Which dash do think looks better today?

Perhaps a Mod can make this into a Poll for you.

Put me down for the latest Ferrari dash looks the best.

 

Toss up between the 308 and Buick. Newer Ferrari Dash looks alittle to video gamer for me.

 

I like the 308 dash. Always have. Simple too the point. 458 dash I'm not a fan of. I don't really like the vents

 

A.)

 

I'm a GTB owner, and, to be honest, I think the 308 GT/4 panel beats all of them hands down. If I could put that dash in the GTB it would be vintage car heaven. Ergonomically, the GT/4 dash is just way ahead of its time.

 

Yep, agree. GT 4 Dash is really just right for me. I would do the transplant too if it was possible.

 

A, without a doubt.

 

I love my 308 dash but that Buick is an art deco beauty!!!

 

+1
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No 50's for me Thanks! The 308 is nice but the GT4 is really nice. The newer one you've put there is not the best choice but some of today's cars are very attractive. Even the new trucks are so well done.

 

That is actually a cool shot of the 308 by itself.

308 always

 

Is the correct answer: D) All of the above?

They are all so different, representative of vastly different eras and application. As a die-hard fan of a wide range of automotive eras and designs, I cannot pick one by itself as better than the others.

 

Here is pic of my old '55 Buick Century (4-door Riviera). Mostly the same, but the gauge cluster is different. Oddly enough, one of my favorite aspects of that car was the interior--particularly the machine-turned aluminum panels on the dash. (which are hard to see in the picture, oddly enough) Of course it also had the most exquisite pair of Dagmars on the bumper. Too bad it handled and stopped like the Titanic--and unlike a 55 Chevy, I couldn't open a catalog and buy a ready-made, fabrication-free solutions to those problems.

To your original question though, I would rank them in this order: A,B,C. As far as modern car interiors go, new F-cars are great, but we aren't actually allowed to have really beautiful interiors on passenger cars anymore. Safety, safety you know...
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I agree with this - they are all so different it is apples to oranges.

That being said, I think the 308 interior was very well designed and has aged gracefully which cannot be said about most interiors of that era.

 

Thanks for the pic. My dad had one. First car I remember.

Coolest dash ever might be from his 62 Chrysler though.
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Looks great!

 

Oooh, push-button automatic! A Chrysler exclusive that disappeared mysteriously. Surprised it hasn't made a come-back, considering the valuable center-console real estate lost in most transportation-appliances to "floor shift" selector lever.

That is a beautiful spread BTW. Classic early-jet-age motorama futurism. I'm glad they didn't know then that the future was NOT chrome.

 

I love the retro wood and chrome vibe of my 1970 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV. Simple but classic.
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I agree. Simple and wonderful. And the shift lever-angle on those Alfas always struck me as unique. I know a lovely lady who is an Alfa enthusiast and pointed out to me once that the angle made it easier to... oh I probably shouldn't say what it made it easier to do, since that is a rather odd thing for a woman to do with a car, but suffice it to say, she had a very intimate relationship with her vehicle. I'm not sure whether she was being serious or not. I kind of hope she was though.

 

Winner. Although the Porsche 356 dash is my favorite - it's just part of the flow of the car body with giant chrome-ringed, green-lettered gauges sunk into the metal. Feels like a race car with a center tach and typically austere German design.

Regarding the OP, I would take the 308 over the 458. I agree with Vinsanity, though, that modern dashes are compromised by the required airbags, padding, digital readouts, etc. The 308 was the last Ferrari dash I really liked, but the vintage stuff is like jewelry -- Lusso, for example, and the 250 GT SWB. And even the Daytona... gorgeous.

(Photo courtesy of FChat'er Robb)
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I've always loved the 356 dash with it's trio of round gauges following the curve of the dash.
I agree the 308 was definitely the last Ferrari dash with a really classic feel. The switches are wonderfully old school for an 80's car.

 

Yes, those wonderful lollipop switches made such an strong impression on me when I first saw a (then-brand-new) 308 as a kid. I remember peering cautiously through the open window and marveling at all of those arcane controls. It seems like there were dozens of them--like on an airplane.

Now of course, I see it as vintage thing--a direct connection to the blue-chip F-cars I aspire to but can't afford. And likely as not, those silly little chrome toggles decided me in favor of the 308 vice a 328. I can go to some FCA event and look at someone's Daytona Spyder and think: 'hey, look, I've got the exact same switches in my car.'

 

I'd choose the 308 dash for sure. But, the illuminations of modern dash are of great appeal to me.