Car design evolves alongside the technology that’s under the metal. Each era of car design can usually be defined by a type of style. The cars of today are often angry blobs while trucks, crossovers, and SUVs have lots of sharp edges, bulging bodywork, and hoods taller than the Sears Tower. As styling evolves, many cues get lost along the way. What styling cues would you love to see make a comeback?
If you haven’t noticed, I’m a huge fan of past car design. Sure, all of my cars are modern rides, but I drool over what used to be. I love classic British motorcycle design and I live for the aircraft carrier deck-length metal and the sharp fins of the 1950s. I adore how the country was so obsessed with the jet age that cars got afterburner-style taillights and the model names made references to rockets, jets, and space.
I mean, just take a look at what a modern Chevrolet Impala looks like:
And what you used to be able to get:
You know what? I’ll take that cute dress, too. It’s amazing how far some nameplates have come from their origins. It’s also really neat how the modern car tries to nod to the past, just look at the beltline in the rear there. But, I bet they could have gone a step further; add a bit of space.
The 1950s traits of huge fins, dazzling lights, miles of chrome, and bold colors capture every bit of my heart. Some of this stuff, like massive fins, might not work well in the modern day. But I’d love to see that space-age enthusiasm again. Give us cars that look like they were formed at Mach 1 and with lights that look ready to blast you off into space. Oh, and please give us bold colors without ripping us off for them!
Another era I love is the 1930s and early 1940s, when automakers experimented with streamlining and touches we would call Art Deco today.
Cars looked like teardrops flowing through the wind and they were adorned with elaborate, but classy brightwork. Automakers even put in a huge effort in the cab with relatively intricate door panels and dashboards that were as functional as they were beautiful.
I have no idea how any of this stuff could be implemented in the modern day. I suppose the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a good example of a modern streamliner. I’d love to see Art Deco with a modern twist.
How about you? What’s a design era or some styling cues that you’d love to see on a modern car?
(Topshot: GM)
Happy faces. So over “Looks aggressive” (as Man Bun Boy said in one of those Chevrolet commercials Mahk mocked back a while) styling.
Happy faces. So over “Looks aggressive” (as Man Bun Boy said in one of those Chevrolet commercials Mahk mocked back a while) styling.
Slant nose/no grill. Like a Rover SD1 or Opel/Vauxhall Carlton
Slant nose/no grill. Like a Rover SD1 or Opel/Vauxhall Carlton
I definitely want to bring back taillights that look like the engines from a rocket ship. Like the kind of rocket ship you saw in bad serials. Let me pretend to be Flash Gordon!
I liked those too, growing up. But they always seemed counterintuitive as they got brighter when “firing the retrorockets”/braking.
I definitely want to bring back taillights that look like the engines from a rocket ship. Like the kind of rocket ship you saw in bad serials. Let me pretend to be Flash Gordon!
I liked those too, growing up. But they always seemed counterintuitive as they got brighter when “firing the retrorockets”/braking.
Bumpers that are distinct styling elements that also provided protection to the lights and such from minor hits. How much does it cost to replace an active matrix headlight? Why is it hanging out in the wind waiting for Sumdood with his borrowed trailer to smash misjudging a turn at a gas station?
Bumpers that are distinct styling elements that also provided protection to the lights and such from minor hits. How much does it cost to replace an active matrix headlight? Why is it hanging out in the wind waiting for Sumdood with his borrowed trailer to smash misjudging a turn at a gas station?
Tires with a decent sidewall. I went from 18″ wheels to 16″ wheels on my BMW and the ride is so much better.
Larger sidewall also means you don’t have to worry about scratching your wheels on a curb in a tight drive thru or parallel parking situation.
And means you’re not going to need new tires and rims for hitting a pothole too fast. The one thing I hated about my old vehicle was that in order to get heated seats it also came with upsized wheels. It was a factor that pushed me towards a Wrangler.
I just dropped from 18s to 15, while keeping same outer diameter. Plus my 18’s were obscenely heavy for some reason and my 15s are on the light side of 15s. So between sidewall and unsprung weight changes, my car feels like I just put it on all new suspension the contrast is so significant.
Tires with a decent sidewall. I went from 18″ wheels to 16″ wheels on my BMW and the ride is so much better.
Larger sidewall also means you don’t have to worry about scratching your wheels on a curb in a tight drive thru or parallel parking situation.
And means you’re not going to need new tires and rims for hitting a pothole too fast. The one thing I hated about my old vehicle was that in order to get heated seats it also came with upsized wheels. It was a factor that pushed me towards a Wrangler.
I just dropped from 18s to 15, while keeping same outer diameter. Plus my 18’s were obscenely heavy for some reason and my 15s are on the light side of 15s. So between sidewall and unsprung weight changes, my car feels like I just put it on all new suspension the contrast is so significant.
I miss color most – particularly interior colors. All the GM A-bodies my friends moms drove had blue, red or green velour interiors. Chrome was passé when I started to drive (early ’90s) but I still like it if tasteful. I think the backlash was mostly against the ’70s barges that had chrome and nothing else to offer (although if money was no object I’d own a Godzilla powered Lincoln MarkV)
I miss color most – particularly interior colors. All the GM A-bodies my friends moms drove had blue, red or green velour interiors. Chrome was passé when I started to drive (early ’90s) but I still like it if tasteful. I think the backlash was mostly against the ’70s barges that had chrome and nothing else to offer (although if money was no object I’d own a Godzilla powered Lincoln MarkV)
Chromelessness, 2-door coupes, and real colors
Chromelessness, 2-door coupes, and real colors
The early ’80s Jack Telnack Fords were a revelation and made most other American competitors look obsolete overnight. Compare the ’83 Thunderbird to the ’83 Cutlass. The original Taurus was ground breaking in design (if not the mechanicals). Even the lowly Tempo at least LOOKED slippery and new.
And if you come across a first-gen Taurus today, they STILL manage to look pleasingly futuristic. Which I find funny given that the third gen (ovoid) one looks terribly dated.
Owned an Gen2, ’94 SHO 5 speed. Still kicking myself for selling it (would not fit a circa 2005 rear facing car seat). The design of these still looks modern. Same with the ’91 Gen1 Sable I had prior as a winter/work beater. That car had features the later gen lacked, plus red interior on white body. It had adjustable rear seat head rests and a small rear parcel storage cubby (that fit a Kenwood 6disk CD changer). Very comfy car although the 3.0 Vulcan was short on power. The SHO had great front seats though and the Yamahammer motor.
The second gen may be the most modern-looking one of them all; the front end treatment really did it I think. I still love the spaceship look of the first gen, but the second gen is the long-term choice.
The early ’80s Jack Telnack Fords were a revelation and made most other American competitors look obsolete overnight. Compare the ’83 Thunderbird to the ’83 Cutlass. The original Taurus was ground breaking in design (if not the mechanicals). Even the lowly Tempo at least LOOKED slippery and new.
And if you come across a first-gen Taurus today, they STILL manage to look pleasingly futuristic. Which I find funny given that the third gen (ovoid) one looks terribly dated.
Owned an Gen2, ’94 SHO 5 speed. Still kicking myself for selling it (would not fit a circa 2005 rear facing car seat). The design of these still looks modern. Same with the ’91 Gen1 Sable I had prior as a winter/work beater. That car had features the later gen lacked, plus red interior on white body. It had adjustable rear seat head rests and a small rear parcel storage cubby (that fit a Kenwood 6disk CD changer). Very comfy car although the 3.0 Vulcan was short on power. The SHO had great front seats though and the Yamahammer motor.
The second gen may be the most modern-looking one of them all; the front end treatment really did it I think. I still love the spaceship look of the first gen, but the second gen is the long-term choice.
Pop-up headlights!
Chrome!
Whitewalls!
Vinyl tops!
You’re just saying this to annoy me, right? ;D
Okay, instead of whitewalls, raised white letters!
Boy, I’m showing my age!
You know, there was a time when car tires were all white. Maybe what we need now is white tires with black sidewalls.
You know a Maverick with baby moons and medium width whitewalls might look good.
I for one agree with all but the vinyl tops. Vinyl tops age like milk and rust the crap out of your roof when they do. I don’t even like vinyl convertible tops (canvas is the way to go), vinyl is just a bad choice of exterior material in cars.
Pop-up headlights!
Chrome!
Whitewalls!
Vinyl tops!
You’re just saying this to annoy me, right? ;D
Okay, instead of whitewalls, raised white letters!
Boy, I’m showing my age!
You know, there was a time when car tires were all white. Maybe what we need now is white tires with black sidewalls.
You know a Maverick with baby moons and medium width whitewalls might look good.
I for one agree with all but the vinyl tops. Vinyl tops age like milk and rust the crap out of your roof when they do. I don’t even like vinyl convertible tops (canvas is the way to go), vinyl is just a bad choice of exterior material in cars.
Squared off designs, mainly for 2 box designs. So wagons, hatchbacks, SUVs, etc that actually have a roof that fully extends over the cargo area. Not some weird sloping rear end that eats into storage space while also looking horrible just to get a few hundredths of a mpg. I bought a 2 box for space, not to hypermile. Somehow things like the G Wagon, Bronco, Wrangler, and most full size SUVs can manage it.
Squared off designs, mainly for 2 box designs. So wagons, hatchbacks, SUVs, etc that actually have a roof that fully extends over the cargo area. Not some weird sloping rear end that eats into storage space while also looking horrible just to get a few hundredths of a mpg. I bought a 2 box for space, not to hypermile. Somehow things like the G Wagon, Bronco, Wrangler, and most full size SUVs can manage it.
Bright colors and carrying the body color into the interior.
^^So Much This^^
Bright colors and carrying the body color into the interior.
^^So Much This^^
Frameless doors and no B pillar on sedans.
I feel like removing the B pillars means the A and (new B/old C) pillars would have to be insanely thick to meet rollover/crash standards.
Also the place where the rear doors are mounted is basically a vertical post with no reinforcement coming from the roof. Not exactly good for side impact safety.
I agree pillarless sedans are sexy, but they are very problematic to design.
But pillarless 2 doors don’t lose as much as 4 doors. Of course one could go the 4 door continental convertible route. It would flex like a wet noodle, but damn, they sure look good!
Frameless doors and no B pillar on sedans.
I feel like removing the B pillars means the A and (new B/old C) pillars would have to be insanely thick to meet rollover/crash standards.
Also the place where the rear doors are mounted is basically a vertical post with no reinforcement coming from the roof. Not exactly good for side impact safety.
I agree pillarless sedans are sexy, but they are very problematic to design.
But pillarless 2 doors don’t lose as much as 4 doors. Of course one could go the 4 door continental convertible route. It would flex like a wet noodle, but damn, they sure look good!
Those vent windows behind the A pillar. Then interesting colors, finally wagons or hatches that are useful and not angled, low window nonsense.
+1 for vent windows not biased here at all (my 92 d250 has them, had a k5 that had them, my dad has a 57 bel air)
I really want the pop open way back windows. There is so much less wind noise with them open.
2 door hot hatches w/ flip open back windows like my 89 Civic SI had. Remote operation would be desirable.
Yes! Had two different 2 door sedans with manuals, and a Dodge minivan with the power pop outs. At low speeds, it reduced the need for A/C just with the airflow. If we can’t have A pillar vents at least bring these back.
Hell yeah, that’s what I had too. The Plymouth Voyager I grew up with had those, with the remote operation aspect, now that I think about it.