Family cars....

[sasguru]

It is of course a monstrosity but the link to class is tenuous.

This must be the most ugly car on the road. It screams 'I hate myself and I hate you too.'

The working class have never had taste, so the link is not tenuous.
It's not their fault, most have never had an education.

[Old Greg]

The working class have never had taste, so the link is not tenuous.
It's not their fault, most have never had an education.

What a depressing world view.

[sasguru]

What a depressing world view.

Quite. I wish it wasn't true and I could believe in some bien-pensant fairy tale about them being the salt of the earth etc. etc.

[Old Greg]

Quite. I wish it wasn't true and I could believe in some bien-pensant fairy tale.

Your mistake is to think that taste is an absolute concept related to your own tastes.

HTH

[sasguru]

Your mistake is to think that taste is an absolute concept related to your own tastes.

HTH

Is there no objective beauty and no objective ugliness?
Is everything relative?

[Old Greg]

Is there no objective beauty and no objective ugliness?
Is everything relative?

An interesting question as there is a view that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But taste and beauty are different.

In any case, is the Ford Capri below beautiful or ugly? Is it good taste or bad taste? And most improtantly, does the latter question differ with time and context? Maybe it might have been bad taste once but now retro chic? Or is this impossible becuase of the absolute nature of taste?

[sasguru]

An interesting question as there is a view that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But taste and beauty are different.

In any case, is the Ford Capri below beautiful or ugly? Is it good taste or bad taste? And most improtantly, does the latter question differ with time and context? Maybe it might have been bad taste once but now retro chic? Or is this impossible becuase of the absolute nature of taste?

It is an interesting area.
limiting our discussion to cars, some are beautiful and tasteful and probably will be for a long a time as practically is eternal e.g. Jaguar E-type
The Capri is a classic working man's car, that with age has become trendy as an ironic statement, so taste has changed, but it's not beautiful.
The Audi Q7, that BMW with the big arse, Fiat 500L are just ugly. The former 2 are distasteful, the latter not.

But that is of course just my judgement

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Is it that much of a sin to actually like a BMW as a car?

[northernladuk]

An interesting question as there is a view that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But taste and beauty are different.

In any case, is the Ford Capri below beautiful or ugly? Is it good taste or bad taste? And most improtantly, does the latter question differ with time and context? Maybe it might have been bad taste once but now retro chic? Or is this impossible becuase of the absolute nature of taste?

There are two problems here..

A) You posted a brown one. Post a black 2.8i one with original pepperpots...

B) You are mixing up memories and nostalgia up with the question of taste. Put this picture to vote and only middle aged men that we around in the day would vote for this against newer cars.

[northernladuk]

Is it that much of a sin to actually like a BMW as a car?

It's a sin to be so blinded by the name you completely forget the criteria you are supposed to be looking for, particularly when you have asked everyones opinion.

Much better idea to get an ok car that does it's job and buy a load of Paul Smith suits and shirts. Your social standing will increase ten fold in comparison to getting an old marque that has been to the moon IMO.