (I guess), Jaguar (except you better have a backup)...are all very classy cars.....Just keep it neat and clean and in good running order...heck, they all look the same today anyway.

guit


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## Mr. Chatterbox (May 1, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Sr.Santos_
> My question is What is the ultimate gentlemens automobile?


In the city....a taxi!

Mr. Chatterbox
London Daily Excess


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## silverporsche (Nov 3, 2005)

I would say that a gentlemens car would be fast , expensive , and personal. More than likely European less likely American and Japanese.
The only SUV that might qualify would be a Range Rover but never a Hummer. 
A gentlemen would appreciate the theatre , opera , fine wines , foods, travel , wear expensive clothes , watch included and most certainly not work with his hands.
He might also enjoy the company of beautiful women , and speak no louder than a whisper. The gentleman would most certainly not be seen in a pair of jeans ! Jeans and suitcoat would be unthinkable.
And of course a gentleman would know the difference between a Claret and a Rothschild.
One can own a gentleman's car and not be a gentleman.

Aston Martin, Bmw Coupes , Mercedes S series , Audi 8's , Jaguars, 
Porsches , Rolls Royes , Bentleys , Ferrari's etc.
Expensive , fast , and personal . After all a gentleman does not share his car with his lady. That is done with the "other car"


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by silverporsche_
> 
> I would say that a gentlemens car would be fast , expensive , and personal. More than likely European less likely American and Japanese.
> The only SUV that might qualify would be a Range Rover but never a Hummer.
> ...


In the late 90's I was living in a small village up in the mountains above Taos ,N.M..
On one of my frequent two hour trips to Santa Fe, I was coming down out of the high mountains and onto a strip of two lane highway that ran along the Rio Grande. I was cruising about 60.
The day was clear and the road was empty.
In the rear view I saw a car approaching at high speed.
As it got closer I could see the grill work.From a distance it looked to be an XK 120 coupe.
The gentleman driving slowed behind me as he prepared to pass on the mountain road.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
As he passed I saw the car was a 1937 Figoni bodied Talbot-Lago.
We were in the middle of nowhere. You would have trouble getting a Ford tractor repaired.
As he passed I looked into the car.The driver was elderly wearing a white shirt and a sport coat. He was sporting a long flowing white beard. I could just make out a young beautiful woman in the passenger seat.
He continued to accelerate. I'd guess he was cruising at 75 or 80 by the time he disappeared in the distance.
A strange note was I had been studying photos of the car for a project I was working on.
If I recall correctly,there are only twelve or fourteen known.

m kielty


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## mafoofan (May 16, 2005)

What about the Lotus Elise? Like other fine things, I'd prefer a car that I will not feel will become outdated or eclipsed. For example, I love the 911, but it's got so much electronic gadgetry and circuitry in it, that it is bound to be superceded by another 911 with even more of the same. And who will repair these things 30 years from now? I like the Elise for its purity, simplicity, and dedication to purpose. Nothing in the car tries to appear as anything other than it is, and nothing makes taking a turn so pleasurable for any amount of money.


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

I like my basic Volvo sedan.


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## rnm0000 (Dec 29, 2004)

> quote:_Originally posted by LabelKing_
> 
> Isotta Fraschini was an Italian company, one of the most expensive autos at the time. In _Sunset Blvd_ Norma Desmond's was a Tipo 8A with leopard skin seats.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for clearing up the country of manufacture and the spelling of Isotta Fraschini. You sound so knowledgeable about the car...were they made only to order? They must have had very limited production. Do you have any idea what they cost when new?

Did the models other than the one used in Sunset Boulevard also have the separated driver and passenger compartments? Was the phone a Hollywood prop or was a phone used to communicate with the driver?

Robert N. Menshausen


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## guitone (Mar 20, 2005)

In the early '70's I had my gentleman's car, but it was more like a young Gentleman's car. A '73 BMW 2002 before they were the car to have...they were a cult thing then, I got one because it drove like no other, it was special. Sold it to get a TR6 and sold that for another, a '74 2002, and sold that to go to grad school, stupid boy that I was.

guit


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## DEG (Jan 29, 2005)

With all due respect to everyone's point of view, clearly the finest automobile ever to be built and the one always identified with the gentleman is the Packard.

I have owned several. There is, I think, no finer automobile, nor one of more elegance or greater craftsmanship.

Best to you all,

Dan


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## DougNZ (Aug 31, 2005)

I'm with the few of you who do not believe that a gentleman's car necessarily bears any resemblance to his wallet.

To me, the car is simply the ultimate in outerwear. As I subscribe to the Trad (but not American Trad) school, then it follows that the gentleman's car should be functional, built to last and without 'labels'.

In this part of the world, which has a very 'country' feel to it, many gentlemen and more aspiring gentlemen drive Range Rover type vehicles. None have off-road tyres on them. The real gentlemen I know have plain, comfortable sedan cars. Occasionally the older amongst them have splashed out for a BMW or Merc, but usually they are more the city types or it belongs to the wife. Splashing out for the older country types is trading in the manual for an auto in later life.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by DEG_
> 
> With all due respect to everyone's point of view, clearly the finest automobile ever to be built and the one always identified with the gentleman is the Packard.
> 
> ...


Actually from what I've seen of pictures I'd be tempted to agree, though I've never driven one. (Ask the man who owns one, right?) Those Patricians were certainly beauties.


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## Sir Henry Billingsgate (Dec 14, 2005)

> quote:Steed drove a Morgan if I remember correctly in the Avengers, but those days are gone.


Bently


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## Trimmer (Nov 2, 2005)

Surely a gentleman has someone to drive him?

Sadly in December these were withdrawn from regular service in London.

Trimmer

https://imageshack.us


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## Sir Henry Billingsgate (Dec 14, 2005)

> quote:The automobile, like the all-important domestic facade, is another mechanism for outdoor class display. Or class lack of display we'd have to say, if we focus on the usages of the upper class, who, on the principle of archaism, affect to regard the automobile as very nouveau and underplay it consistently. Class understatement describes the technique: if your money and freedom and carelessness of censure allow you to buy any kind of car, you provide yourself with the meanest and most common to indicate that you're not taking seriously so easily purchasable and thus vulgar a class totem. You have a Chevy, Ford, Plymouth, or Dodge, and in the least interesting style and color. It may be clean, although slightly dirty is best. But it should be boring. The next best thing is to have a "good" car, like a Jaguar or BMW, but to be sure it's old and beat-up. You may not have a Rolls, a Cadillac, or a Mercedes. Especially a Mercedes, a car, Joseph Epstein reports in The American Scholar (Winter 1981-82), which the intelligent young in West Germany regard, quite correctly, as "a sign of high vulgarity, a car of the kind owned by Beverly Hills dentists or African cabinet ministers." The worst kind of upper-middle-class types own Mercedes, just as the best own elderly Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and Chryslers, and perhaps jeeps and Land Rovers, the latter conveying the Preppy suggestion that one of your residences is in a place so unpublic that the roads to it are not even paved, indeed are hardly passable by your ordinary vulgar automobile. And the understatement canon determines that the higher your class, the slower you drive. Speeders are either young nonAnglo-Saxon high-school proles hoping to impress girls of a similar sort, or insecure, status-anxious middleclass men who have seen too many movies involving auto chases and as a result think cars romantic, sexy, exciting, etc. The requirements of class dictate that you drive slowly, steadily, and silently, and as near the middle of the road as possible.
> The class expressiveness of a car doesn't stop with the kind and condition of car it is, or with the way you drive it. It involves also the things you display on or in it, all the way from the rack holding three rifles, shotguns, or carbines in the rear window of the pickup with the Southern Methodist University sticker to the upper-middle-class rear-window announcement "I'd Rather Be Sailing." Proles love to decorate their cars, not just with mockleopard upholstery and things like dice and baby shoes dangling from front and rear windows but with bumper stickers (AUSABLE CHASM; SOUTH OF THE BORDER; AYATOLLAH - PIG'S ASSHOLAH; HONK IF YOU LOVE JESUS), and of course little plastic Saint Christophers and the like on the dashboard. The middle class likes bumper stickers too, but is more likely to go in for self-congratulatory messages like CAUTION: I BRAKE FOR SMALL ANIMALS.
> Go to Top of Page


Twaddle.

Definition of a "gentlemean": somebody who reads _Country Life_. They do write articles about automobiles from time to time - including the dreaded Land Rover and Mercedes.

See also, Classic Cars Magazine.
https://www.classiccarsmagazine.co.uk/


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

In a way Fussel is right...the true gentleman hardly uses an automobile at all:

Witness Digby Baltzell's "Phildelphia Gentlemen" (New York: The Free Press, 1958).
"The Proper Philadelphian walks where others would ride, and rarely takes a taxi; he lives within his income and never spends principal; favors an automobile of any color so long as it is black (whitewall tires); talks a great deal about how little, rather than how much, he paid for this and that, and never mentions what he is worth. He is, in effect, affirming his Spartan-Puritan virtues."

or, more locally to me

"Mr. [Morgan Bulkeley]Brainard, [...]was always at his desk at precisely eight-fifteen [...] Though Mr. Brainard had a car and chauffeur, his practice was to take the bus to work [the E Bus, which still passes my apartment], and many of Aetna's four thousand-plus employees recall riding to work, seated, while their dignified president swung from a strap. For the homeward journey, Mr. Brainard preferred to walk, though the distance from his office to his home on Prospect Avenue was nearly three miles. On these walks, Mr. Brainard chose the left-hand side of the street so that his friends, driving by, would not feel obligated to stop and--even though they knew he did not want one--offer him a lift" Stephen Birmingham, "The Right People" (Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1958-1968).

Now that's a gentleman


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## pleasehelp (Sep 8, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Sir Henry Billingsgate_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Who wrote this article? It has some rather serious flaws, including classifying a jag as "good" and classifying a MB in an entirely US sense and then attributing the sentiment to West Germans. MB is a very different company from a global standpoint than from a US standpoint (ie: luxury cars is only a part of their business).


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## BertieW (Jan 17, 2006)

I've found that my nerves respond better to avoiding driving, so I walk daily to the office (half-mile) or cab it. Sold my car four years ago and have never been happier. Of course, living in the Chicago area affords loads of public transport options that make owning a vehicle seem silly. I also trot out a very nice bicycle during the warmer seasons. No complaints here. 

Oh, and between my daily walking and my 3 days/week in the gym (plus vegetarian diet), I've dropped 30 pounds in the last year or so. With the exception of my occasionally bothersome lower back, I'm in better shape than I was 20 years ago. Go figure.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by BertieW_
> 
> I've found that my nerves respond better to avoiding driving, so I walk daily to the office (half-mile) or cab it. Sold my car four years ago and have never been happier. Of course, living in the Chicago area affords loads of public transport options that make owning a vehicle seem silly. I also trot out a very nice bicycle during the warmer seasons. No complaints here.
> 
> Oh, and between my daily walking and my 3 days/week in the gym (plus vegetarian diet), I've dropped 30 pounds in the last year or so. With the exception of my occasionally bothersome lower back, I'm in better shape than I was 20 years ago. Go figure.


Good for you!

I hope to follow yours and Mr. Brainard's example one day.


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## BertieW (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks. I'm pretty pleased with the results and, honestly, the effort has not seemed particularly onerous. It's the old "get into the habit and the rest gets easier" line. But I've really found that to be true. Admittedly, my wife and I had to make some effort to structure our lives in such a way as to permit this kind of set up, but it's been relatively easy.



> quote:_Originally posted by Coolidge24_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## schneider (Mar 4, 2005)

Gentlemen -

My vote for a gentleman,s car is also the Morgan.

The picture included is of me in 1966 driving my 1955 Plus Four Roadster and I sure felt like a gentleman when I drove it!








[/URL][/img]

Schneider


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

I don't want to be seen showing up at a gala event in a Volvo.
Maybe I've gotten "gentleman" confused with "playboy".








https://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?DocID=1014&cat=Million%20Dollar%20Cars&ExhibitID=130

m kielty


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by m kielty_
> 
> Maybe I've gotten "gentleman" confused with "playboy".


Frankly I think this has been a problem throughout this thread.


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## tintin (Nov 19, 2004)

Bertie, As a fellow reisdent of Chicago who moved to the city from the 'burbs 4 years ago I'm with you 100% (sans Vege diet). I love walking in the city and walking to work. And this winter has not been that bad.

Having said that, I can easily spend $300 bucks a month on cabs going to and from work. I take the EL and the bus and don't mind it all. I do miss getting on the highway, listening to road music and buying beef jerkey at every gas stop.


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by m kielty_
> 
> I don't want to be seen showing up at a gala event in a Volvo.
> Maybe I've gotten "gentleman" confused with "playboy".
> ...


what's wrong with a volvo?


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## asaffi (Jun 14, 2005)

a Buggati La Royale.


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## GentleCheetah (Oct 17, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Nathan Detroit_
> 
> Well, boys, I don't think Mr. Paul Fussell, author of Class: A Guide, would be very impressed with your taste in automobiles.
> 
> ...


I more or less agree with Fussell's statement. A car is just a fxxxxxx car. The key is that if you enjoy driving, get a good driver's car; otherwise, anything would do. I like the handling of BMW. After getting my BMW (and my first ever new car), I'll never go back to Japanese cars (and most American cars). Audi handles well, too. But it feels a little on the light-weight side. I wouldn't go as far as calling it flimsy.

In some sense, your car is a like your woman. If you have to spend time and energy for its/her upkeep (appearance-wise) in order to draw admiration or feel good about yourself, you are insecure. The only difference is that one car is enough, but one woman is never ......


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by jmorgan32_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The question is "What is the ultimate gentleman's automobile".

m kielty


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by m kielty_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I consider myself a gentleman, and then it would depend on your own definition of "ultimate." Your definition and mine differ tremendously. I guess that is what makes "the world go round." I could afford almost any car in the world, but choose to drive something that reflects my attitude and values.


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

The question is "What is the ultimate gentleman's automobile".

m kielty
----------------------

I consider myself a gentleman, and then it would depend on your own definition of "ultimate." Your definition and mine differ tremendously. I guess that is what makes "the world go round." I could afford almost any car in the world, but choose to drive something that reflects my attitude and values.

jmorgan32
------------------------

I agree.

I certainly would be willing to nominate the P1800 Coupe as well as the Bertone 240, the one with the chopped top, but this is a fun thread and not a serious consideration of the best and most dependable trad car.

I didn't mean any offense.

Maybe I should have said,"I don't want to show up at a gala event in my own car, a Honda Accord."

Reading the thread makes it clear the ultimate gentleman's conveyance may be the city bus or the taxi.

Aston Martin,Morgan,Jaguar etc were built specifically for the gentleman so they probably all win,if there is any winner at all.

One more nomination.

These cars were built for the Londoner who wanted to exit the city at the end of the work day as rapidly as possible.

Jaguar 3.8










m kielty


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by Coolidge24_
> 
> In a way Fussel is right...the true gentleman hardly uses an automobile at all:
> 
> ...


In no way does possessing so-called Spartan-Puritan values or Calvinist teetotaler values or whatever make one a gentleman.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## jmorgan32 (Apr 30, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by m kielty_
> 
> The question is "What is the ultimate gentleman's automobile".
> 
> ...


That's fair. I thought you posted that you would not show up at a gala event in a Volvo. I feel very comfortable in my car ie a Volvo which is brand new. I get a new one every year. (I would also not have a problem with your Honda!) To each his/her own, and I appreciate the clarification.
All the best.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by LabelKing_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think the people who started this country would disagree. But then again, your sobriquet is LabelKing.


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by Coolidge24_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Although I usually tend to look to England as the originator of the Occidental gentleman.

My moniker is a little tongue in cheek bit of irony.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## GentleCheetah (Oct 17, 2005)

What I fail to understand is why anyone would inquire about the ways of and wish to become a gentleman. One is either a gentleman or not one. I am not saying I am one. But why the fuss?

Today people want to be gentlemen; tomorrow they want to APPEAR regal.

The first thing they should learn is how to be a man.

The Gentle Cheetah


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by GentleCheetah_
> 
> What I fail to understand is why anyone would inquire about the ways of and wish to become a gentleman. One is either a gentleman or not one. I am not saying I am one. But why the fuss?
> 
> ...


On the whole you're probably right. What this really is is a frivolous exercise so we can all show off our favorite cars (some of which we actually own) and pretend they make us gentleman.

Ownership of a particular material good doesn't really do it. People are vain about their cars. I'm the first to admit that. I wash mine every week and love pulling onto campus with it. Doesn't make me a gentleman.


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## m kielty (Dec 22, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by Coolidge24_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your right that washing your car every week doesn't make you a gentleman.
Your right that this thread is a frivolous excercise.
You sound like a pretty serious young guy.If you catch a frivolous laugh here and there, your a lucky guy.
The question asked by Sr.Santos is," What is the ultimate gentleman's automobile."

m kielty


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

> quote:_Originally posted by m kielty_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


tough crowd tonight, tough crowd


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## Lucky (Jan 21, 2005)

Some pictures of my heavily customized Morgan Plus 4 "Flatrad"...



















https://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/jfrankaty/01-23-06MorganPhotos035.jpg[IMG]

[IMG]https://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/jfrankaty/01-23-06MorganPhotos025.jpg


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

That's a beauty, Lucky


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## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

LK:

I'd be curious to know how you would define gentleman. I currently have no such definition, nor am I searching for one, but your perspective is always illuminating.

-- RJman


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## Lucky (Jan 21, 2005)

Personally I think being a gentleman has all to do with ones behavior, specifically, the way he interacts with and treats others...the kind of clothing you wear or car you drive does not make one a gentleman


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## Nantucket Red (Jan 26, 2006)

-------------------------------------------------
God gave us women; the Devil gave them corsets.
- French proverb


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## AlonzoMosely (Jul 1, 2005)

This gentleman drives a 1993 Camry with 150k miles so he has money for nice clothes, wine, oriental rugs, and firearms.


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## LabelKing (Sep 3, 2002)

> quote:_Originally posted by RJman_
> 
> LK:
> 
> ...


A gentleman is someone with certain aesthetic and personal refinements, not commonly found, with a taste towards dressing well, and a moderation in terms of excess, and well-mannered.

Gentlemen, in the common vernacular, tends to bring up images of Victorian values, and such. Not to get Post Modernist but such ideals are rather outdated, and slightly repressive.

They may be lounge lizards, favor _les poules de luxe_ or are perverts a la many Dirk Bogarde roles, however, in no way does possessing Calvinist values absolutely guarantee the fact that they are a gentleman.

Actually the gentleman pervert is rather fascinating.

*"In truth, I am not altogether wrong to consider dandyism a form of religion."

Charles Baudelaire*


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

NewYorkBuck said:


> Im sure everyone will have their own favorite, but for me its the Porsche 911. Timeless, classic. One of the few sportscars than can be driven by a man of almost any age and be acceptable.


This is an ancient thread, however, I thought I would bring
it back to life.

The Porsche 911 is the quintessential timeless gentleman's vehicle.
Every gentleman must own one in his lifetime and truly understand
and become one with its heritage.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

guyinadiner said:


> The Gentleman's car...okay, I'll take a stab:
> 
> Weekdays
> Black Ford Crown Victoria (with driver)
> ...


Oh yes, and the Range Rover is the other vehicle every gentleman
must have when not driving the Porsche 911.


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## Serenus (Jun 19, 2009)

If I were to indulge in a set of proper wheels, I would unquestionably be doing the BMW mini cooper, senza racing stripe. Small, efficient, practical, and stylish. Just enough space for me and the girl.

That having been said, whatever that thing is that Nantucket Red posted a picture of looks pretty damn fun too (as long as seat belts are included).


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## Mongo (May 9, 2008)

Mongo, a couple of weeks ago, in my front yard.

Not sure if it's a gentleman's automobile, but it works for me. :icon_smile_big:

P.S. - That is my only baseball cap, and that is the only place I wear it.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

Wow - if I could nominate one thread that did NOT need to be revived, this would be it.

Associating the Porche with being a gentleman?


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

DCLawyer68 said:


> Wow - if I could nominate one thread that did NOT need to be revived, this would be it.
> 
> Associating the Porche with being a gentleman?


Not just any PORSCHE -- The 911 -- The true gentleman's toy.

You're a lawyer as well, you can certainly understand. :icon_smile_wink:


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## alphadelta (Oct 2, 2007)

One of my rides:


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
You mean the perfect gentleman's automobile is not an aging Ford pick-up truck? It's finish has developed a really great patina. Jeez, I really blew that one!


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

As an aside: many years ago, I had an assistant who was the great niece of the Duke of Bedford. She told me an amusing story about his grandfather. One day the head coachman said to him, "I think we should consider getting some of these new-fangled automobiles". The duke thought for a moment, and said, "yes, I agree. Go ahead and buy some." "How many should I buy?" "How many coaches do I have?" "27". "Well, buy 27 automobiles"...

She didn't know which make, though.

There are surely plenty of candidates for Gentlemen's automobiles. This one, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_P5

Or this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citroen_DS

This, of course: https://www.continental.org.uk/index.htm

And for a gentlemen desirous of a little runabout in summer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven


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## Luis-F-S (Apr 6, 2009)

hopkins_student said:


> I'd choose something more discreet, Mercedes-Benz S55AMG with the 55 and AMG numbering/lettering removed from the back.


Now there's the epitome of discreet! Most cars only depreciate. I consider them transportation. Now a quality watch..............


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## chotzo (Nov 26, 2007)

As someone who's devoted the majority of his life to the design and manufacture of automobiles I can say...imho....that there is no such thing as a "Gentlemanly" automobile. 

Vehicles are by their essential nature dirty, violent, sexy and vulgar. Which, like the Old Testament, is probably no small part of their enduring appeal.

I find just as much insecurity in the man of means who drives about incognito in a plain black Chevy sedan, as in the the impoverished man spending all his money every month on a Ferrari to impress the neighbors.

I see the characters tooling around town in their Land Rovers just as faux as the corporate middle manager wearing his jeans to work on casual Friday. 

A Gentleman drives whatever he pleases and is not heavily invested in the opinions of strangers.

Me....I drive a Porsche 911 so red you can see it from space.


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

chotzo said:


> A Gentleman drives whatever he pleases and is not heavily invested in the opinions of strangers.


This is the best quote so far.

A gentleman doesn't need to drive a car, but if he does it should be clean and well cared for. As for specific make and model--nothing specifically screams "gentleman".

I think it helps when a car fits the driver's personality. My cars have been--a hearse, a minivan, (5 motorcycles, if they count), a Sebring convertible, a Sparrow, a Datsun Pickup. The one I feel best with I have had the longest, and I currently still drive--Dodge Intrepid 2002. That car is quite perfect for who I am, and it is perfectly clean, extremely well kept, modestly styled but not cheap, and al the power I need for local or cross country travel.


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## Herrsuit (Aug 4, 2009)

As others mentioned, wood trim wagons are the tradliest. Else 280SL https://www.sunbeltcars.com/2-1970-Mercedes-280SL-Conve.jpg


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## Lowndes (Feb 25, 2008)

Sr.Santos said:


> Since there are 4 important things a gentleman must have, 1. a quality wardrobe, 2. wrist watch, 3. shoes, and 4. Automobile. This topic seems appropriate for this forum.
> 
> My question is What is the ultimate gentlemens automobile?
> 
> ...


Well I for one don't believe a gentlemen must have an automobile. Living in NYC next year and I plan to just have a subway pass. I might not be a gentlemen but there has to be at least one in NYC with that philosophy.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

*Oh boy, cars, another passion!*

Why, a *Bentley Continental GT*! What else could it be?

https://www.lapcr.com/Bentley Continental GT.jpg


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## deandbn (Mar 6, 2006)

Well! I am very happy with my Mercedes Benz Sports Coupe. Takes me wherever I want to go with a bit of style, comfort, reliability, and speed thrown in for good measure.

What more can a Gent want. :icon_smile_wink:


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## Good Old Sledge (Jun 13, 2006)

I'm intrigued that many of us believe that "today's version of the DB5" is actually older than the DB5! Seems, strictly speaking, that the DB9 or DBS would be today's version of the DB5, but I'm not sure that either is a "gentleman's car."
A gentleman's car ought to be not too new, not too flashy or ostentatious, nor impractical. I drive a 2001 Jaguar vanden Plas. Hardly anyone's dream car, I'm sure, but attractive, functional, comfortable and, while it doesn't attract untoward attention to itself, remains elegant and remarkably sporty.


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## London380sl (Apr 17, 2009)

A classic car is like classic clothing - it nevers goes out of style. 

For me its two cars - the W107 Mercerdes sports cars produced between 1972 and 1989 and best known as a 450 sl. It's still a head turner today.
.
My other nomination, if you need four doors, is the 1980-1991 Mercedes S sedans. It was probably the finest car made in its day and was, in my opinion, the last of truely great Benz's that looked like a Benz. The cars since then have become more generic looking, cheaper materials are being used, and reliability has taken a big hit. Frankly I wouldn't touch a car made after 1990 from Mercedes other than the E series.


----------



## Mongo (May 9, 2008)

Good Old Sledge said:


> A gentleman's car ought to be not too new, not too flashy or ostentatious, nor impractical.


I think this is exactly correct (said they guy who posted the picture of himself in his Ferrari). These criteria can be met by many makes and models, but the key to being a gentleman is, IMHO, respect for others. So nothing ostentatious or flashy, but still of high quality.

FWIW, the ridiculously flashy, ostentatious, and impractical car I drive (occasionally) is a hobby car, and I never use it for business or social events unless I already know the people quite well.


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## beherethen (Jun 6, 2009)

If I ever get off my ass and get a license, I'm going for one of two cars. First would be a Smart car because you can park in anywhere. Living in a city this is always an issue.

Another for consideration would be an antique, like a 1953 Olds. You can get special license plates for old cars that cost about $5 a year. The insurance is also very cheap-a few hundred a year. *But,* saving the best for last, as long as you have current plates *in* your car, you may display plates from the year of the car. This means when your issued a a parking ticket you can toss it. When one of those cameras catches you going through a red light, they can send the ticket to ..............no one. Life is good.:icon_smile_big:


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## chet_ (Apr 24, 2008)

In the summer, I use a Ferrari 612 as my daily driver. In the winter, the Mercedes S600 comes out of storage.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

At Law said:


> Not just any PORSCHE -- The 911 -- The true gentleman's toy.
> 
> You're a lawyer as well, you can certainly understand. :icon_smile_wink:


I think you're confusing two very different concepts. If you want to say "Lawyer's Toy" I'll go with that. :icon_smile:

If we were sincere about a "gentleman's car" we'd be less concerned with make and model and more concerned with specs.

SUVs would be out (others have a hard time seeing around them and the danger they pose to others in collissions) as would Hummers (take too much space in a parking lot).


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## KCKclassic (Jul 27, 2009)

beherethen said:


> *But,* saving the best for last, as long as you have current plates *in* your car, you may display plates from the year of the car. This means when your issued a a parking ticket you can toss it. When one of those cameras catches you going through a red light, they can send the ticket to ..............no one. Life is good.:icon_smile_big:


:aportnoy:Never thought of that, but my, my.....genius.

My first car I still miss. '83 toyota land cruiser...baby blue. Gent's car, likely no. Young Man's car....totally. And gas was still cheap enough when I was in high school.

If I had the choice I'd go for a Mercedes. German-engineered, like myself.


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## cumberlandpeal (May 12, 2006)

I alternate between a 1973 Land Rover 88 and a 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser. I behave as a gentleman in each.


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## svb (Dec 5, 2007)

udeshi said:


> Today's equivalent to a DB5, why a DB9!
> 
> Vanquish is too showy, plus the gearbox doesn't work, and is not faster around a track.


You sound like someone who watches Top Gear. :icon_smile_big:


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## jacflash (Aug 29, 2008)

udeshi said:


> Today's equivalent to a DB5, why a DB9!
> 
> Vanquish is too showy, plus the gearbox doesn't work, and is not faster around a track.


That's why you send your Vanquish back to the works for the factory 6spd manual transmission conversion. Remember that the Vanquish the last of the hand-hammered Newport Pagnell cars, and like all of them, imperfect (occasionally to the point of ridiculousness, and not in a good way) but wonderful. I love the DB9 (though not the Volante) but if I could only ever drive one Aston again, it'd be a Vanquish S with a proper transmission.

For what it's worth, my choice for the ultimate gentleman's car is an older Aston, something like a DBSV8 or maybe an early V8 Vantage, bought new by Dad and handed down, kept in the barn and driven on nice weekend days.

A DB2 or DB4 bought new by Grand-dad would do just as nicely. Not a DB5, too flash.

ps: and is "faster around a track" seriously a consideration? Oh please.


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## Zingari (Jul 9, 2007)

Here is an interesting site for the traditionalist and upcoming auction. I have my eye on one or two given that in the economic climate some of the estimates are a tad over optimistic. 1969 280SE in left hand drive looks interesting



Auction aside there are some very good cars listed on the site.


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## comrade (May 26, 2005)

Aspirational cars awaiting Lottery success:

https://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/277642,13500/1947-Delahaye-135-M_photo.aspx

https://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/314715,15970/1948-Daimler-DE36_photo.aspx


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## svb (Dec 5, 2007)

jacflash said:


> ps: and is "faster around a track" seriously a consideration? Oh please.


/checks poster's location... yup.


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## Betterman (Sep 10, 2006)

For me, a gentleman transcends social ladders. Meaning, if one does not make 6 figures, does not own a Benz/Beamer/what have you, you can still be a gentleman. Personally, I like the Hyundai Genesis. I've been in enough to cars to know that, A) A gentleman's car is always clean on the inside - does not spell like yesterday's Big Mac. B) The outside is also clean - a high mirror shine. I've seen nice, clean Altima's, and I've also seen some shabby Beamers.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Wouldn't a gentleman's automobile be whatever automobile a gentleman chooses to drive? In other words it could be anything.

Cruiser


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## ExpertiseInNone (Nov 5, 2008)

Shouldn't a genleman's car be understated and not very showy? Most of the clothes we talk about here are certainly understated, but they hold quite a bit of flare to them to those who are knowledgable about it. I mean I doubt that there is such thing as a gentleman's car, but I must say that cars that do not attract a lot of attention and are understated but do have the power to perform well on both the track and the road seem to be more gentlemen like. And I believe that the BMW M5 in all its iterations does that very well.


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## kelliw (Aug 13, 2008)

Love the topic!

I have the following:

1) Aston Martin & old Jaguar (1956 Roadster)
2) Cleverley Shoes
3) 1970's Rolex (gift from my wife)
4) Anderson & Sheppard suits


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## Zingari (Jul 9, 2007)

For some reason I have always liked the concept of the Mini - classless and the 'asset rich, cash poor' that reduces land and estate owners buying cars that are practical. Not unusual to see a 1960's Land Rover in the car park at a black tie event.


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## nicklord1 (May 9, 2009)

Gentlemens car is a bentley


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## indylion (Feb 28, 2005)

For a Gentleman's summer weekends :icon_smile_big:

92 Mercedes 500SL


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## thunderw21 (Sep 21, 2008)

The type of car does not make an iGent.


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## indylion (Feb 28, 2005)

nicklord1 said:


> Gentlemens car is a bentley


Yes, I have seen a few nice cars for less than $15K :icon_smile_wink:


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## Trimmer (Nov 2, 2005)

*No competition*

There is only one serious contender:


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## alphadelta (Oct 2, 2007)

indylion said:


> Yes, I have seen a few nice cars for less than $15K :icon_smile_wink:


$15k for an old Bentley is just the down payment. It's the annual upkeep that's a killer.

AD


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## nicksull (Sep 1, 2005)

*Rover P5 Coupe*










This ones belonging to one Mrs HM Queen, Windsor Castle, Windsor


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

I was wondering about the opposite, cars which are the antithesis of a gentleman's car:

1. All American muscle cars
2. All cars which can be heard from 100 yards away (except if it's a British sports car and the sound is due to a corroded-through silencer)
3. All cars which require one to be a contortionist to get in
4. All cars which are the super-sport-package model where the standard model is dull.
5. All cars which are eminently suitable for driving down the strip in Vegas with a couple of strippers, not that there's anything wrong with that
6. All crossovers and SUVs which cannot actually be used off-road.

No doubt other posters can think of some...


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## Mapleton (Sep 6, 2009)

Ahh, the true gentleman's car. We're not talking about a car for an aristocrat, which can often be different than a true gentleman.

A true gentleman will enjoy the luxury of a car without unnecessary flash or unwanted attention, but will have a personal appreciation for their own car's utility and style. A Lexus comes to mind, an LS or GS, even an IS is a fine car to have if you enjoy a smaller sedan.


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## The Rake (Jun 14, 2009)

Don't think it matters much, as long as it doesn't have any stickers or nonsense on it. And as long as one's dogs can ride comfortably. Oh, and the wife, too, if one is on hand.

I like the Bristol since it's attractively ugly and no one in the U.S. knows what the hell it is. The old Mercedes 600s were nice, too.


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

The Rake said:


> I like the Bristol since it's attractively ugly and no one in the U.S. knows what the hell it is.


My driving instructor in London told me the following story. He had a young Saudi man as a student. One day, the lad says to him, "my father just bought me a car to practise on". "What is it?" asked my instructor. "I don't know, but he bought it from the shop at the end of High Street Kensington" - the Bristol showroom. It turned out this learner driver, when not driving a 1.1 litre (IIRC) Mini Metro, was driving a 6 litre Bristol...


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## The Rake (Jun 14, 2009)

Great story!

BTW - I've always wanted an old Bentley or Rolls shooting brake. One from the 1930s. I like the Woodie look. I almost bought one once, but talked myself out of it. Maybe I'll go looking ...


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## comrade (May 26, 2005)

kelliw said:


> Love the topic!
> 
> I have the following:
> 
> ...


You've made it!
Except that in LA you must be one of the few
actually wearing a jacket in most places,
let alone A&S. I am often one of the few wearing
socks half the year where I live.

An other auto to add to the collection and serve as
a counterpoint to British excellence (Lucas, notwithstanding)
is the epitome of Gallic pragmatism:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C36515/#


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## msphotog (Jul 5, 2006)

Well, I have to say I have the quintessential ANTI-gentleman's car- a 1971 El Camino. It sports a 502HO crate motor that gets 6 mpg(thats right, SIX!), It also has a 3.73 posi 12 bolt rearend with Moser Engineering racin axels, and a B&M TH400 tranny. It does have some gentlemanly amenities, though. A Vintage Air a/c, cruise control, XM satellite radio. BTW, it'll do 13 sec. in the 1/4 mile, and haul 2x4's home from Home Depot or Lowe's! The vinyl top is very retro. I did all the work myself except for the seatcovers, and paint. I even installed the vinyl top!
Here's a pic-


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## augustin (Jan 19, 2007)

Horse-collar grill, push-button gearshift --- can you imagine James Bond in one of these?


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## nicklord1 (May 9, 2009)

The new bentley continental flying spur is the gents car. Its understated , but expensive.


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## indylion (Feb 28, 2005)

beherethen said:


> If I ever get off my ass and get a license, I'm going for one of two cars. First would be a Smart car because you can park in anywhere. Living in a city this is always an issue.
> 
> Another for consideration would be an antique, like a 1953 Olds. You can get special license plates for old cars that cost about $5 a year. The insurance is also very cheap-a few hundred a year. *But,* saving the best for last, as long as you have current plates *in* your car, you may display plates from the year of the car. This means when your issued a a parking ticket you can toss it. When one of those cameras catches you going through a red light, they can send the ticket to ..............no one. Life is good.:icon_smile_big:


A Gentleman would try to avoid getting tickets, but if he did, he would pay for themic12337:


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## Good Old Sledge (Jun 13, 2006)

Mongo said:


> I think this is exactly correct (said they guy who posted the picture of himself in his Ferrari). These criteria can be met by many makes and models, but the key to being a gentleman is, IMHO, respect for others. So nothing ostentatious or flashy, but still of high quality.
> 
> FWIW, the ridiculously flashy, ostentatious, and impractical car I drive (occasionally) is a hobby car, and I never use it for business or social events unless I already know the people quite well.


Sir, 
I couldn't agree more (since, after all, you are agreeing with me...)
And having a hobby car is a notable, noble and gentlemanly pursuit! If I didn't waste all my money on horses, I'd have one, too.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

Apparently, there are a lot of different definitions of "gentleman" on this forum, most of which involve "in your face" consumption. :icon_smile_wink:

What's next? We start wearing labels on the outside of our suits so the uninitiated can be impressed?


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## DonV (Apr 2, 2006)

I suggest that a gentleman's car is one of modest luxury combined with utility.

Therefore, I propose that the ideal gentleman's car is the Cadillac hearse.


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## Mannix (Nov 24, 2008)

I drive a current gen Lincoln Town Car, and it does me nicely.


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## LilacCords (Apr 28, 2009)

In town; a mini cooper (Old style)
In the country; a Land Rover Defender short wheel base.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

DCLawyer68 said:


> Apparently, there are a lot of different definitions of "gentleman" on this forum, most of which involve "in your face" consumption. :icon_smile_wink:
> 
> What's next? We start wearing labels on the outside of our suits so the uninitiated can be impressed?


+1.

I can truly say I wear just what I like and while I don't wish to offend anyone I don't really care if anyone's impressed either. (Not intended to be "In your face.")

I feel the same way about most everything I own as well as the way I conduct myself.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

DonV said:


> I suggest that a gentleman's car is one of modest luxury combined with utility.
> 
> Therefore, I propose that the ideal gentleman's car is the Cadillac hearse.


LOL. Expanding on your original suggestion, are your assuming the person riding in the front or back of that bad boy to be the gentleman?


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## MarkfromMD (Nov 5, 2008)

My picks (that I hope to eventually own)

- restored Porsche 911 when weather permits

- Land Rover Defender when weather demands 

Both are simple and great at what they are built for, classic and clean without unnecessary frills.


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## Normal Male (Sep 6, 2009)

chet_ said:


> In the summer, I use a Ferrari 612 as my daily driver. In the winter, the Mercedes S600 comes out of storage.


Want to hang out?


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## ImageIsCofidence (May 20, 2008)

Great topic! However, how about a gentlemans car for a city guy? A "budget" car?

The Mercedes-Benz S55AMG is a heck of a great looking car I might add. So is a Fisker Karma. But I'm thinking about cars under 40,000.

Would black or silver also classify as a gentlemans car? (I realize everyone will post an opinion. And thats fine.)


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## anglophile23 (Jan 25, 2007)

London black cab...Its good enough for Jeeves (well Stephen Fry)


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## jst (Oct 22, 2008)

msphotog said:


> Well, I have to say I have the quintessential ANTI-gentleman's car- a 1971 El Camino. It sports a 502HO crate motor that gets 6 mpg(thats right, SIX!), It also has a 3.73 posi 12 bolt rearend with Moser Engineering racin axels, and a B&M TH400 tranny. It does have some gentlemanly amenities, though. A Vintage Air a/c, cruise control, XM satellite radio. BTW, it'll do 13 sec. in the 1/4 mile, and haul 2x4's home from Home Depot or Lowe's! The vinyl top is very retro. I did all the work myself except for the seatcovers, and paint. I even installed the vinyl top!
> Here's a pic-


Well done. You have really nice classic car.


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## jst (Oct 22, 2008)

LilacCords said:


> In town; a mini cooper (Old style)
> In the country; a Land Rover Defender short wheel base.


 Why do you prefer short wheel base Defender over 120' ?

Otherwise I think locally made small car is ideal for the city driving. I have small Skoda Felicia instead of your Mini Cooper. Not the same quality and fame of course.


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## Wall (Dec 4, 2008)

My first car was a mid 60's El Camino. I have wanted to get another one and put some muscle in it for a long time. Great Car!!!!!


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

I can't believe I'd forgotten this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_TD_21 (or the TE21 drophead).


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## Scott Hill (Jun 9, 2009)

I like the Bentley, Azure convertable. Great luxury sports car with room for four. Super classy lines and beutiful interior. I like this car from Pre 2000; when Bentley and Rolls Royce were still built in England. Not a fan of the Continental GT as this car looks like a Nissan in my opinion. In L.A. they are a dime a dozen and look too predictable. I prefer the older Azure; which has great lines and a great front grill. I also like the 4 door sedan from the earlier years; pre 2000.


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

Nathan Detroit said:


> Well, boys, I don't think Mr. Paul Fussell, author of Class: A Guide, would be very impressed with your taste in automobiles.
> 
> Here's his two cents:
> 
> ...


"The requirements of class dictate that you drive slowly, steadily, and silently, and as near the middle of the road as possible."

I believe the elderly gentleman in front of me that was slowly driving in the far left lane with his left turn signal on for 20 minutes must have taken this advice too seriously. :icon_smile_big:


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

blue suede shoes said:


> "The requirements of class dictate that you drive slowly, steadily, and silently, and as near the middle of the road as possible."
> 
> I believe the elderly gentleman in front of me that was slowly driving in the far left lane with his left turn signal on for 20 minutes must have taken this advice too seriously. :icon_smile_big:


You bumped a thread to reply to a post from over 5 years ago (Jan 2006). And that's all you've got to say!

Moderators please?


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> You bumped a thread to reply to a post from over 5 years ago (Jan 2006). And that's all you've got to say!
> 
> Moderators please?


I bumped it because I think this is an excellent thread and it would be nice to keep it going similiar to the "What Footwear Are You Wearing Today?" thread. I am sure that there are plenty of car fanatics that have joined since and would like to add their two cents.

By the way, I thought a moderator was called when one misbehaves. I have had a tendency to misbehave (the girlfriend keeps me in line now), but I didn't think this was one of those times. Please correct me if I am wrong.


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## hellomarty (May 9, 2009)

2010 Mini Cooper S, gentleman on a mission!


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

hellomarty said:


> 2010 Mini Cooper S, gentleman on a mission!










2006 blue JAC, gentleman not going anywhere!


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

blue suede shoes said:


> By the way, I thought a moderator was called when one misbehaves.


Well, according to the rules available for everyone to read, you've broken one in my opinion.

Rule 5: Don't gratuitously bump threads. Adding superfluous posts that in our judgment serve no other real purpose than to bump long-dead threads to the top of the Forum is not allowed. If there is any doubt in your mind whether the post you wish to make falls into this category, please contact a moderator.


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

If you lived in France, and had enough money to bring it up to snuff, that SM might be a good gentleman's car -- but only in France.

Various MBs might be OK. The original or second generation 190SL and whatever Robert Mitchum was driving in The Big Sleep (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077234/) might be nice. A very good survivor would be better than one that has been obviously restored.

Certain Cadillacs, such as a primo 1960, would be good for a gentleman of a certain age wishing to project a certain image -- but remember, it has no breaks -- and that XLR roadster in champagne would look nice on your redheaded mistress.

But unless you are in a parallel universe where Mr. Spock is the villain, that sorry Edsel would never be a good gentleman's car...


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

I believe the correct, current answer to this question would be:

Arrive in Style:

2011 Chrysler 300





(The dealer overlay goes away after 10 seconds)


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## dealme (Aug 14, 2010)

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is definitely my choice. Such a beautiful car.


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## Salieri (Jun 18, 2009)

I don't see why a gentleman must have _an automobile_. I absolutely hate having to drive, but driving a Morris Minor somewhat lessens the blow. I see life without a car as one of the principal attractions of city living.


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with several garish modifications. For pulling elegant cars out of ditches when they slide off the road.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^
LOL. Living in the midst of gawd's country, Hoosierville, USA, a proper "gentleman's automobile", in my case is an eleven year old 4WD, Ford, Six-pack, pick-up truck. As pointed out by Trip English, I've rescued more than a few from the muck and mire of our beautiful system of country roads and trails!


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

I think a well-appointed bicycle...not a racing bike but one built for getting about the city, with fenders, etc...is the way to go. The right model can be quite handsome. And yes, it is one of the charms of urban life.



Salieri said:


> I don't see why a gentleman must have _an automobile_. I absolutely hate having to drive, but driving a Morris Minor somewhat lessens the blow. I see life without a car as one of the principal attractions of city living.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

A "gentleman's car" is a car driven by a gentleman. No car can confer that quality on its owner.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

Gotta get me one.

https://youngmanmaster.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/bentley-mulsanne_2011_1024x768_wallpaper_01.jpg

And again.



Where I live.

https://patelism.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2011-bentley-mulsanne_100228747_l.jpg

Where I entertain.

https://image.automobilemag.com/f//multimedia/photo_gallery/1007_2011_bentley_mulsanne_wallpaper_gallery/27956339+w1280+h960+st0/1007_18+2011_bentley_mulsanne+rear_interior.jpg


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

A rational person would never buy a Chrysler.



TheGreatTwizz said:


> I believe the correct, current answer to this question would be:
> 
> Arrive in Style:
> 
> ...


----------



## Bog (May 13, 2007)

Nathan Detroit said:


> Well, boys, I don't think Mr. Paul Fussell, author of Class: A Guide, would be very impressed with your taste in automobiles.
> 
> Here's his two cents:
> 
> The automobile, like the all-important domestic facade, is another mechanism for outdoor class display. Or class lack of display we'd have to say, if we focus on the usages of the upper class, who, on the principle of archaism, affect to regard the automobile as very nouveau and underplay it consistently. Class understatement describes the technique: if your money and freedom and carelessness of censure allow you to buy any kind of car, you provide yourself with the meanest and most common to indicate that you're not taking seriously so easily purchasable and thus vulgar a class totem.


Fussell is right. I have never owned a car. When I need one, I simply make a phone call for a car and driver, no matter where I am. The less cars are discussed the better, of course, which is why I risked moving down a notch for even posting on this thread.


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## dealme (Aug 14, 2010)

what about a 1960's mustang convertible - less the stripes.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Fussell's right.

I grew up an in über-preppy area (Philadelphia's so-called Main Line), and I observed that my old-money friends (who wore what I now would describe as trad, by the way) bought unassuming cars that were considerably cheaper than what they could afford. They abhored flash. At one point one of my friend's father's--a Yale man with money going back to colonial days-- "splurged" on a Nissan Maxima (this was in the 1980s, when they were not exactly flashy), and he was oddly uncomfortable with it. He regarded it as a guilty pleasure. He certainly could have afforded Porsches. My new-money friends were the ones with the Porsches, however.

My family was no-money, so we nursed a Horizon (a lemon--it came broke) until we could manage a Tercel.


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## Mr. Mac (Mar 14, 2008)

Where does a 2003 Ford Escort with a dented passenger-rear quarter-panel fall into the gentleman-car matrix?


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Salieri said:


> I don't see why a gentleman must have _an automobile_. *I absolutely hate having to drive*, but driving a Morris Minor somewhat lessens the blow. I see life without a car as one of the principal attractions of city living.


I always thought a gentleman had his chauffeur do the driving?


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

@ the OP. It has to be something like this as this, as to me is the automotive expression of this thread! I really hate these ostentatious threads.... "to be a Gentleman you've got to have the suit, watch, shoes and car" or whatever. It's all bull. If you feel like you you need a car to flaunt your status to the world, well this is the one for you. Then you and Snoop can doggy dog all over town for all to see how gentlemanly y'all are.



There's no accounting for taste....


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

tocqueville said:


> I grew up an in über-preppy area (Philadelphia's so-called Main Line), and I observed that my old-money friends (who wore what I now would describe as trad, by the way) bought unassuming cars that were considerably cheaper than what they could afford. They abhored flash. At one point one of my friend's father's--a Yale man with money going back to colonial days-- "splurged" on a Nissan Maxima (this was in the 1980s, when they were not exactly flashy), and he was oddly uncomfortable with it. He regarded it as a guilty pleasure. He certainly could have afforded Porsches. My new-money friends were the ones with the Porsches, however.


This phenomenon was observed in N. Wilmington, DE (Montchanin, Greenville) when I was a lad as well. It was K-cars and Chevettes among some of the well heeled. I was floored. My orthodontist however, splurged on a modest Mercedes sedan.


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

tocqueville said:


> Fussell's right.
> 
> I grew up an in über-preppy area (Philadelphia's so-called Main Line), and I observed that my old-money friends (who wore what I now would describe as trad, by the way) bought unassuming cars that were considerably cheaper than what they could afford. They abhored flash. At one point one of my friend's father's--a Yale man with money going back to colonial days-- "splurged" on a Nissan Maxima (this was in the 1980s, when they were not exactly flashy), and he was oddly uncomfortable with it. He regarded it as a guilty pleasure. He certainly could have afforded Porsches. My new-money friends were the ones with the Porsches, however.
> 
> My family was no-money, so we nursed a Horizon (a lemon--it came broke) until we could manage a Tercel.


Pretty much the same situation in Boston.


----------



## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

I'm delighted to read the citations from _Class_, by my old professor, Paul Fussell, an excruciatingly hilarious book, which many forumites would enjoy. He was (is) a serious scholar, who wrote several important books. _Class _is not one of them. It consists of his half-in-the bag cocktail party chatter (he loved being brilliantly outrageous), and he came to be a little dismayed that people took it as a style manual, _a la The Preppy Handbook_. It grew out of a magazine essay subtitled "A dirge for social climbers," and its basic proposition is that class signals are so complex and subtle that it is impossible to buy your way out of who you are.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

We used to say "you can take the boy out of Browntown, but you can't take Browntown out of the Boy!!"

(Browntown was a Polish working class neighborhood)

Fussell teaser...



I am intrigued!!


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## Grayson (Feb 29, 2008)

The Rambler said:


> A "gentleman's car" is a car driven by a gentleman. No car can confer that quality on its owner.


This!


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

The Rambler said:


> I'm delighted to read the citations from _Class_, by my old professor, Paul Fussell, an excruciatingly hilarious book, which many forumites would enjoy. He was (is) a serious scholar, who wrote several important books. _Class _is not one of them. It consists of his half-in-the bag cocktail party chatter (he loved being brilliantly outrageous), and he came to be a little dismayed that people took it as a style manual, _a la The Preppy Handbook_. It grew out of a magazine essay subtitled "A dirge for social climbers," and its basic proposition is that class signals are so complex and subtle that it is impossible to buy your way out of who you are.


Excellent point and...so very well put! Thanks Rambler, for perhaps the most level headed post in this overly drawn thread,


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## jjskywlker (Dec 9, 2009)

This.. though the filthyness is not gentlemanly, it was approximately 15* when this was shot and way too cold for a bath.


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## thefancyman (Apr 24, 2009)

I always thought that the patrician, old money of New England drove Volvo 240s, decade old VW Passats and if they wanted to splurge a Subaru wagon of some sort.


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## Auggie Brine (Feb 23, 2010)

For me, my car isn't the ultimate (which would be an Aston Martin Vantage) but it is nice. I have a Jaguar XK8 Roadster convertible in a platinum color, which is a cheap cousin to the Aston Martin. I've only had it for three years but I must say.... wow! it is a stunning automobile in its' own right.


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## dealme (Aug 14, 2010)

I do like the Jaguar XK8 very nice car. But the Aston Martin Vantage sooo good looking.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

jjskywlker said:


> This.. though the filthyness is not gentlemanly, it was approximately 15* when this was shot and way too cold for a bath.


If you don't mind me asking: What year is it and how do you like it?

After having driven a Ti/silver car for the last decade, I'm never getting another color of finish. It's the best for hiding dirt and dings/nicks/scratches. Dark cars are just too hard to keep clean.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

The Rambler said:


> I'm delighted to read the citations from _Class_, by my old professor, Paul Fussell, an excruciatingly hilarious book, which many forumites would enjoy. He was (is) a serious scholar, who wrote several important books. _Class _is not one of them. It consists of his half-in-the bag cocktail party chatter (he loved being brilliantly outrageous), and he came to be a little dismayed that people took it as a style manual, _a la The Preppy Handbook_. It grew out of a magazine essay subtitled "A dirge for social climbers," and its basic proposition is that class signals are so complex and subtle that it is impossible to buy your way out of who you are.


Fortunately for him, his reputation still rests more on _The Great War and Modern Memory. 
_


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

It hadn't even occured to me that we were talking about the same Fussell.



PJC in NoVa said:


> Fortunately for him, his reputation still rests more on _The Great War and Modern Memory.
> _


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

He was a professor of 18th c. English lit. _The Great War ..._ is his profoundly sad masterpiece, but _Abroad_, about travel lit, his book on Samuel Johnson, and _Doing Battle,_ his very moving memoir of his WW2 experiences and subsequent academic career are tremendous.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

The Rambler said:


> He was a professor of 18th c. English lit.


This talk of English lit. takes me back to my college days in the early 70's when I wrote a paper for my 19th c. lit. class in which I explained in great detail about how Thoreau was essentially a lazy bum who was looking for an excuse to avoid real work leaving him time to sneak around with Emerson's wife. Turned out my professor idolized Thoreau and had written his Ph.D. dissertation on Thoreau.

Apparently I needed to do a little more research before writing that paper; not on Thoreau, but on my professor. Of course college is where we are supposed to learn these life lessons. :icon_smile_big:

OK, go back to cars now.

Cruiser


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## jjskywlker (Dec 9, 2009)

PJC in NoVa said:


> If you don't mind me asking: What year is it and how do you like it?
> 
> After having driven a Ti/silver car for the last decade, I'm never getting another color of finish. It's the best for hiding dirt and dings/nicks/scratches. Dark cars are just too hard to keep clean.


2008 528xi, and it's fantastic. Got it certified with only 22k miles. I have not even had any minor nuisances to take it back to the dealer for any service since purchasing about a month and a half ago, which is pretty uncommon for any used car.


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## damon54 (Dec 12, 2007)

Been about 7-8 months but was out on a Sunday in Dallas & ran into a vintage Silver Ferrari Lusso out on the road Sunning itself on a beautiful day. Got to like a guy that takes the time to enjoy his collection out on the road & can afford to do so!

My first car was the DeLorean designed 1970 Pontiac Gran Prix. Kind of a style meets muscle car effort of the day.

A car I would love to have & to drive to this day & there are several well done custom replicas with 911 running gear is the Porsche model 904.


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## Busterdog (Jan 1, 2010)

Ahh!.........old 'Tum-Tum'........once referred to - when he was Prince of Wales - as "Not quite a king, not quite a gentleman."


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## 4dgt90 (Dec 2, 2009)

tocqueville said:


> A rational person would never buy a Chrysler.


i dont think you caught his sarcasm


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## Duffle (Aug 1, 2004)

It can't be showy or flashy so none of the Italian marques. It has to be discreet and tasteful but of the highest quality. Even the Aston DB 5 is slightly flashy with those covered headlights, so I'm going for an Aston Martin DB 4 or a '50's Bentley Continental or maybe a 50's - 70's Bristol ( a 411 comes to mind).


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## Poindexter (Jul 22, 2010)

Jaguar XKE Series 1, the car Enzo called 'The most beautiful automobile ever made'. End of discussion.

You're welcome.

Poinz


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## De-Boj (Jul 5, 2009)

WouldaShoulda said:


> This phenomenon was observed in N. Wilmington, DE (Montchanin, Greenville) when I was a lad as well. It was K-cars and Chevettes among some of the well heeled. I was floored. My orthodontist however, splurged on a modest Mercedes sedan.


I am not sure that the Montchanin / Greenville set are adhering to this anymore. I see more and more luxury cars in those parts of the great state, even Centerville...


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

^^^

I wouldn't be surprised. There was also a saying; "Westover Hills means left-over bills!!"


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Poindexter said:


> Jaguar XKE Series 1, the car Enzo called 'The most beautiful automobile ever made'. End of discussion.


Because Enzo said it, it's the "end of discussion?" I don't think so. While I will admit that the convertible was a beautiful automobile, I never particularly cared for the coupe. I certainly don't think they are among the "most beautiful" automobiles ever. Sorry, Enzo doesn't speak for everyone.

Cruiser


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## Nerev (Apr 25, 2009)

Mercedes S600 (or S550), brownie points for getting it armored; the choice for dignitaries high, low, and scummy alike.

Personally, I like my Lexus but it's no where near a gentleman's car.


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## Captain Peacock (Jun 15, 2011)

I think a gentleman should not show off yet at the same time likes quality. Therefore this is what I own: 2002 Volvo S60, 2001 Subaru Outback wagon. Of course both are manual transmissions instead of automatics, I think that is important as well.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

I admit to being extremely biased. An AMG SLK32, (exactly like this one) is my favorite gentleman's auto.







Smoother ride than many so called "Pure" sports cars and 349 HP. (0-60 in 4.8 seconds)


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## ItalianJOe (Aug 23, 2011)

Bespoke or MTM shirts
Cartier Tank Francaise 
Bally Shoes
Early 90s 911 Turbo or Carrera RS


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

ItalianJOe said:


> Bespoke or MTM shirts
> Cartier Tank Francaise
> Bally Shoes
> Early 90s 911 Turbo or Carrera RS


Those 964 and 993 variant Carrera RS had notoriously terrible ride quality, nearly knocking the teeth out of your mouth. The 996 GT3 were very similar in that regard. Turbo, yes, better ride quality; RS not so much.


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## Poindexter (Jul 22, 2010)

Cruiser said:


> Because Enzo said it, it's the "end of discussion?" I don't think so.


Yah, well, maybe I, at the time, misinterpreted the general thrust of this thread. You must understand that for Enzo (who made some of the undisputedly most beautiful cars of all time) to say this, about a Pohmmie car, was _way_ quotable. I still think that the early E, with the pipe bumpers, was a blindingly beautiful car, even if you had to park it on a sheet of plywood. A 'gentleman's' car, in the sense of understated, maybe not.

For a Detroit kid, though, in 1962 to see this car on a street in smalltown Michigan was a truly humbling experience.


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## Grayson (Feb 29, 2008)

Not to go all PC on us all, but to me any car (_that is well past it's showroom years_) yet gleaming on the outside, clean and without clutter on the inside, and scrupulously maintained sends a definite "gentleman's car" vibe.

Even moreso when it's not an expensive automobile. A rather dapper elderly man in my hometown drove an emerald green early-50's Hudson Hornet (which he had owned and maintained for almost 50 years) regularly that never failed to impress people as he rolled by.










That car purred like a kitten. :cool2:


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## shore living (Jul 7, 2011)

I have a '07 M-B CLK 550 Cabriolet, 40,000mls (BTW,NEVER thought I would reach that goal!) In So. Florida, it qualifies. Gaysons statement is well thought. And a Hudson IS a gentelmans car. I would trade straight out!


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## Orsini (Apr 24, 2007)

Cruiser said:


> Because Enzo said it, it's the "end of discussion?" I don't think so. While I will admit that the convertible was a beautiful automobile, I _*never particularly cared for the coupe*_. I certainly don't think they are among the "most beautiful" automobiles ever. Sorry, Enzo doesn't speak for everyone.
> 
> Cruiser


What a maroon!

He's probably waxing that sorry-lookin' Edsel right now.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

shore living said:


> I would trade straight out!


And you, sir, would be getting the good end of that deal!


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## shore living (Jul 7, 2011)

Yes, the Hudson, affordable Cadillac nicer drop top IMO(47-52 Commadore). Also would love a 59 Edsel Corsair convertible with Super Express V8, and happy to wax that, if I had $80,000.


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## pleasehelp (Sep 8, 2005)

TheGreatTwizz said:


> Those 964 and 993 variant Carrera RS had notoriously terrible ride quality, nearly knocking the teeth out of your mouth. The 996 GT3 were very similar in that regard. Turbo, yes, better ride quality; RS not so much.


Not sure what standards people apply when they refer to "ride quality". If you mean "tight" and "unforgiving on rough roads" then I think that probably applies (in varying degrees) to all variations of the 964s and 993s. In fact it is one of the things I like about my 993.

I'm not sure I have the same view of a gentlemen as everyone else, but in my mind it is tough to think of a sports car as a gentlemen's car (not to put down sports cars, I am a fan but they fit into the toy category in my mind). Some thoughts (none of which I own):

(i) A BMW E38 - my view of what a sedan should look like. Comfortable to drive and big enough in the back for full grown adults. I never owned one, but some friends did and I always like them. Unfortunate that there is nothing on the market today with that aesthetic. If it came in awd then I would have bought one.

(ii) A Cadillac Sedan from the 60s and early 70s. My great uncle always drove a Cadillac and he always managed to project both power and warmness/kindness (at least to those people that he wanted to be kind to). A bit flashy, but true classics.

(iii) A Honda Accord. I love the practicality of it. A great way to move the family from point A to point B.

Not sure what I would buy today if I wanted a gentlemen's car. Living in the city, I don't need practical vehicles so my vehicles are extreme (huge SUV for bad weather/winter and a sports car for fun).


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

pleasehelp said:


> Not sure what standards people apply when they refer to "ride quality". If you mean "tight" and "unforgiving on rough roads" then I think that probably applies (in varying degrees) to all variations of the 964s and 993s. In fact it is one of the things I like about my 993.


Of the 964s and 993s I've had the pleasure of driving, I agree, that it is tight and unforgiving on rough roads, requiring attentiveness that isn't found in today's cars (I wouldn't DREAM of texting and driving in a 993, but in a 997, yea, for the whole trip!). I'm specifically referring to the Carrera RS club racers that had virtually no suspension travel. I find no fault with the ride quality of the regular 911 variants.


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## bewing77 (Jun 6, 2011)

It probably doesn't qualify as a gentleman's car, but my white 2010 BMW M3 is what I'm driving and it's the best car I've ever owned. It's comfortable when needed, feels luxurious and when you dial up that sport setting that 420 horsepower V8 makes it a monster, especially given it also handles like a dream when pushed. I've driven and owned my share of sports cars in the past, nothing really have come across as so efficient, for a lack of better words as this one before.

We also have Mercedes E-class. Looks good, hate to drive it.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

bewing77 said:


> It probably doesn't qualify as a gentleman's car, but my white 2010 BMW M3 is what I'm driving and it's the best car I've ever owned. It's comfortable when needed, feels luxurious and when you dial up that sport setting that 420 horsepower V8 makes it a monster, especially given it also handles like a dream when pushed. I've driven and owned my share of sports cars in the past, nothing really have come across as so efficient, for a lack of better words as this one before.
> 
> We also have Mercedes E-class. Looks good, hate to drive it.


Coupe or sedan? Red interior?

Either way, an engineering marvel like the M3 is absolutely a gentleman's car.

Ahh, your decision between them highlights the rift that exists between German car owners; BMW guys are BMW guys, Mercedes guys are Mercedes guys. You'll RARELY get those that enjoy both; for me, it comes from my profession, as each has its place in a gentleman's garage.


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

*even with the trunk open*



Poindexter said:


> Yah, well, maybe I, at the time, misinterpreted the general thrust of this thread. You must understand that for Enzo (who made some of the undisputedly most beautiful cars of all time) to say this, about a Pohmmie car, was _way_ quotable. I still think that the early E, with the pipe bumpers, was a blindingly beautiful car, even if you had to park it on a sheet of plywood. A 'gentleman's' car, in the sense of understated, maybe not.
> 
> For a Detroit kid, though, in 1962 to see this car on a street in smalltown Michigan was a truly humbling experience.


I watched XKE's race at Laguna Seca in the first or second year after they came out. They were, as I recall, running with the trunk open to increase air circulation to the differential.

I felt then that the XKE was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. Although a number of quite beautiful automobiles have been made since then, I do not believe any of them has surpassed the XKE in terms of appearance. One that comes close is the XK convertable, prettier than the coupe and with a more rigid body, thanks to the beefing up done to compensate for the loss of the metal top.

Another genuinely beautiful automobile was the original Lotus Elite.

Having said this, I have to say that I think the thread has gotten a bit off track. Assuming the term gentleman to suggest an individual possessed of establishment old money values, that person's car would probably be a Buick or its present day equivolent. Whatever the brand, the car would not stand out, not be terribly expensive, and would not be particularly clean. It would, however, be well maintained mechanically.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Would it be easier to identify cars a gentleman would not have?


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

tocqueville said:


> Would it be easier to identify cars a gentleman would not have?


That would be too easy...

Besides, such sight gags and ridicule are beneath me!!


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## mommatook1 (Apr 17, 2008)

Any car with a male owner who regularly opens the passenger door for his female companion, is a gentleman's car. It amazes me how often I don't see this occur.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

mommatook1 said:


> Any car with a male owner who regularly opens the passenger door for his female companion, is a gentleman's car. It amazes me how often I don't see this occur.


Well stated sir!!

To share a story of this: At a comedy club in Philadelphia (Helium to be exact; stop by if you're ever in town, one of the top 5 comedy venues in the country), which is located in the heart of Center City, there is a parking garage immediately next door to valet your car (only $13 too!!). When they bring the car up, it is facing the street, so the passenger side is facing where you would stand to wait for them to pull it up. One evening after a show and some indulgences, while waiting for my car with a girl I was seeing and another couple, I watched a guy in his late 20's/early 30's walk PAST the passenger door, around to the other side, and get in, while leaving his female companion to open the door for herself. As he walked past the door, I started heckling: 'Are you going to open the door?....You're really not opening the door?....Who does that?....Let's their girl open the door for herself?.....c'mon, be a gentleman and open the door.' [tires screeching as they left].

Mind you, there were 30+ people in line waiting for their cars, we were at the back of this line. Not one single person, from that point forward, DIDN'T open the door for the lady accompanying them. While my behavior was brash and rude, it certainly served its purpose. The other couple we were with was a close friend of mine and his girlfriend. He told me the next day that he'll never not open a door for a girl, girlfriend or not, for fear of the public embarrassment and demeaning that I delivered the night prior.


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## Chris.S (May 19, 2011)

Let's talk real world/affordable attainable. How about a 2011 Caddilac CTS Coupe. Simply an incredible automobile, WELL built, fast responsive and within reach for many


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

tocqueville said:


> Would it be easier to identify cars a gentleman would not have?


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## JWM1960 (Jan 23, 2009)

For my personal pleasure, a 2005 Porsche 911S in arctic silver. Yes, a 993 from early 90's would be ideal...they were the true 911's taken to their optimum conclusion. I couldn't afford one back then...love my 997 even though it has a radiator and coolant.

For business, and family, just traded in my 2004 A8 for a 2011 Audi A8. Fantastic car.

For Utility, 2011 Audi Q7.


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

tocqueville said:


> Would it be easier to identify cars a gentleman would not have?


And for fellow Britons, the definitive ungentleman's car:


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## ESilver (Jul 1, 2005)

One day soon, the Mercedes SLS Gullwing








For now, however, my well-maintained E320


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Ford, F-150, Crew Cab, 4WD, but I do open the door for her, each and every time. LOL, even we 'Hoosierville Hillbillys can be gentlemen through our actions!


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## mommatook1 (Apr 17, 2008)

TheGreatTwizz said:


> Well stated sir!!
> 
> To share a story of this: At a comedy club in Philadelphia (Helium to be exact; stop by if you're ever in town, one of the top 5 comedy venues in the country), which is located in the heart of Center City, there is a parking garage immediately next door to valet your car (only $13 too!!). When they bring the car up, it is facing the street, so the passenger side is facing where you would stand to wait for them to pull it up. One evening after a show and some indulgences, while waiting for my car with a girl I was seeing and another couple, I watched a guy in his late 20's/early 30's walk PAST the passenger door, around to the other side, and get in, while leaving his female companion to open the door for herself. As he walked past the door, I started heckling: 'Are you going to open the door?....You're really not opening the door?....Who does that?....Let's their girl open the door for herself?.....c'mon, be a gentleman and open the door.' [tires screeching as they left].
> 
> Mind you, there were 30+ people in line waiting for their cars, we were at the back of this line. Not one single person, from that point forward, DIDN'T open the door for the lady accompanying them. While my behavior was brash and rude, it certainly served its purpose. The other couple we were with was a close friend of mine and his girlfriend. He told me the next day that he'll never not open a door for a girl, girlfriend or not, for fear of the public embarrassment and demeaning that I delivered the night prior.


Good on you. I got heckled like that once when I was 10 and didn't know any better. My old man and I were dropping off a female classmate of mine after school (she needed a ride), and I failed to get out and open the door for her when we stopped. Once she was out of sight, my dad 'explained' my error to me. Never let it happen again since.


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## shepdawg (Jul 31, 2011)

Ultimate gentleman's ride.


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## PTB in San Diego (Jan 2, 2010)

Someone stick a knife in this thread. Enough already.

(That truck is a gentleman's automobile like the WWF is a gentleman's sporting association.)


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## Regillus (Mar 15, 2011)

1941 Packard One-Eighty Formal sedan

1972 DeTomaso Pantera


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

May I suggest a Ferrari 330 2+2?


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## Elev8 (Aug 18, 2011)

Beautiful.
If slightly ungainly viewed from the front.
It's forerunner the 250 GTE is prettier, although certainly not such a good car as the 330.
For me, unfortunately "The Gentleman's Automobile" MUST be Italian or British.

330, 250, 365 Ferrari
Aston DB*4* (not 5, the 5 has been made vulgar by association)
Mulliners Continental R 
Jaguar Mk X
Rolls Corniche

plus many others of course.

My own choice?
The Jag. A real statement of a car.
You don't see many and for such a huge bus there isn't a straight line or square corner on the thing.
Here's a beautiful example


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Elev8 said:


> Beautiful.
> If slightly ungainly viewed from the front.
> It's forerunner the 250 GTE is prettier, although certainly not such a good car as the 330.
> For me, unfortunately "The Gentleman's Automobile" MUST be Italian or British.
> ...


Wonderful cars. But I prefer the DB6 over the DB4 myself.


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## Elev8 (Aug 18, 2011)

Well i certainly wouldn't say no to one  but they spoiled the rear of the roofline with the DB6 IMO. Those rear side windows just don't look quite right. Personal taste, but I was never a fan of the cowled front lights on 5 or 6 either.

The original DBS is a handsome car though. As is the V8. I was sorely tempted by one a few years ago, but they cost a fortune to run & service properly.

Money no object, the DB4 Zagato. Otherwise just the normal factory DB4 for me 

Do you have any other favourites, or sticking with the DB6?


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

If I opened the car door for my wife, she'd think I had lost my mind. Guys---it's 2011, women are allowed to have careers these days, and most I know do not wish to be reminded of the days in which they were considered fragile and dependent on men.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Wow!!

I never realized I was reminding women of the days in which they were considered fragile and dependent on men. 

I just thought I was being nice where actually I'm an insensitive oaf.


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## jwlester (Oct 20, 2009)

He's from Cali....gets a pass I guess. Here in "the land of pleasant living", my mother and wife would give me the eye for not holding or opening a door. Dad always just slapped the back of my head. I learned quick what that meant.


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## shore living (Jul 7, 2011)

Pentheos said:


> If I opened the car door for my wife, she'd think I had lost my mind. Guys---it's 2011, women are allowed to have careers these days, and most I know do not wish to be reminded of the days in which they were considered fragile and dependent on men.


 Pathetic, and I grew up in California.


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## Elev8 (Aug 18, 2011)

Opening a car door for a lady is certainly not expected over here any more.
To admit it to male friends would most likely get you some funny looks to boot.
I always do it though. And ladies always love it.
Be feminism/gender-equality as it may, I've never yet met a lady who didn't appreciate that sort of respectful gesture.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Elev8 said:


> Well i certainly wouldn't say no to one  but they spoiled the rear of the roofline with the DB6 IMO. Those rear side windows just don't look quite right. Personal taste, but I was never a fan of the cowled front lights on 5 or 6 either.
> 
> The original DBS is a handsome car though. As is the V8. I was sorely tempted by one a few years ago, but they cost a fortune to run & service properly.
> 
> ...


The DBS is great too. The similar V8 is nice, but I don't like the front end as much as the DBS.



Elev8 said:


> Opening a car door for a lady is certainly not expected over here any more.
> To admit it to male friends would most likely get you some funny looks to boot.
> I always do it though. And ladies always love it.
> Be feminism/gender-equality as it may, I've never yet met a lady who didn't appreciate that sort of respectful gesture.


I've met women who were insulted by these things. I've seen some who were just insulted I held a door open for them, but I will do that for another man too. But to open a car door for someone else I would need to get to the door before she has a chance to open it. Women don't wait anyone more someone else to open their door for them.


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

Elev8 said:


> Beautiful.
> If slightly ungainly viewed from the front.


This is a single headlight car; not a four headlight.

The front is gorgeous.


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## shepdawg (Jul 31, 2011)

PTB in San Diego said:


> (That truck is a gentleman's automobile like the WWF is a gentleman's sporting association.)


I guess gentlemen don't have ranches, or do sports requiring a truck (surfing, paintball, offroading). The only problem I have with the truck is the inability to park downtown. For those days I ride my motorcycle. WWF (no longer in existence) is a joke, whereas the 6.6 is pure sensibility.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

An honest answer to what a "gentlemen's car" would not be a list of cars but attributes. 

It would be well kept regardless of age, not utilize an excessive amount of gasoline, be large enough to provide a comfortable ride to the number of passengers regularly transported, etc. It would not be showy or ostentatious. 

Most of the cars in this thread have nothing to do with being a gentleman's car, but rather are just classically styled, attractive cars - a whole different concept.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

The Volvo P1800


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## Distiller (Apr 10, 2007)

Funny that so many classics make the list here. 
Let me ad something like a late 40's/early 50's Bentley coupe, or as a later vintage a Maserati Kyalami to the classics lists ...

Modern is indeed harder. Nothing too sporty, nothing too loud, nothing too flashy.
Maybe a RR Ghost. Or a Maserati Quattroporte.
Otherwise only a coupe qualifies in my mind. I like the Mercedes CL, also the new 6 series BMW.


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