But back to the subject. I was an early convert to 02-dom--when I saw my first 1600 back in November 1967 (at Ralph Schomp Imports in Denver). Even more so after the 02 came out and I read David E Davis' paean to the car.
But I never thought of an 02 as handsome (Silver Cloud RR), dashing (Pagoda roof 230/50/80 Mercedes Benz) or impossibly sexy (XKE). It was what was underneath: a sedan that handled (actually out-handled) a sports car (or at least most of 'em).
I wrote a column comparing a 1600ti and a Porsche 356C (last July's Roundel if you're a CCA member) and was astonished as to the similarity in performance and handling--with the ti coming out ahead on almost everything--and wearing a sedan body. The original Q-Ship.
Q-ships were used by the British during WW II--an apparently unarmed freighter that was actually heavily armed with hidden guns, sailing alone to lure unsuspecting U-boat into surfacing to attack with their deck gun, thus saving torpedoes for use against escorted convoys. The Q ship would stop when the submarine surfaced, crew members would be seen panicking and lowering lifeboats, while the gun servers waited 'till the sub's deck crew was manning their 88, then they'd drop the covers and start blasting away at the U boat. Sunk a bunch of'em that way.
So--a 2002 is an attractive, well proportioned, no nonsense (obviously German) sedan but with large caliber guns hidden under that innocent sedan body. And I have to say that the early, unadorned cars--no knee molding, round tail lights etc, just as Georg Bertram penned it in 1965, are the most attractive...but that's me.
mike