CULT LEADERS
Hero, underdog or classic — there are undefinable traits that divide fans into staunch partisan camps
Cult cars aren’t as simple to define as good, bad or classic. Some aren’t especially good to drive or own, others weren’t very popular when new and not all of them will be collectable down the track.
As an investment, a cult car can go either way — but that’s kind of the point. Cult status is all about a car with something a little bit special, offbeat or tempting to a particular group of people.
Here are a few with a history to contemplate. And some modern examples that eventually could achieve cult status.
THE MOVIE STAR: ASTON MARTIN DB5
Suave hero or sexist thug? Opinions are divided on the moral fibre of James Bond. But one thing is beyond dispute: the Aston Martins that starred alongside 007 in his early films are giltedged cult cars. Frank Bullitt’s Ford Mustang deserves a mention and even the fundamentally unwatchable Fast and Furious franchise has spawned a couple of candidates in the Toyota Supra and Nissan 350Z. It’s always the Aston that wins the Oscar.
Latter-day equivalent: Subaru’s WRX. As seen in Baby Driver — another film where the car chase was the definite highlight — and on countless PlayStation games, from Colin McRae Rally to Gran Turismo.
THE UNDERDOG: LEYLAND P76
There was an awful lot wrong with the Leyland P76 both when it was new and now. And we all love an underdog, don’t we? The examples that have survived have gathered a hard-core group of enthusiasts, partly because this was the car that could have run the ball back up the field to Holden and Ford. But it didn’t. The P76 was really the car that killed Leyland in Australia but that only seems to have added to its mystique. Odd.
Latter-day equivalent: Ford Falcon AU XR6. Reviled then, working-class hero to some now.
THE RACER: HOLDEN TORANA HATCHBACK
Motorsport has been a fertile field for cult cars.
Never more so than in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s in this country where the cars that raced at Bathurst every October were based on cars you or I could buy at a dealership and drive. The Holden Torana Hatch of the late ’70s is the poster-child for this phenomenon, a status cemented when none other than Peter Brock drove one to victory in the 1979 Bathurst classic, winning by six laps and smashing the circuit record on the last lap. Ford’s Falcon GT HO also rates an honourable mention, as does the allconquering Nissan Skyline.
Latter-day equivalent: The Porsche 911, slap on a couple of stickers and let’s go racing.
FUNDAMENTALLY RIGHT: MORRIS MINI
There were cheap small cars before the Mini but none had nailed the brief as accurately as the Alec Issigonis-designed nipper. With a wheel at each corner and brilliant handling (on a smooth road) the Mini soon proved its brilliance by dominating whole motorsport categories, something it was never designed to do. But the Mini never forgot who it was and it paved the way for a galaxy of tiny cars that actually worked.
Latter-day equivalent: Ford Fiesta ST. In common with the Mini, so much more than the sum of its parts.
DEARLY DEPARTED: AUSSIE MUSCLE CARS
When the axe finally fell on car manufacturing in this country a couple of years ago, a whole generation of Aussie family cars instantly became cult-ish. Holdens, Fords and Valiants from the 1950s, 60s and 70s were all elevated to celebrity status (with price-tags to match) on the basis that “they’re not making any more of these”. That statement is conveniently ignorant of the fact that they hadn’t been making 1960s Holdens since the, er, 1960s but sentimentality won out.
Latter-day equivalent: The very last performance Commodores and Falcons. Get ’em while they’re not yet hot.
DEFINING A GENRE: LAMBORGHINI MIURA
Before the Miura of 1966 there was no real blueprint for what constituted a bona fide supercar. Even the word “supercar” was born to describe the swoopy, mid-engined Miura. With a V12 engine and supermodel looks, the Miura was an instant cult classic even if it had the unfortunate habit of bursting into flames.
Latter-day equivalent: Telsa Model S. Took electric cars from golf-buggies to sexy.
REDEFINING A GENRE: MAZDA MX-5
The MX-5 has become the best selling small roadster of all time. And it was able to do that by taking a charming concept — the open, sporty two-seater — and banishing all the bad bits. So, unlike your typical English version of the same thing, the Mazda didn’t leak (water in or oil out) didn’t break down and actually handled like a sports car. And suddenly the whole concept made sense. For the first time.
Latter-day equivalent: Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ and perhaps the new Supra.
OUTRAGEOUS: PAGANI ZONDA
OK, so you can’t afford one, but the level of detailing and general outrageousness of the original Pagani Zonda stamped it as the flagbearer for unattainable cool. The intricate interior was equal parts 1950s sci-fi and bordello and if theatre counts for anything, then the Zonda was the leading lady. Performance was staggering, too, and the Mercedes-Benz derived V12 ensured that the Zonda owner was never late. These days it still stands as a monument to excess and that will always appeal to some out there.
Latter-day equivalent: Ferrari FXX; Like an Enzo but too crazy to drive on the road.
TIMELESS CLASSIC: PORSCHE 911
The 911 is one of the most recognisable shapes on the road and the classic formula’s slow evolution over the past 53 years has helped establish its mystique. Air-cooled models made before 1998 have a strong following, as do later performance examples with race-developed hardware. Whatever you pick, your car won’t be mistaken for anything but a Porsche.
Latter-day equivalent: The VW GTI. The link to the ’70s GTI is unmistakeable and the current model remains true to the original formula.
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY: VW KOMBI
Some cars have a knack of becoming part of the family and the early, air-cooled VW Kombi is the perfect example. The camper versions with the beds, sinks and pop-top roofs are the real cult-stars here, and families that owned them in the day still remember them fondly. More than that, owning and driving one even today gets you into the extended Kombi family where passing drivers still give each other the Kombi wave. A flawed vehicle in many ways, the Kombi had several ways to kill you. The driver’s rib-cage was essentially the only crumple-zone and it had a frightening willingness to obey a side-wind. As a feel-good car, the one-box VW takes some beating.
Latter-day equivalent: The Toyota Tarago, universally loved by larger families.