These are the classic cars TG readers most want to see reborn as EVs (2024)

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This Monday’s Question of the Week asked readers which classic cars they’d most like to see make a comeback in the electric era. Naturally, this caused much divide. But having sifted through the catalogue of disapprovals, we did find a number of interesting ideas worth mentioning.

The most popular response came from Peterson: “Tatras up to and including the 603. Streamliners way ahead of their time, and absolutely deserving of an electric powertrain. Especially the pre-war machines. Even now, the shapes are brilliant and fully suitable for an electric conversion. They’re stealth bombers on four wheels.”

The second-most upvoted comment was penned by Andrew Robinson: “I want something that could be done with a simple rebodying of a current, cheap EV. A car that I loved in its Matchbox form as a kid, even though the full-size one isn’t much of a classic: the Fiat X1/9. Why? Because it can be done quite easily with a Fiat 500e’s drivetrain, and it could look more like the amazing Bertone Runabout prototype than the compromised production car. And because who doesn’t love pop-up headlights?”

There was also plenty of love shown for retro French metal, with Niall Polley saying anything ‘big and wafty’ which ended up with a ‘rough, underpowered engine’ is worth converting.

Dan agreed with the French theme, saying: “I’d have to say the Citroën DS. I think its quirky styling would suit a modern refresh, and the electric powertrain would only add to the original car’s perfect ride.”

Dave Harris then provided further (hilarious) support: “Old French cars that had oodles of style, but engines that were decidedly asthmatic and unreliable.”

We love a bit of controversy here at TG, and one comment that was right on cue was (bravely) provided by Em.h: “I wouldn’t drive an old Lancia Fulvia, but a new one with things like modern safety, climate control and navigation? Yes, please. For me, these features far outweigh the outraged purists’ screams and pitchforks.”

As a closing comment, we thought it’s worth mentioning Vertigo’s comment regarding the whole classic remake issue: “A large part of the appeal of classics is their design aesthetic, their manual tactility, and lack of modern software nonsense. We have decades of iconic classic combustion cars, but if you want those values with an electric powertrain, you're out of luck: there's a 69-year gap between the last Detroit Electric and the first Tesla Roadster. Recreating a classic car as an EV is a way to tap into that niche, without upsetting anyone who'd prefer it to be kept in its original state.”

Thank you to everyone who participated this week; the next one drops on Monday, and centres around three legendary racing cars from the ‘90s. Stay tuned, folks...