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Today, retro is all the rage with cars like the BMW Z8, Volkswagen Beetle and the new MINI plundering the automotive back catalogue for inspiration. Thing is, it's nothing new. As far back as the early '60s, old names and ideas were being resuscitated, and old designs given a modern twist, in an attempt to capture the feel of what many were already beginning to feel was a more enjoyable and carefree generation of cars and motoring.
Thirties elegance was the obsession of expensive companies like Excalibur and Panther, marques that pushed the boundaries of taste in an attempt to offer something truly different to an up-market clientele who had owned just about everything else. Who knows how much owners of the original Stutz and Duesenberg models cringed at the sight of modern namesakes staining the reputations of once noble brands, mixing retro styling cues with modern power and luxury to outrageous effect? Such cars are now faded embarrassing memories, shunned by purists and now even by the rich vulgarians who originally bought them, though some have definite curiosity value.
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