Generally speaking, I can’t think of two cars more different than the first-generation Honda Accord and the Citroën 2CV. The Honda was one of the most popular cars of the 1980s, an extremely safe and conventional FWD, transverse-engined sedan and hatchback, and the 2CV is a wonderfully weird, terminally French little air-cooled two-cylinder icon of automotive strangeness. They’re about as wildly divergent as any two cars are likely to be. And yet, despite all that, I think this pair of cars may be in a lonely set of the only two cars to share this very strange stylistic lighting detail: both cars are the only cars ever made to come with both round and rectangular headlamps without any accompanying bodywork changes.
Yes, you read that right; and I dearly hope you’re sitting down, because I’m sure this is a deeply, pants-soakingly shocking revelation for you. I mean, how could it even be possible? Changing the fundamental shape of the headlights without making any other styling or sheet-metal changes to the body? How could that possibly work? It’s madness, madness, I tell you, and yet here we are.
Here’s a couple examples of how the transition from round-to-rectangular lamps normally went, the Chevy Monte Carlo making the switch in 1976, and the Volkswagen Rabbit in 1979:
The Monte Carlo’s body changes around the lighting are pretty substantial, since a move from dual to quad lamps was also undertaken. The Rabbit’s changes are much more subtle, but the grille and lower valence panel did change to accommodate the rectangular headlights.
What’s incredible about the Citroën 2CV and the Honda Accord is that neither car seems to have any significant styling changes beyond the switch to rectangular lights. With the 2CV, this is pretty damn easy, since the headlights were never integrated into the bodywork at all:
As you can see, even counting the 2CV in this is a bit of a joke, because there’s really no need to change the bodywork based on headlight shape; you could have triangular lights or lights shaped like little sasquatches and still have no need to change any bodywork. Still, they did change (on some models) from round lights to rectangular in 1975, so I think this counts. But the Honda is a much more interesting case.
Here’s what the Accord looked like in its JDM-only square headlamp version, along with an inset of the round-headlamp front end:
Look at that! Okay, sure, the mounting bezels inside the grille need to be different, but those aren’t really about styling, they’re about holding the lights in place. All of the chrome trim, grille, hood, all that sheet metal, it’s the exact same. I don’t know if this was the plan from the start, to allow enough play in the design to allow for either shape of light, or if it was just a happy accident, and some stylist found they could fit those fancy new rectangular lights inside that grille.
Who knows for sure? Here’s a nice commercial that shows the square-eyed Accord, so you can really absorb all the strangeness:
As I stated, I’m pretty sure the Accord – and, yes, the 2CV, even if it took the easy way – remain the only cars to switch their headlamp shape without changing pretty much anything else at all.
If I’m wrong about this, I know this is the audience to correct me, but I’ve been racking my brain, and I don’t think so. Plenty of cars have switched between round and rectangular, but always with some, even minor, other styling changes.
But not this deeply mismatched pair of cars, a pair that I think are lumped together precisely no other times. So, this seems worthy of noting, and, yes, celebrating.
UPDATE:
Commenters are noting the Volvo 240 fits in this category, and, dammit, yes, I agree! Okay, so there’s three! And maybe others. But still!
Where Did The One Million First-Gen Honda Accords Go?
If you are speaking of different headlamp designs without any changes to the sheetmetal, here are a several examples. Of course, there are headlamp designs specifically for the US/Canadian markets that used the round headlamps.
Volkswagen did the same with the first-generation Scirocco: the lower trim level and smaller engines have form-fitting rectangular headlamps while the higher and sporty trim level and larger engines have quad round headlamps. You did mention K70 with two different headlamp designs, too.
Mercedes-Benz has done the same thing for its W123. The models with four- and five-cylinder engines have larger round headlamps and smaller fog lamps (the shape and type of headlamps were designed specifically for the US market prior to approval of 200mm rectangular headlamps) while 280/280 E and all coupé models have 200mm rectangular headlamps and round fog lamps. From 1982 onward, Mercedes-Benz discarded the round headlamps for its entire W123 model range (except for the US market).
Audi used three different types for its C2 100/200. The international version has large form-fitting rectangular headlamps while the early US version has quad round headlamps. When 200 was introduced in 1979, Audi adopted the quad rectangular headlamps, which were also fitted to the US models for 1980.
Only twice did BMW use the rectangular headlamps for the international markets and quad round headlamps for the US market: Neue Klasse 2000 (ECE and US) and Neue Klasse 2000 C/2000 CS (ECE and US).
I can think of several more, but I shall stop here…
Seeing those 2CVs side by side kinda reminds me of Hypnotoad.
Bbbbbzzzzzz…..
Wait, what were we talking about again?
Oh yes, how the 2CV was the greatest car ever! All hail the 2CV!! All glory to the 2CV!!
I don’t need to be hypnotized to agree with this statement.
The 1980-81 Subaru DL/GL would like a word. DL models came with round headlights. GL’s came with squares. No bodywork changes.
I’m going to include the Jeep Wagoneer written by DT on the old site.
https://jalopnik.com/the-fascinatingly-cheap-way-jeep-restyled-the-jeep-wago-1826931827
I doubt it was a happy accident for Honda. The perfect fitment of the rectangles implies smart and efficient product planning which is no surprise given the country and the era.
A square headlight Accord looks weird because I grew up driving a 77 Accord.
Speaking of going round to square The VW Vanagon switched to square lights in the late 80s with no apparent sheet metal changes
I feel like the Passat might have done that too, but I’m too lazy to look.
The MK1 Scirocco has the rounds we know and love in the US, and then in Europe had large square headlights on some trims. I believe it is on the early (74-77) non wrap-around turn signal style only, but otherwise you can swap the grills from round to square. https://cars.usnews.com/images/article/202206/129174/2-1975_VW_Scirocco_-DB2007AU00353_large_Cropped.jpg
Color me weird but I prefer the Accord with the round peepers. Those stacked rectangular headlights were the must have styling trend of the late 70’s, much like the ‘floating roof’ styling trend of today. Both trends got way over played and needed to die an earlier death. Still waiting for the ‘floating roof’ look to be passe’ and die already. It was novel the first time I seen it years ago….
The stacked lights looked especially bad on the GM Colonnades and Chrysler Cordobas. Don’t get me started on the hideous LTD ll’s snout with its stacked lights and park bench of a front bumper..
So many styling crimes happened in the ’70s.
Stacked rectangular headlights were really just a return or continuation of the stacked round headlights that were popular in the 1960s. Although, at least there were a few stacked-round-headlight designs that looked nice, but there were others that were every bit as questionable as the later stacked rectangular designs.
Back in the days of sealed beam headlights, wasn’t that true of a few imported cars.
e.g. more roundtangular than rectangular, the Jaaaaaguar XJ-S:
Roundtangular
Round
Almost all the Benzes from that era had visibly round sealed beams in the US, and potentially not round behind frosted plastic in Yurp.
Jag people seem to refer to the XJ-S headlights as either the lozenge or the twin-rounds (I think they prefer the twin-rounds, I like the lozenges more, but I still aspire to be a Jag person one day).
Agreed, on both counts – Lynx Eventer re the second.
Very suddenly missing my little white over red 1980 Honda Prelude XE 5 speed that I owned while stationed at Yokota AFB in the early 90s.
That is all.
“All of the chrome trim, grille, hood, all that sheet metal, it’s the exact same.”
I’m afraid not. The grille is different:
1. 5 black ribs (round) / 3 black ribs (rectangle)
2. Dead vertical ends of grille (rectangle) / slightly concave ends (round)
The upper trim piece is different:
3. Bends upwards to match the hood shape while either maintaining thickness or thickening a bit (round) / keeps the lower surface straight across while the upper surface lifts to match the hood, making it much thicker in the center (rectangle)
This! I even registered after long time lurking just to say so, to find a fellow pedant got there first. Don’t let them tell you not to worry, Peter, ALL details are important in everything ????
My mind goes to pop-up headlights as there has to be one out there that changed from round to square or versa vise without changing the look.
I have a weirder pop-up headlight change than just the shape.
Lotus Elan M100 (the 1989 FWD one) had four round headlights, but later ones had four round headlights.
So what? Well, the later ones had the four lights in two pods each side, and they would pop up by raising at the front and hinge at the back. Classic simple pop-ups.
The earlier ones were weird. The body coloured cover would open at the front, hinged at the back, like normal. But the actual lights would be pointing up and would rotate forwards hinged at the front like folding opera glasses (I assume you’re all in to vintage opera equipment and this is a relatable reference).
Fantastic share! I’m more of a monocle fetishist, but appreciate a nice pair of fold ups while viewing Carmen from the loge. (Also reminds me of a flat cased set of binoculars my grandma had that sprung up and out in a similar manner – thank you for the memory unlock)
That “But still!” in the update requires at least two more exclamation marks.
This seems so obvious, i’m surprised that it falls to me to point it out.
hey torch, do you want to try Dacia 1300 and 1310? the lighting and the dash is the only difference. Both of them are based on Renault 12. I can’t remember what the quat light Renault 12 version is
The North American Renault 12 came with the quad round lights.
The Canadian market Renault 5 came with the European rectangular beams, but the emergency roadside kit contained 2 adapter rings for swapping in 7″ round sealed beams or the 7″ headlight of your choice.
I need a picture of this!! I absolutely believe you, but this is an absurd fact that deserves it’s own Torch article!
The rings came bundled with the spare wheel and jack in at least the 1978 and 1979 model years. That was a long time ago, it was covered in the Canadian Renault 5 Owners Manual. I may be able to find a picture of my 1979 somewhere with the round lights installed as I ran it like that to save money, when I rebuilt it after a nasty competition “incident”.
That’s super weird/cool! Step 1: find owners manual…paper lasts longer than a Renault body
. Step 2: mail to Torch!
> The North American Renault 12
That was a thing?!
’71 to ’78 according to Wikipedia… this is a golden garbage junkyard find if one exists. More likely they’ve been relegated to the cushy iron oxide flooring in the yard ????
Drove to Daytona Beach from Memphis for spring break in a Renault 12. Didn’t make it quite all the way back. Interesting trip. Smooth ride though…
You could only tell Renault 20 and 30 apart by their square and round headlights
Well, if the Volvo 240 is allowed…
Then the peugeot 504 and 505 enter the game
504 with a round headlight
504 with two round headlights
and the 505
I like this game! I’ll look for more
Round 504 looks so angry!
Than 505 is absolutely scorned
I never appreciated how stylish and comfy the 504 was.
Love how the last link is broken lol
I’m not sure you’ll allow the Jaguar XJ40, as it wasn’t a case of one shape replacing the other, but you either got the modern rectangularish lights, or a pair of sealed beams in a housing shaped to fit.
My first car was an 82′ Accord Hatchback. I loved, and still love, that car. Square headlights, for sure. The click of the high beam switch was just amaaaazing. I can still here (and FEEL) it 30 years later. Thank you for giving it the love it deserves, Torch.
Memories off the top of my head:
My next car would be a 1988 Nissan Stanza. What a piece of shit. LOT more power than the Honda though.
The only thing the early Accords lacked was rust proofing. Otherwise I’m sure they’d still be cockroaching around today. This was peak Japanese schooling the world on quality.
It’s how mine died, really. 13 years of the Northeast.
1978 Ford and 1979 Dodge trucks had round lights in the cheaper trim levels and square in the higher trim levels with the exact same grills. Only a bevel change.
1980 Chevy trucks, too; headlights changed to square, but the grille and hood didn’t change shape until 1981.
I was about to say the same. 79-80 seemed a transition period with the older front end but rectangular lights.
“Changing the fundamental shape of the headlights without making any other styling or sheet-metal changes to the body?”
If we’re generalizing to “fundamental shape” then Ruxtons and some Jordans were available from the factory with either round headlights or very much not round Woodlites. These took advantage of the same freestanding flexibility of the 2CV, of course:
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7498926436_7f39832a50_z.jpg
Compare the 1978 to 1979 Jeep Wagoneers. https://www.mecum.com/lots/281747/1978-amc-wagoneer/, https://www.cooperclassiccars.com/imagetag/1546/main/l/Used-1979-Jeep-Wagoneer.jpg
Sorry Jason, but I also think the Mercedes W116 and W123 did it too. In Europe both came with square headlights and in North America with round headlights without changing any bodywork just the panel where they were set.
R107 as well.
European Ford Escort Mk2
And no, I’m not referring to the quad-headlamp RS2000, just the standard model that had both round and square lamps with only changes to the plastic grille to accommodate this change
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/ford-escort-mk2.html?sortBy=relevant
Was thinking just this, The Mk1 Escort also came with square and round lights.
Generally there are a lot of 70’s Ford which did this. (mk1 capri, XC Falcon)
E30 Corollas from the 70’s also had rectangular and circular lamp options.
CAme here for E30 Corolla
Also first gen Vauxhall Astra (Opel Kadett) and HC Vivas.
As the owner of an Austin Allegro I’ll note:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8056/8138386254_f6b3b80b58_b.jpg
versus
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1687/24231866742_6a97a6a9d8_b.jpg
Sure, the grille is narrower to accommodate the quads, but as with your examples, that’s not exactly a styling change to the car.
That second one is an unfortunate looking thing. The first thing that came to mind when I saw that picture was “bless its heart.”
Apparently you’ve never seen a Volvo 240. In the US alone, they came with a pair of 7″ round headlights, 4 5-3/4″ round headlights, or 4 4×6 rectangular headlights. From 1986 on, the hood changed slightly and composite headlights were used. In other markets, there were several other styles of headlight used.
Yup, I came here to say Volvo 240. The quad round to composite look like they use the same grille.
First thing I thought of too. They did use the same grill with different plastic headlight surround for the round ones. However there were different grills for the 2 door and also higher trim levels.
hm shit, yes, agreed!
Yep, the difference between a 1980 Volvo (240) DL and an ’81 was… the headlights and their bezels. Oh, and a new dashboard.
Unless it was a wagon, specifically – those got new, larger taillights for ’81!
“What are two cars that have never been in my kitchen?”