What Was The Golden Age For Your Favorite Automaker?

Rarely does a single car make someone love an automaker to the point of obsession. It could be a multi-generation run for a single nameplate, or one impressive model lineup. For example, Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964, joining the Thunderbird, Fairlane and Falcon in its lineup. I might be yearning for a time when the Blue Oval built more cars than just the Mustang, but the mid-'60s were pretty good for Ford.

What was the golden age for your favorite automaker? This is completely subjective. I don't want you trying to back your opinions with sales figures or quarterly revenue. Nobody falls in love with a manufacturer during an earnings call. I want to hear about the evocative models that still linger in your memory. Whether it be a promotional photo in a print ad or seeing cars out in the wild, I want to know the golden age that made you choose your camp.

Jeremy Clarkson once theorized on "Top Gear" that when Ferrari produced good road cars, its factory Formula 1 team performed poorly, and vice versa. While his humorous comment doesn't really hold up to scrutiny on either side, there is a reason to believe him. When most people think of a golden era of Ferrari's modern production cars, they pick the late 1980s. It's hard to argue otherwise, with the 288 GTO, the Tessarossa and the F40 being built in Maranello over the period. I'm not even a Ferrari fan, but the long lines and relatively flat surfaces are now stereotypical of the quintessential '80s sports car.

As evidence supporting Clarkson's theory, this was in the middle of a lengthy title drought for the Scuderia. Jody Scheckter had last won the World Drivers' Championship for Ferrari in 1979, and another driver wouldn't win a title for the team until Michael Schumacher in 2000. Despite the lack of overall success, Ferrari did win the 1988 Italian Grand Prix, the team's first victory after founder Enzo Ferrari's death just a month before. The upset win also spoiled McLaren's run at a perfect season.

Be sure to mention your favorite automaker's golden age in comment section below, including the cars that highlighted that era.