As I wade through the slow, muddy waters of recovery from my exploded aorta, I’m slowly getting back into the magical and rewarding world of writing about cars, arguably the most important vocation in the known universe. As I ease back into this, fighting the drowsy effects caused by one or more of the dozen pills I have to choke down every day, I find myself drawn to some old, comfortable territory: taillights. Specifically, taillight taxonomy, which is why I feel now is the time to present this previously unexplored corner of taillight categorization: the Layer Cake Taillight.
In the Taillight Community, new taillight taxonomies are not taken lightly, and in order for a new category of taillight to be accepted, it generally must be approved by the Council of Scarlet Light, but since two of the Elders of Scarlet are currently incarcerated and the third is still in his winter coma, I think I’m just going to push this one through on my own.
The Layer Cake category of taillight is one that has largely disappeared in modern taillight design, as modern complex designs are antithetical to the deliberate and confident simplicity of the Layer Cake category. The Layer Cake taillights are, of course, based on the look of a layer cake, with horizontal slabs of the taillight’s component colors stacked upon one another, like the layers of sponge in a layer cake.
The criteria for a taillight being part of the Layer Cake category includes three primary rules:
- Clear, distinct horizontal bands of colored lenses
- A largely rectangular shape
- Some amount of “wraparound” dimensionality
I believe that it is possible for a Layer Cake taillight to be just two colors, or even one, though most examples I could find are tri-colored examples, with red, clear, and amber lenses. Here’s some examples of Layer Cake taillights you may be familiar with, from such diverse makers as Peugeot, Jeep, Chrysler, and even Brazil-market Chevrolet:
The Peugeot taillight’s reverse lamp section doesn’t extend entirely across the taillight, which at first made me consider disqualifying it, but upon reflection I realized that a layer cake often includes a frosting border at the edges, so I think these do qualify as true Layer Cakes.
Colors may be repeated in a Layer Cake lamp, as you can see on that Chrysler Voyager taillight on the left there; in cases where a section is repeated, it’s almost always the red lenses. You may also note the clean simplicity of this taillight design, and, as a reflective, thoughtful person, you likely are also wondering why these sorts of lights are so uncommon, relatively speaking.
Deciding what qualifies as a Layer Cake light is actually deceptively complex; here are some examples of borderline or edge cases that I’m not sure qualify as Layer Cake designs, though they’re close, and I’m certainly willing to hear arguments in their defense.
The diagonal Dodge Colt wagon’s novel lights (upper left) are very Layer Cake-like, but the 45° cant may be a disqualifier, as almost no actual layer cakes have that sort of look.
The 2nd-gen BMW 2002’s taillights (lower left) have a very Layer Cake-like design, but also a vertical amber turn signal area that could be justified as frosting, but may also deviate too much from the Layer Cake orthodoxy.
Interestingly, there’s two Jaguar edge cases here, in the middle, one being a later XJ that has an odd monochrome outer lens that has Layer Cake-like layers, but is covering lens colors that do not follow the horizontal bands.
The earlier XJ design has true horizontal layers of colored lenses, but the overall irregular shape feels too far removed from the cakey inspiration. No one cuts cake in shapes like that!
Finally, we have that Ford Escort taillight on the right, which has a stacked-colors design, but is not really the same as a layer cake, horizontal-bands sort of design. Also, it’s not dimensional, lacking the wraparound element that so effectively emulates a piece of delicious layer cake.
It’s not every day a new taillight taxonomy is identified and announced, so I hope all of you take this with the gravity that it merits. It’s a fascinating category of taillight that has been ignored for far too long, and I hope this humble effort finally gives the noble Layer Cake taillight the respect and position it so sorely deserves.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to the Ruby Glow to get nice and liquored up, especially with all my pain meds, to spread the Good News of the Layer Cake to all the Taillight Community drunks who will listen.
Wish me luck!
Here’s Why America’s ‘Baroque’ Period Was The Strangest Taillight Era
The Amazing And Mysterious Citroën DS Taillights Were As Daring As The Whole Car: Today’s Taillight
Today’s Taillights: Those Wonderful Ribbed Mercedes-Benz Taillights
Those Colt Wagon taillights make me feel things. I saw one on the highway a couple years ago that was filled with a family of 5 that appeared to be road tripping, and it felt like they had exited a portal from another timeline. It was mesmerizing.
The original Jeep XJ taillight is more blocky. True it’s taller than it is wide, but sometimes people just want a small piece of cake.
https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/022820-1996-Jeep-Cherokee-3.jpg
Yeah the original are squarer and are only red and amber, the later ones are rounder and add the white at the bottom.
Good luck at the Ruby Glow!
“Layer Cake orthodoxy…and taxonomy”
That’s GOLD, Jason…GOLD!
Now I want some cake…
First thing that comes to mind is some 80s imports. Like this 86 Maxima. I’m sure there are better examples.
https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/126/9377/18099736-1986-nissan-maxima-thumb.jpg
That one is known as a collapsed layer cake.
Torch: As always shining your v. special brand of lucidity and (by association) light on a hitherto far, far too lightly observed segment of our current car culture…hurrah sir, hurrah. -Stokes
It breaks the rules, but many vintage trailers, including mine, have what is called, a layered or tiered wedding cake taillight. Do these count if they don’t meet the rules? The description is more about the profile. https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/bargman-no-99-lens-reproduction-vts-112/
Witness the pre-facelift W221 S Class
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_S-Class_(W221)#/media/File:Mercedes_S_320_CDI_20090808_rear.JPG
Note the body-colored frosting between the layers of cake.
Also note the 5-layered W124 Estate taillamps:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W124#/media/File:Mercedes-Benz_W124T_rear_20090418.jpg
…in contrast to the two-layered W124 Sedan, Coupe and Cabriolet taillamps (In certain markets where the amber corner lamps were made clear)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W124#/media/File:1994_Mercedes-Benz_E200_2.0.jpg
It surprises me that a man whose verbal communication is rapid and high energy constructs prose that reads like the buttery smooth speech of a high-born gentleman. Or maybe it’s the meds. Wishing you a rapid recovery, sir.
This was a great read, but now I’m sad because I don’t have any layer cake to eat. (That image of the cake you used is pornographic.)
I’m holding out for pineapple upside down cake tailights.
I’m sure an 8th Gen Impala will fit your needs.
(or is that an aspic of pineapple rings in cherry Jell-O?)
I suddenly have the urge to make a first gen Ford Edge Taillight Jell-O mold.
I like that you used the Peugeot 505 as an example, IMHO one of a few very underrated sedans built by Peugeot. Even though they used a very classic 3-box design, they managed to make them look dynamic and interesting. The 305, 405, 406, 504, 505 and also the 604 and 605 come to mind (to stick with the sedans).
The 505 was a masterpiece.
I’ve always read the badge as SOS.
An ex’s mother had one and it was often reliable, which is the most heartbreaking type of reliable.
Really? The 505, and even more so its predecessor the 504, were considered very reliable vehicles. Particularly the 504 was a very common sight as a taxi in African countries, just like the all these old Mercedes’. The 505 had (or could be had with) a lot of electronic gadgetry, and French vehicles definitely weren’t very good in that regard. Together with the Italians, they were among the first in Europe to introduce modern electronics in their cars (modern by 80s standards), and in most cars, it didn’t turn out very well.
It’s possible the 504 was their crowning achievement, much like those W116 and W126 you’re referring to.
Not just aesthetically, it was also very nice to drive (RWD), supremely comfy in a way that only French cars of that era were. Unfortunately, just like most cars until recently, the European displacement-based taxing system caused most 505s to be equipped with a not very interesting 4 cylinder. And the turbo, even though it had some oomph, had a very noticeable turbo lag and was also very thirsty.
Would the BMW E28 taillights count? The middle layer is a thick chrome strip.
Exploded Aorta sounds like someone’s favourite hardcore punk band. Presumably not playing at the Ruby Glow where I imagine the house band play Kraftwerk-like symphonies on a huge rack of various ticking indicators. It is a great pleasure to read your work again; all the best.
That Neapolitan cake looks delicious.
Were those Peugeot 505 tail lights ever on US-market cars? All of the 505s I recall seeing have the turn signal on the outer edges and the brake light above the reverse light, like so:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/1987_Peugeot_505_Turbo_S%2C_left_rear_%28US%29.jpg/1920px-1987_Peugeot_505_Turbo_S%2C_left_rear_%28US%29.jpg
I’ve only ever seen those 505 lights on non US-market versions.
They were for the final couple of years. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1989-peugeot-505-turbo/
I thought I had seen some very late US-spec cars with those lights but did a little research and couldn’t find anything that corroborates this.
In this era of useless stylistic frippery afflicting the known taillight universe, I find myself yearning for a return to the basic simplicity and goodness of a nice layer cake taillight sensibility. Life is too short for such baroque affectations.
I have spoken.
Exactly. Every day going to work I see modern vehicles where the turn signal is just a sliver or spot inside the brake light. It’s on but you have to really strain to see it, washed out by the brake light.
Bring back taillights with large discrete areas for each function.
I think my BMW bavaria’s taillights fit into an edge case, though you have two different colors at the center layer. And my Ford Ranger probably qualifies as a full layer cake with a thick middle!
The Ranger is 100% layer cake, and the BMW is a degenerate case, but still in the family. Kind of like an open-faced sandwich is still a sandwich. Sort of.
I love Bavarias. And Bavaria, for that matter. As self-appointed Kaiser of North America, I grant your beautiful Bimmer layer cake taillight status.
This reminds me, I need to get down to Smith Island one of these days
The audi 100 taillights come to mind when I think about layer cake lights. Would SAAB 9000 also qualify?
I’ve always called the tri-color taillights with thicker layers “candy corns”. We used to have an early mazda tribute that particularly exemplified this.
Thought of Torch yesterday as I was watching a video where the Car Wizard was admitted the tail lights on a Delorean.
I’m surprised you didn’t take the timely opportunity to search out some rosca de reyes cake type examples. I would put the first gen BMW 1600-2002 on that list.
Maybe in a later piece, when Jason’s aorta is less exploded.
I’ve been too much on YouTube this Christmas vacation, so even though I’m from a continent that can actually pronounce it, I hear John Davis saying “poo show” in my head, when I read the P word.
If I weren’t a long-time reader of Torch’s work, I’d think the meds had kicked in after reading this, but we all know that this is just the standard we’ve come to know and love. Thank goodness you are on the mend! It’s good seeing your articles here again. And now I want cake.
Ahhhhh, fresh Torch. Always welcome but especially these days!
It just hasn’t felt right not having some taillight content around here.