Gorgeous cars appreciation thread
#91
Lexus Fanatic
I think the original 07-09 LS460 is a beautiful design. I like the refreshes too, including the ones I had but they never had the really smooth elegance the original LS460 did
#92
Lexus Champion
The 13+ F-sport looks really nice IMO
#93
Lexus Fanatic
The 09-12 with its "double stacked" grills always struck me as off/copy paste vs the 07-09 smoothly integrated look. The mild refresh looks like two paper bowls right before you stack them together to my eye and it just clashes with how smooth the car is otherwise.
The 13+ F-sport looks really nice IMO
The 13+ F-sport looks really nice IMO
#94
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
#95
Lexus Fanatic
#98
Lexus Fanatic
#101
Lexus Champion
This was from the factory? Or a custom job? I was *today* years old when I first heard of a Prelude convertible..... And I had an '83.
#103
First generation Preludes were modified into full convertibles by several companies in both the US, Canada and Germany. The Solaire Corporation, a company in Santa Ana California owned by Al Rowland & Jim Bruemmer, lead the idea for mass market sales. He brought in craftsman Bruce Meyers (Known for the famous Meyers Manx Dune Buggy) to help design the tooling and fiberglass work for production. A believed 150 Preludes, between 1980 - 1982, were modified and sold to US Honda dealerships with full factory warranties. Dealer prices ranged from $14,000-$15,000, while the conversion itself sold around $5,000. Solaire collaborated with other companies including Classic Touch, Con-tec, Silcco, Steas Industries and National Coach. It was marketed as "Honda's 450 SL", drawing aesthetic comparisons to the Mercedes 450SL.
Tropic Design, located in Crailsheim, Germany.[22] Company owner Jürgen Weber learned this trade in the United States.[22] In all, they modified 47 Preludes. Very few have remained in Europe, initially all in Germany. Some have been sold over time to nearby countries, at least one to the Netherlands, one to France and one to Belgium.
Second generation Preludes were modified by another German company; some 100 Preludes were modified. No DOHC engine-equipped models have been known to be converted into convertibles, however. Three versions were available: a basic version, one which had more luxurious options, and one which added a body kit.
There is believed to be a few third generation preludes made however it is not confirmed how many were made. There is currently one confirmed Japanese imported third generation convertible Prelude currently in Australia though not much is known of its history.
Of the fourth generation Preludes, only some 15 were modified into a convertible by German company Honda-Autohaus Manfred Ernst. No details are known about the engine types and other specifics. Since only 15 were ever made, they are assumed by many to be custom-built.