Our Top 7 favorite greens of the car world
St. Patrick’s Day is here to spread the luck of the Irish upon us once again, and luckily in most parts of the world, the roads are getting clear enough to bust out those sweet, sweet rides colored green (and otherwise). Their charmed owners surely won’t be getting pinched this Saint Patrick’s Day. In fact, if you are Irish and own a green car, you might even score some extra kisses today. But following are the truly blessed, our lucky seven favorite green cars.
7. 1951 Hirohata Mercury by Barris — When we first spotted this car, we almost had to pinch ourselves. The light seafoam green body wouldn’t have made the cut alone, but the smooth combination of the darker green on its lower panels screams world-class style, and we aren’t surprised that this Kustom has been setting the standard since 1953. So even though it’s a one-off, this car’s sheer style was worth a mention.
6. 2016 Porsche 991 GT3RS — Green is a timeless color in the auto world that speaks to life and wealth, and Porsche continues giving it the green light by offering the GT3RS in a luminous Signal Green. With Porsche’s sports car styling, green is the new red. After all, green means go, which is exactly what this car was made to do.
5. 1968 “Bullitt” Mustang — This was the car that made Steve McQueen famous! OK, so it was the other way around. In the 1968 movie “Bullitt,” McQueen plays hard-nosed, no-nonsense cop Frank Bullitt, who famously chases a pair of bad guys through San Francisco’s hilly streets and along curvy, mountainous highways – Bullitt in his 1968 Ford Mustang 390 2+2 Fastback and the bad guys in a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 Magnum. In the end, the King of Cool overcomes everything thrown at him – including several shotgun blasts – and the bad guys die in a fiery crash. The Dark Highland Green-painted Mustang, like McQueen, is an icon.
4. 1961-68 Jaguar XKE — Let’s face it, the E-Type is gorgeous no matter what color it’s painted. Austin Powers’ “Union Jack Shaguar” proved that. But an early XKE in British Racing Green is at the top of the heap. And what exactly is British Racing Green (BRG)? It’s the motorsports term for hunter green … or forest green … or moss green … opalescent dark green or Brunswick green. You know, the dark green paint that makes you want to drive super fast.
3. Dodge Challenger — There is a reason why the color was called “Sublime Green.” It’s called irony. There is nothing subtle or sublime about it, but this Mopar shade is the first automotive green that comes to most enthusiast’s minds. The color is so incredible that 2015 models were also graced with the retro color option – proof that Mopar loves its fans.
2. 1971 Lamborghini Miura — If you weren’t fortunate enough to attend the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, you missed the opportunity to admire Lamborghini PoloStorico’s freshly restored 1971 Miura SV that was originally displayed at the 1971 Geneva International Motor Show. Painted in Verde Metallizata (metallic green), the Miura received plenty of ooohs and ahhhs. A close second in the [hyperspecific] green Italian sports cars class goes to the 1974 Ferrari Dino at RM Sotheby’s 2016 Scottsdale Auction. The Dino’s green wasn’t quite as appealing as the Miura, but it was rare breed – one of only three painted Verde Medio Nijinsky, a more olive-tone metallic green.
1. 1969-70 AMC Javelin — It’s big, it’s bad and it’s green. The Big Bad Green color was seen on the AMC AMX and Javelins produced from mid-1969 up to 1970, and the Big Bad color line also came in a mouth-watering orange and blue, but green is our favorite flashy flavor of the day. Only 876 units were allegedly built in 1969. Scarcity doesn’t hurt. Why is it our favorite? Because it hits you like a shillelagh.
