Just looking.....your car as art

I was actually thinking about this the other day, so I looked to see if it was talked about here already vs starting a new thread. It has been, and I commented on it, but it was in the "United Kingdom" section, so I wasn't sure how many actually had seen it from 2006. So I thought I'd get new thoughts from everyone in the general section, almost 20 years later.
I personally enjoy admiring / looking at the cars parked in my garage almost as much as I do driving them.
I look at them as art as much as anything else.
Every time I'm in a high end car dealer (or most any car dealership), I get the same feeling, like a kid in a candy store. I just love the cars. Anyone else?

 

Probably most of us, although I have a special weakness for iconic sports cars.

I've never bought a weekend/sports car that I didn't enjoy aesthetically.

Two of them I purchased because the colors were irresistible to me: Ferrari 328 in rare black metallic and Porsche 964 in slate grey metallic. But I do like a car that provides new discoveries -- angles, reflections, views -- over the years. Both of these cars are ones that became more attractive to me over time.

 

This would describe me 15-20 years ago, but when I go into a high end dealer today I am confronted with a sea of "sameness"......Was in a Lamborghini/McLaren dealership a couple of months ago and everything looked the same....and none of them looked appealing, even though I think of myself as being "in the market" financially.

However, when I walk into my crappy, cramped, middle class garage I am always struck by the beauty of the two cars I have.

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Agree completely on modern car showrooms. I was at a huge cars and coffee gathering last month, and the only cars that really made my eyes linger were an F40, early 911 and a 356C coupe. Everything else was just nice background.

 

Cool thread.

Art is an expression of emotion and an attempt at communication of emotion. When a viewer experiences true art, they feel something.

If that is a correct definition, then, yes, for some people automobiles are artworks.

Personally, I don’t see cars as works of art. While beautiful, I enjoy my three sportscars because of their functionality. I feel a connectedness with them by imagining the mechanical processes that make them work. When I pull a vent lever in my 308 (GTS QV) for example, I imagine the other end pulling the Bowen cable which moves a flap under the dashboard to redirect airflow. I was attracted to the 308 more to its mechanical switches, analog gauges and flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine than its appearance. Granted, its appearance makes a promise regarding functionality; it looks like a special car so I do “feel” something when I look at it but it is more about the promise of functionality.

 

I can and will admit that i get A LOT of pleasure from just looking at my cars, detailing them, perfecting them, photographing them and just wiping them down in the garage.... I do also like to drive them but more often than not, they are in the garage. Just because I'm not driving them, doesn't mean I'm not 'enjoying' them.

I know a lot of people say things like, 'what's the point of having a car like that if you're not going to drive it?' or its a waste to have a car like that if it's just gonna sit in the garage as art. And while, i understand those comments, I don't fully agree.

 

You can both drive a car and view it as art. I’ve always enjoyed driving and parking my special cars in the ocean of SUVs, Camrys, etc It makes your special cars an even greater visual treat.

 

Art is emotional (good or bad). Whether its in painting or sculpture or food or architecture or photography or graphic design or product design, including Automobiles.

And the value of art is (usually) tied to three things: 1) The emotion you feel when seeing it. 2) Its rarity and 3) its place in history. And very often, art is not appreciated at first but is an acquired taste.

I'd rather drive something beautiful and emotional than something mass produced and boring, no matter how good a vehicle it might be. But not for everyday driving.

 

Exactly! Those are beautiful!

I appreciate this. I appreciate the functionality in the mechanics of my watches the same way.

Agreed 100%

Yes!

Right! My wife and I look at different things the same way ...fashion vs automobiles
Even my daily drivers I love to look at, and think they're "cool" , even if mass produced. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say.

 

The beauty and mechanical excellence combined to form art.

 

I bought and buy the cars I love and have always wanted. I pick 3 out of the now 14 collection each year to drive. The rest sit until it’s their turn so some sit out 4 years between seasonal use. When they are parked and on display I love enjoying them and recounting the stories behind each of them.

When it’s their turn to be in circulation, I get to experience them like “new to me” all over again.

Art in the display and enjoyment art in their use.

 

Wow! That's awesome! Do you display / park them in a garage? Would love to see that collection

 

I agree on cars as art... here is the one that I have that supports that thought. This photo was by Porsche of My Dad's original 1960 356B Roadster. We sold this about a while back just before he died. Porsche Selected it for their Sports Car together celebration at the PEC here in Atlanta.
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Nothing wrong with that. I’ve found most of the negative comments usually come from folks that don’t own em. Your money, your enjoyment, whatever way that may be.

 

I can't improve on the eloquence here already. I will add that if I could park my Testarossa in my family room I would. When I take out the trash to the garage I stop and look at it for a minute.

 

EVERY time I walk through my garage, I smile. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Well, that is the prettiest 296 I've ever seen for sure!

 

Thanks!
Image Unavailable, Please Login I like it!

 

Cover the car and behold the lines. Run your hands down the panels. The sculpture will reveal itself without the distraction of paint and badges. If it doesn't then it goes to the carwash when dirty.