These Cars Always Put a Smile on Your Face

The Chevy SS. It was only bought by about a dozen people who were either Nascar fans or Australian ex-pats. I love that this car exists even though it failed. To me it looks a bit more interesting than an e-class or a 5-series (especially in 2013).

To say this car was only a bit more interesting an an E-Class or 5-series is the understatement of the century. These things were so cool, and like you there are few cars that get my attention like an SS... even though it looks a lot like a Malibu.

Submitted by: Derel1cte

My little Fiat Abarth. It goes beyond a smile, more of a giggle, each time.

There’s something about the Abarth I just absolutely love. Perhaps one day a cabrio will be in my future. However, finding one that isn’t all used up will be a challenge.

Submitted by: minardi

C5 Corvette. Being born in the mid 90's, it was the first car I ever understood as a sportscar, and the smooth styling has aged phenomenally. I think it’s retroactively become a middle finger to modern designs in that it’s such a good looking car without having a bunch of aggressive features. The shape itself is just good and doesn’t need to be effed with.

2022 auto designer: *screaming in pain* bUt wHeRe aRe tHe ANGLEZZZZZ

Ah, I see you are a man of taste. The C5 rules. It’s one of the cars that made me fall in love with all things automotive. My Uncle Walt had one when I was a kid. It was a red ‘98 convertible. I loved that thing so much.

Submitted by: Mosko

Look I may be in my mid 50s, but I still have my inner 5 year old. I hear Pop Goes the Weasel playing in my neighborhood, I’m looking through the change drawers and running (ok, waddling) outside to get in line.

My friend, I’ve been on such an ice cream kick lately. This isn’t what I needed to see in the middle of the day, but I get what you mean. Ice cream is just so excellent.

Submitted by: hoser68

I keep grinding that axe: my ‘69 Charger since my own car does put a smile (actually an ultra-huge effing grin) on my face:

All-time styling masterpiece.

All-time Hollywood star car—even half a century later—constantly cast in movies and TV. Even the Batmobile has been Charger-ized.

You name them, they go nuts seeing it on the streets: men, women, children, White, Black, Brown-they all go effing nuts.

That’ll put a smile on your face. I guaran-frigging-tee it.

I can’t believe you’d choose the 1969 Dodge Charger. That’s so out of character for you. I kid, I kid. On the real, this thing is sweet.

Submitted by: the 1969 Dodge Charger Guy

Classic Mercedes Benz, really any before ~1985 but bonus points for convertibles or gloriously unkillable 300Ds that haven’t yet returned to rust. They’re just so beautiful and stately, and they clearly bring their owners joy.

I love an old Mercedes. There’s just something awesome about how solidly they are built. Plus, most of them are gorgeous (especially older SLs). They’re both so delicate and sturdy at the same time. I’m not sure how MB pulled that off.

Submitted by: burner’down

someone in my area has a tuned Suzuki Cappuccino. I’ve only seen it twice, and each time it brings the absolute biggest smile to my face.

The Cappuccino is such a cute little fella. I love it. However, I’d love it more if it was the size of a real car that my 6'1" frame could sit in. A boy can dream.

Submitted by: DiRF

Any classic Beetle. They’re still out there, doing their job, making everyone’s day just a little better when they see it.

I don’t trust the Beetle for obvious reasons (see: my last name) They have a threatening aura about them.

Submitted by: Warcabbit

ANY old car. I have a very UN-collectible 4 door mid 50's Mercury that I bought when I was young and poor. Itss got lots of little dents, scratches and imperfections with a ratty interior. NOBODY cares. I have owned it for 20+ years and every time I take it out people wave and smile.

There are few things in the automotive world that are cooler than a survivor car that was never meant to survive. You’re less of an owner and more of a caretaker, in my eyes. That’s beautiful.

Submitted by: ROBOT TURDS

I spotted this beautiful 1969 Buick Electra 225 2-door while filling up last week.

This car actually did make me smile and sort of made up for a crappy day at work.

I love the big ol’ boats from the ‘60s and ‘70's especially when they are restored to showroom condition, solely for the love of the car and not to be a show queen.

I absolutely love massive boats from this era of American car design. They just ooze cool. I may or may not have a few Cadillac DeVille convertible listings in my browser right now.

Submitted by: Earthbound Misfit I

This thread is a 90 minutes old and doesn’t have a Miata? Are we even auto enthusiasts anymore?

NA with pop up headlights, or NC with its happy face, either always bring a smile to my face. NC more so, since that’s the Miata that I have, and the grins per mile are off the chart.

Honestly amazed it took this long for the Miata to show up. But hey, it’s here now.

Submitted by: dolsh

Seeing any 2nd generation Honda CRX Si that’s been well looked after always makes me happy as I have many, many excellent memories from my time with one of them in the mid-to-late 90s

The CRX is so cool. It’s really a shame they’ve all either rusted away or been stolen so many times that they’re hardly usable anymore. That being said, whenever I see one coming down the road I get a smile on my face.

Submitted by: wellgruntled

Seeing any 2nd generation Honda CRX Si that’s been well looked after always makes me happy as I have many, many excellent memories from my time with one of them in the mid-to-late 90s

How can you not smile at a yellow VW Bus? I had a smile on my face every time I glanced back at it. I didn’t get to see it for long of course since it has a 0-60 time of “Nope”. Just those few minutes I could see it though were enough to make my morning better.

This is the vehicle for getting smiles. It’s just so silly looking. Plus it’s the star of a movie with a lot of laughs: Little Miss Sunshine. I don’t see too many of these fellas around anymore, but it’s always a treat when I spot one.

Submitted by: IRegretNothing

Miata is the obvious answer here, so I’m going with my gut and saying this.

I have always been drawn to the Porsche 944 ever since I first saw one on as a child. It’s not *technically* a perfect design but I mean. . . yes it is. I don’t care that the window shapes get awkward at the beltline and fastback window, those pumped up fenders are unassailable. A red example with silver/black wheels as pictured is iconic of its era. The whole overall shape of the car is just what my brain thinks sports cars should be. There were a few in my neighborhood growing up, and there are a few in my neighborhood now. I think it’s the strongest of Porsche’s attempts to replace the 911 and while I can see why it didn’t succeed, it’s just a cool car in its own right. It’s the epitome of an enthusiast’s car, in that nowadays if you see one on the roads you just know it’s being cared for by someone who knows what it is and is committed to keeping it alive.

I dunno. I never really got the 944, but this isn’t my answer. It’s yours. If you love it, I love it! (I don’t love it.)

Submitted by: Vegibomb

Any Saturn S-series. They’re the cars my family was driving growing up with my dad’s ‘01 becoming my first car, and they’re increasingly rare to see nowadays, so it’s always a treat to see one on the road.

The S-Series is childhood nostalgia encapsulated. God, these things were everywhere in the early 2000s. my family never owned one, but it was impossible to go outside and not see of these plastic fantastics driving down the street.

Submitted by: Boter

A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned. But I’ll add the Morgan 3-Wheeler. Adding an angry shark mouth almost makes it even MORE endearing. Like a really vicious puppy dog that’s dead set on scaring his squeaky toy. Or your ankle.

As an aside, I find it interesting how disproportionately represented classic British cars are on this list - and how many more could reasonably be added. It’s like they cracked the code to making cheery vehicles. Or perhaps it’s a self-defense mechanism - you can’t get angry at a goofy, happy, car - even when it’s light’s flicker out at night, in the rain, on the way home along a dark highway.

God, I want one of these so badly. In almost every objective way, it’s not good at all, but that doesn’t matter to me in the least. I think it’s awesome. Most of them literally have a smile scowl at the front

Submitted by: The Walrus