Stunning cars with immortal aesthetics that have the secret to slowing the ageing process

A car’s design is the first thing you see. It can be the deal maker or breaker when it comes to buying and to some, how the car looks is the most important thing.

Unfortunately, as time goes on some cars start to look less attractive once surrounded by newer models that are adopting fresh design concepts and styles, leaving the ways of the old behind. That being said, there are some special vehicles that simply do not apply to the rules of ‘looking old’ and instead, age like a fine wine. Here are 5 that we think are good examples of that:

Nissan Silvia

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
Kieran White from Manchester, England, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Nissan Silvia isn’t quite as well known as the Skyline or Z coupe and we certainly don’t see them enough on UK roads, which could be part of the reason why they still look so modern. The last iteration, the S15, release around the year 2000 and despite it being over 20 years old, it still looks newer than some coupes half its age.

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
Tennen-Gas, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

Featuring simple, sleek bodylines and thin headlights, the design of this car has successfully remained modern through two decades. And now naturally, it’s quite in-demand amongst JDM fans.

Land Rover Defender

With the release of the new Defender, the ageing process has perhaps been accelerated. However, for so long we were used to seeing that same iconic boxy shape and for decades, we have been conditioned to accept that box as a Land Rover Defender.

Through the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s we were essentially looking at the same old rugged workhorse with design changed being very minimal. Until now, there was no reference point to compare it to to make it look old, making it, in fact, always look modern and up to date. Even now, once any chrome is made black and some fresh wheels put on, a Defender from the 80s can still look like it’s from 2016.

McLaren F1

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
PSParrot from England, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

There are many remarks about the McLaren F1, ones you have probably heard too many times already. Not only is it often cited as “the greatest supercar ever made” or as being “way ahead of its time” but also, it’s widely agreed that the F1, as they say, “still looks modern today”.

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
Taisyo, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

From the front, the F1 would fit in well amongst supercars from around 2010 such as the first R8 or the Ferrari 458. The rear end may look a little more dated but overall, people praise the design of the F1 to be a byproduct of Murray’s genius when it came to engineering. Some say it wasn’t designed to be a poser but rather designed to perform and the aesthetic was a byproduct of that goal.

Mazda RX-7

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
SkiawTaisyo, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

The Wankel-engined RX-7 may not stand the test of time when it comes to reliability but in terms of appearance, it’s still a modern beaut. The second JDM car on our list, with this one being a little older, starting production in the early 90s.

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
Skiaw, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It was produced for 10 years until 2002 and eventually became an icon in the boy-racer world, somewhat thanks to the Fast and Furious films. Its black light bar at the rear, famous spoiler and smooth lines have served this icon well.

Jaguar XK

5 Cars That Just Refuse To Age
nakhon100, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Again, like the Silvia, perhaps leaning on its obscurity a bit, the XK hasn’t aged badly at all. Sharing the designer of Aston Martins of the period, this Jag essentially looks like a DB7 and you just can’t go wrong with that. It could be argued that it’s aged even better than the DB7 due to average people simply not knowing what they’re looking at when they see it pass them.

Once the chrome grille is either painted or replaced for the facelift version, the XK becomes a car that still looks sporty, powerful and elegant in the most modern ways. Get an XK-R and the immortality of the design will be even more apparent thanks to all the extra vents and aggressive sports styling.

Let us know what cars you think have aged exceptionally well, in the comments.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like: ‘Alfa Romeo SZ: Weird Car of The Month

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