AU styling gets better with age...less 'dated' than equivalent VT?

[vfast]

I have been noticing the way car styling seem to be evolving....we had the 'everything is curved' and 'bubbly' look of the late 90's/early 00's and now we're going back to the 'curve meets straight edge' look...

which is what the AU did many years ago...and I think this is why more people are starting to notice the AU's again, they look like a car that would be designed for release today...

for example the equivalent 'all curves' VT commodore shape now looks tired and dated...while (in my opinion of course) the AU (especially AUII+) seems to look more contemporary...especially if you stick in sporty round lights in the rear, which seems to be another fashion of late). The radical 'edgy' styling of the AU may not have paid off for Ford initially, but in hindsight, it just might be a winner...

J

[Timeshift]

People *did* say that the AU styling was too early for it's time - and yes, it's true.

I have the AUIII, and with the colour matched side mirrors and side skirts and all the other little adjustments, I dont care what anyone else says but I love the look of my car... blue (see http://img.drive.com.au/drive_images...r/4496_1_t.jpg for specific blue colour), rear spoiler, alloys, and of course all the series 3 trimmings

[Mechan1k]

I am finding more and more people have made mention that the AU "seems to look better now than it used to". Maybe more aftermarket styling support is around now more than it used to be ... who knows.

But I agree ... the AU looks much better now that it used to when it was first released at the end of the 90's.

What made it not look so good was it was released after the successful EF/EL range that everyone seemed to love.

[AWD Chaser]

sporty round lights in the rear

All to their own.....

Yeah, when some one says to you next time..."I reckon the AU's are starting to look good now", you should respond "Yeah, it only took you 8 years to develop a sense of taste...."

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Yeah, when some one says to you next time..."I reckon the AU's are starting to look good now", you should respond "Yeah, it only took you 8 years to develop a sense of taste...."

lol, that's a good quote ! .
I have allways loved the AU XR's but was just waiting a few years for the price to come down before i purchased one. As far as the standard AU -> When they first came out i absolutelly hated the look of them , but i must admit they have grown on me these days , still not my person choice but they definatelly look more with todays times than they did back in the late 90's , it was definatelly a design that was way ahead of its time . :lookedat:

[FTE217]

yep they sure are holding there own with the aging process ! Top vintage lol...

[thegrimVPII]

I reckon the AU looks awesome, though granted when it came out I hated it with a passion.
I actually think it looks better than the BA, which looks bland in comparison...
There is one thing about the AU though that time will never render beautiful and thats the UGLY centre dash section (with the aircon and stereo) its just horrible....WAAAAAY too taurus-esque - im glad ford dropped the whole oval obsession

[Group C]

funny you should mention this, because my brother in law is a thru and thru Holden man (poor guy.. : ), and he commented when the MRS bought her AUII XR8 that he thought they were the ugliest Ford ever.
anyway, just last Thursday night, he was having a look over it (we hadn't seen him for a while), and he said that the AU shape is getting better with age. He also said that he would probably buy an AU XR, if he was going to go Ford now. i guess that confirms what we are saying here.

i've also been told by guys in the car sales game that the AU might be the pick of the Falcon's in years to come, due to the styling (that ppl now like, when it was hated to begin with), fantastic reliability, better build quality in the XR's (due to Tickford's input that's been lost since Ford started building the BA XR's), more standard features in the AU XR's that are now options in a BA, better handling and steering than a BA (IMO), great performance while keeping decent ecomony, and resale value that is lower than a BA ATM, simply due to age.

guess time will tell, but we both LUV the wife's XR8.
be keeping this one for a looooooooong time.

[The Monty]

I really like the Fairmont dash. I dont really think its too oval or Taurusy, but everyone is welcome to there own opinion. I do think they are holding there age rather well, and I think they will still be looking like a non outdated car in say 10 years to come, but who knows where the industry is heading in the way of new shapes and whatnot. They are also a really reliable car, which Im sure most critics said they were a Lemon of a model, and that they were full of faults. My step brothers a Holden man, and he loves my car, same with my mates with Skylines and Pinto' and the sort. I think they are becoming more of classy car as they age. Any way, just my two cents.

[AWD Chaser]

Maybe the next falcon will look more like the AU! lol.

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

Maybe the next falcon will look more like the AU! lol.

It wouldn't suprise me at all to see a newer model with like the AU XR's Tickford twin headlight setup/frontend hit the production line at some time !.
Long live the AU I, II & III series XR's i recon.
Me being one who allways admired the old V12 Jaguars with the rounded kinda body and the twin round headling setup , soon as i saw the XR's it reminded me a bit of the old Jag and i loved them straight away, especially being the Ford nutter i am .

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by The Monty

I really like the Fairmont dash.

I've got a Ghia (dunno if it's any different other than the badge in the middle of the dash) and I *really* like the black dash.

I wasn't that fussed on the AU generally in looks but now that I've had one for a few months I've come to appreciate the rear styling.
The front is good (in the Ghia) except for the headlights. They still make me ill.

[FRDGAL]

Originally Posted by Timeshift

People *did* say that the AU styling was too early for it's time - and yes, it's true

It was. The syling was too outragous at the time. I'm not surprised the AU is being noticed more and more now because the design suits this era more than at it's first release.

I wasn't a fan of the AU at all when it first came out but now, I wouldn't give mine up for the world. Not even the BA tempts me.

[plext]

I never really had any issues with the styling of the AU as a whole, the basic shape worked and continues to work in my view.

Where it really went off the rails was in the details I feel, the 'teeth' on the lower spec models, the abundance of black plastic parts, the poor choice of colour in those bound to be controversial lights which only drew attention to them.

Once these things got ironed out in II and III series vehicles, I thought and still think that it is a very good looking vehicle for what is essentially a fleet/family mass market hack.

Nothing is as subjective as taste though.

[Scott]

Spot on, Commodores just don't age like Fords, I think this is true from EA right through.

[vfast]

it is funny how almost everyone here (including myself) thought the AU hideous when first released...but now, like a fine wine, sitting on the shelf for a few years has finally fully matured into a nice drop

the ugly ducking has finally grown up and turned into a swan... (lol ...anymore cheesy lines?)

maybe our tastes just needed to go through puberty?

[Scott]

I was in love with the AU's but remember thinking that all Forte's etc should have had a similar grill to the Fairmo's. The AUIII XR's & the T Series rank in my favourite looking cars of all time.

[StAndArdAU]

i unfortunately was just starting high school when the first AU was released and in fact when mine was built i was celebrating christmas after grade 8...anyways. i loved the look of the commonwhores over the au's. but now it starts to dawn that unless you have a hsv every lion for the last 7 years has looked the same. Ford really when on a (good) bender and it's unfortunate that only now it's paying off.

the XR lights really set the car apart when you saw one you knew it was a ford, unfortunately now with the BA from afar the XR can be mistaken for a commodore (pretty far away).

but i am still horrified by the whale mouth that protrudes from my forte and am getting it changed for a Hawke one from AWC in the weeks to come

[vfast]

yes I think the original AU forte 'teeth' look will unfortunately never be particularly popular...no matter how much time passes...

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by Juzman

yes I think the original AU forte 'teeth' look will unfortunately never be particularly popular...no matter how much time passes...

Yeah your right , i dunno why but everytime i see the grill and lights on a standard AU it reminds me of a Whale for some reason ?? (or a big cheesy grin/smile).. i dunno why ..lol..
Also i noticed the other day that those SV6 crummydores ( or whatever they are ) look smaller than a normal commodore from the rear - and the lights/on the rear end / and the complete rear end looks like a 1999 mitИИИИbishi magna rear end ! ..

[RavenLS1]

AU styling gets better with age...less 'dated' than equivalent VT? what a great comment, it is so true.i notice VT series 1 with the amber rear indicators and side repeaters make that car look so old.

[vfast]

Also i noticed the other day that those SV6 crummydores ( or whatever they are ) look smaller than a normal commodore from the rear - and the lights/on the rear end / and the complete rear end looks like a 1999 mitИИИИbishi magna rear end !

yeah true...when my girlfriend (who is more of the Commondore persuation) saw the new shape/lights of the latest generation of Holdens, she goes...'Oh No! What have they done, they look like Magnas!' to write down almost an exact quotation lol

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by Juzman

yeah true...when my girlfriend (who is more of the Commondore persuation) saw the new shape/lights of the latest generation of Holdens, she goes...'Oh No! What have they done, they look like Magnas!' to write down almost an exact quotation lol

cool , ty , at least i know it isn't just me then , cos i could of swore it was a magna until i saw the crummydore badge ! . :lookedat:

[Dark Horse]

Yeap contemporary does cut the mustard there. Just so happened to notice an AUI in Organza on Macquarie Street (parked just behind a Merc CLK) at the back of the 'Toaster' at Circular Quay East. I looked at the CLK, and then back at the AU, and then back at the CLK, and then back at the AU.

Not only have the all too well discussed styling cues apparent they were also near identical in colour. Funky!

[jspec_sti]

Originally Posted by Group C

funny you should mention this, because my brother in law is a thru and thru Holden man (poor guy.. : ), and he commented when the MRS bought her AUII XR8 that he thought they were the ugliest Ford ever.
anyway, just last Thursday night, he was having a look over it (we hadn't seen him for a while), and he said that the AU shape is getting better with age. He also said that he would probably buy an AU XR, if he was going to go Ford now. i guess that confirms what we are saying here.

i've also been told by guys in the car sales game that the AU might be the pick of the Falcon's in years to come, due to the styling (that ppl now like, when it was hated to begin with), fantastic reliability, better build quality in the XR's (due to Tickford's input that's been lost since Ford started building the BA XR's), more standard features in the AU XR's that are now options in a BA, better handling and steering than a BA (IMO), great performance while keeping decent ecomony, and resale value that is lower than a BA ATM, simply due to age.

guess time will tell, but we both LUV the wife's XR8.
be keeping this one for a looooooooong time.

Funny you should say that... When I bought my Explorer the car salesmen were hoping I would trade in my XR8! Another dealer tried to sell me an ex-exec GT at a bargain basement price - the rumour was my XR8 wouldn't have even made it onto the lot...

Needless to say NO SALE! Personally I prefer my hand built Windsor and AU XR styling any day.

[Casper]

Most AU XR's end up in the salesmans garage apparently.

[jabba]

I agrea with the thread. I have just bought a AU fairmont ghia, I bought it form the auction to on sell and make a few dollars. But after driving over Easter I have fallen for it. It is so bloody nice to drive and I love the interiour lay out, the wood grain and the dash. I think I like driving it more then my XR. Also the exteriour has grown on me, I am drawen to the sleek aero shape and I no longer find the shape offensive, as I did when the first Forte came out.... I love the AU Fairmont, it going to hurt selling it...

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by bladexr8

Funny you should say that...

Personally I prefer my hand built Windsor and AU XR styling any day.

Regardless of the sales success for that BA thingy I bought another AU !
and I thought get one with the lot :
Love the wings love the idea the engines are handbuilt :

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by Juzman

I have been noticing the way car styling seem to be evolving....we had the 'everything is curved' and 'bubbly' look of the late 90's/early 00's and now we're going back to the 'curve meets straight edge' look...

which is what the AU did many years ago...and I think this is why more people are starting to notice the AU's again, they look like a car that would be designed for release today...

for example the equivalent 'all curves' VT commodore shape now looks tired and dated...while (in my opinion of course) the AU (especially AUII+) seems to look more contemporary...especially if you stick in sporty round lights in the rear, which seems to be another fashion of late). The radical 'edgy' styling of the AU may not have paid off for Ford initially, but in hindsight, it just might be a winner...

J

AU looked like poo in 1998
Still looks like poo in 2006
Will look like poo in 2098

Cars either look good or they don't. We become accustomed to things over time. Example to people who worked in the same company for many years. Think back to the ugliest person at that place when you started and look at them today. Chances are that they don't appear as ugly as they used to. This is because you have become accustomed to their appearance. They are still just as ugly as they were back then.

FF

[vfast]

AU looked like poo in 1998
Still looks like poo in 2006
Will look like poo in 2098

Cars either look good or they don't. We become accustomed to things over time. Example to people who worked in the same company for many years. Think back to the ugliest person at that place when you started and look at them today. Chances are that they don't appear as ugly as they used to. This is because you have become accustomed to their appearance. They are still just as ugly as they were back then.

not true at all..

peoples tastes change...times change...things become dated, things become fashionable...

so by your logic, an old 1970's boxy tv, which when first released was the best looking thing in the world, looks as good now as it did back then, especially if you put that tv next to a nice lcd or plasma? Of course it doesn't, the world moves on, designs move on....some look worse for their age and a few look better...like the AU (IMO)