Best decade for F1 cars

[Knowlesy]

Considering both looks and on-track performances, which DECADE had the best looking F1 cars? My moneys on the sixties.

NOTE:I may change my mind

[Adam43]

1980s. Power, power, power. Not the prettiest.
1960s. I like the looks of a lot of the 60s cars, but for most of that decade the engine's were too small.
1950s. The classic look.
1970s. Variety, the spice of life.
1990s. As time goes on they get increasingly the same, but some look very well designed. The complete package, if you like.
2000s. Like the 90s, but more so. The change after 1997 still hurts a little. A the grooves still look daft.

On the basis that if you want looks (which is important!) most sportscar eras destroy F1, I'll go for the cars that lloked the most impressive/dramatic. 1980s. I'm not immune to the delights of other eras though.

[Knowlesy]

Come on Adam, forget the sportscars. Pretty as they may be.

[Knowlesy]

Does anyone have suggestions for the WORST looking era as well, while you're at it?

[Red]

"Best looking" F1 cars? According to all standards, F1 cars are hideous. We do love them however because each bit of them is highly optimised to serve a specific purpose and we are aware of that, but for an "ignorant" viewer those shapes are ugly. Therefore I vote for 21st century.

I'd be tempted to vote for 50ies, because other than being open wheelers there wasn't any other difference to normal road cars and I like vintage cars. As for the 60-70 even 80's sorry, but those cars were anything but good looking. If only I remember the first wings that sprouted on the cars.

[Bononi]

Uh, too hard to choose, really.

I would go for the 70's and 80's, because I watched those decades...

[Bononi]

But then again, when you play GPL.... 60's !!!!

[Knowlesy]

When I say I like the sixties cars, I am of course ignoring those that sprouted tea trays held up by cheese wire.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by knowlesy
Come on Adam, forget the sportscars. Pretty as they may be.

I did (but only temporarily for the purpose of this poll, because they rock). As I said I went for 1980s - they looked the best while going round the track.

[Neil C]

For me the "decade" between '67 and '77, give or take a year or two on either end.

[golem]

70's. We saw alot of interesting and differant ideas tried out here. I found the 70's cars the most interesting to look at and go: Uhuh, I see. So they decided to try that with aero. Cool. quad steering wheels? Choice. A front wing as part of the bodywork? Makes sense, hell, an idea worth reusing potentially...

[Knowlesy]

In terms of innovation the seventies was definitely the best. It's a part of F1 that is sadly missing. Six-wheelers, ground effect, fan car, you name it, they tried it. Unbelievable performance levels were achieved.
In terms of sheer beauty, the sixties was wondrous. Jim Clark powersliding round the tracks of the day in beatifully slender machines with tyres best suited to a bicycle. Performance may not have been the best, but in those days it was pretty damn quick I'd say.
The eighties were beautiful in a different way. Raw power! Those giant flames spouting from exhausts, the turbo lag causing lurid moments, wheelspin in sixth gear. Great stuff! Performance was judged on power and fuel economy alone.
The nineties were quite settled really. Engines remained naturally aspirated and aerodynamics and compact designs took a foothold. Still there were some pretty cars, such as the 1993 Mclaren or the 1990 Ferrari. Performance wise the cars were getting to be perfect.
Nowadays we are getting some nice cars and unparalelled performance. But we haven't had the full decade yet so you can't really judge. Still, you wouldn't say no to an MP4-18 or an F2002/F2003GA.
The fifties? I don't even want to comment.....
Imagine if innovation returned and the rules were loosened. Imagine the beauty then!

[EERO]

For me its the late '60's early '70's, though I saw a pic of Jim Clark in a Lotus 25 this week that reminded me how lovely that car really was.

Frankly though, as fun as the Turbo era was to watch, those cars were brutish pigs.

[Logrence]

I went for the 21st century cars - all the others are so flawed and compromised, but modern f1 cars are the sleekiest, safest, fastest cars ever.

[ASCII Man]

I would rather enjoy looking at a "flawed", "compromised" beauty of a racing car than a superfast, supersafe and superugly eh... thing.

[Knowlesy]

Why is the 1980's top of the poll!?! That is only slightly better than the fifties! (McLaren MP4/4 excluded)

[429CJ]

I can't say wich year has the prettiest cars, but I surely know the ugliest ones - those of 1984, ugliest of all Williams FW09.

[nameless]

i would say 90s, with cars like the 1990 tyrell, 91 jordan, 94-97 williams they cant really be beaten. i do like the 00s car aswell though, the late 70s are definately the worst with cars with so many angles they could probably evade radar and were just awful to look at. 80s werent much better, just fat ugly beasts with a huge motor, not unlike most american cars, 60s were beautiful cars but i have little experience of those so cannot comment.

[DNQ]

Probably 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and now. Oops, thats every era...

If I had to narrow it down, I'd say 60's, then 80's, with 70's and 50's equally third.

[Schummy]

I have voted for 60s, with 70s a close second. But I too want to "reivindicate" sportcars. My prefered series looks wise. Of course I mean 60s, 70s and even some 80s sportcars. Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 battles are probably my best memories in auto-racing.

Sorry for semi-hijacking the thread for a moment, knowlesy