I think you are mistaking “frumpy” for classic. The original 404 coupe was a beautiful car, inspired by the best designs by the best designs of the time.

Someone at Pininfarina snuck a Klingon D7 Battlecruiser into the design of the center dorsal fin/spoiler combo.

I dunno. “Unsafe At Any Speed” was a pretty important book and did highlight a lot of deficiencies in the industry and its concept of “safety.” It’s pretty much the equivalent of Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” for the auto-industry.

My US market 335i was built in Rosslyn, SA. Build quality and fit/finish are impossible to distinguish from my previous 335i that was built in Regensburg, DE.