What Lost Styling Cues Would You Like To Make A Comeback? Autopian Asks

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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:

Chevrolet Impala 2013 Images 3

And what you used to be able to get:

Chevrolet Impala 1958 Photos 3

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.

1935 Chrysler Imperial Airflow 1
Gooding & Company

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)

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182 thoughts on “What Lost Styling Cues Would You Like To Make A Comeback? Autopian Asks”

  1. Real two-tone paint schemes, and not just the occasional contrasting roofs we get today. So many cars now have hard lines on the lower half that would be perfect for a second (or, dare I dream, even a third) color, but no, that would be fun, and cost a little more, and harder to work into production, and effect resale value…

    1. I hear the resale value thing a lot, where people buy a car in black/white/silver/beige thinking that’ll help the resale value. But does it really impact it that much? I mean if you’re trading in a five year old Civic, for example, are they really going to give you less money if it’s red or blue? In my experience, folks looking at regular used cars aren’t making color their #1 priority.

      1. There are some published numbers out there showing that the common wisdom of boring colors for resale reasons is wrong and that colors tend to hold value better, which makes sense when 90% of cars are white, black, or something in between.

      2. I hear it a lot too. Resale value has never factored into any purchase I’ve ever made. I find the entire concept bizarre. Buying what I want and not worrying what someone else will think a decade from now? No, somehow I’m the crazy one.

      3. I bought 3 cars I said I would never buy in my effort to avoid a soulless CVT (my wife insisted on some sort of automatic). A black car, a German car and a VW, all conveniently packaged in a GTI DSG. I’d had 3 black cars in the past, I already own a BMW and friends had referred to VW as “Hitler’s revenge. The black color was the last consideration on my list.

      4. Yeah, orange and yellow are actually the paint colors with the highest resale value. On average they sell for two to three grand more than an equivalent silver, black, or white car, presumably because people who want colors have fewer options and are willing to pay more to get their unicorn.

        Greyscale cars are just far more common because the average person is likely to be unoffended by them even if they’re not enthusiastic about them. It’s the dealerships ordering swaths of greyscale cars causing the problem, but it makes sense why they do so. It’s just easier to sell most people a car with a neutral color they’re “meh” about than an exciting color that’s not their taste.

        Then they get a handful of colorful cars to spice up the street view of the lot, and put huge markups on them knowing that some enthusiast somewhere will pay more for something less boring…

          1. True. I can’t argue your point. But a nice, large, stock set of Dagmars is best. Which is why Cadillac is the one to have.

          1. True. I can’t argue your point. But a nice, large, stock set of Dagmars is best. Which is why Cadillac is the one to have.

  4. I don’t quite see it yet, so I’ll say it: contrast trim. Think front to back beltline trim.

    One of the reasons everything (but esp. SUVs and trucks) look so blob-like these days is there’s not a lot to visually break up the increasingly large areas of sheet metal. Even molded panels don’t help too much, b/c as soon as you’re a little bit away, all you see is a single color.

    Horizontal trim – whether chrome from the 50s – 70s, or 80s – 90s plastic – made cars look like what they are, machines put together from various pieces. It seems (at least to me) more optically pleasing.

    Even the legendary Taurus, father of the whole organic ethos thing, had it.

    1. BMW in the 90s was on point with their black plastic belt line trim. I couldn’t agree more.

      In the same bucket is excellent and fun 80s and 90s style graphics packages. I miss splash graphics and hockey stick lines.

      1. My ’10 Ford Focus has a factory hood stripe b/c exactly that. Found it online from a guy who clearly bought out stock from Ford b/c nobody wanted them.

  5. I don’t quite see it yet, so I’ll say it: contrast trim. Think front to back beltline trim.

    One of the reasons everything (but esp. SUVs and trucks) look so blob-like these days is there’s not a lot to visually break up the increasingly large areas of sheet metal. Even molded panels don’t help too much, b/c as soon as you’re a little bit away, all you see is a single color.

    Horizontal trim – whether chrome from the 50s – 70s, or 80s – 90s plastic – made cars look like what they are, machines put together from various pieces. It seems (at least to me) more optically pleasing.

    Even the legendary Taurus, father of the whole organic ethos thing, had it.

  12. The lede image is a good example, I’d love to see a return of the “longer, lower, wider” this design philosophy led to some of the most interesting and distinctive cars that were produced. There hasn’t been a proper big coupe/sedan in decades and car design is worse off as a result. A car that is a big boat that is sleek, has tons of power, and devours highway miles. The only way to get a car remotely like described is going with an ultra luxury car.

  13. The lede image is a good example, I’d love to see a return of the “longer, lower, wider” this design philosophy led to some of the most interesting and distinctive cars that were produced. There hasn’t been a proper big coupe/sedan in decades and car design is worse off as a result. A car that is a big boat that is sleek, has tons of power, and devours highway miles. The only way to get a car remotely like described is going with an ultra luxury car.

  14. Low hoodlines that allow for decent visibility and don’t obliterate pedestrians are an underrated design feature that we’ve seem to have lost.

    1. I’ve been really pleasantly surprised with what Hyundai has done with the Elantra in that regard. It even, at a glance, looks like it has pop-up headlights. Wow.

  15. Low hoodlines that allow for decent visibility and don’t obliterate pedestrians are an underrated design feature that we’ve seem to have lost.

    1. I’ve been really pleasantly surprised with what Hyundai has done with the Elantra in that regard. It even, at a glance, looks like it has pop-up headlights. Wow.

  16. Autopian commenters in the 1950’s:
    God I’m so sick of tail fins. Every freaking car has them and they’ve gotten so obnoxiously big.

    Autopian commenters in the 2020’s:
    Bring back tailfins! Ban floating roofs and giant grills!

    Autopian commenters in the 2090’s:
    Bring back giant grills and floating roofs!

  17. Autopian commenters in the 1950’s:
    God I’m so sick of tail fins. Every freaking car has them and they’ve gotten so obnoxiously big.

    Autopian commenters in the 2020’s:
    Bring back tailfins! Ban floating roofs and giant grills!

    Autopian commenters in the 2090’s:
    Bring back giant grills and floating roofs!

  18. Separate headlights and turn signals. I know the modules are more cost effective, but they are harder to see, especially with overkill DRLs

  19. Separate headlights and turn signals. I know the modules are more cost effective, but they are harder to see, especially with overkill DRLs

  22. Just tack on “white wall tires” to the end of your column and I’m covered. Also, I need to be careful loading this page when I’m at my desk on my lunch break – I may have made inappropriate noises upon viewing that ’59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz lead pic.

      1. No kidding, last year I won a Doctor’s Surrey in a charity auction for the school that was built around 1900. Didn’t come with a buggy whip.

      1. Oh, they’re on several of my cars, but some sizes just don’t seem to be available anymore. It is nice to see quite a few of the old designs available again – my ’67 Sedan deVille had a set of really old thin double-white-walls on it when I got and didn’t think those would ever be back in production. Low and behold, Coker has ’em in stock!

  23. Just tack on “white wall tires” to the end of your column and I’m covered. Also, I need to be careful loading this page when I’m at my desk on my lunch break – I may have made inappropriate noises upon viewing that ’59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz lead pic.

      1. No kidding, last year I won a Doctor’s Surrey in a charity auction for the school that was built around 1900. Didn’t come with a buggy whip.

      1. Oh, they’re on several of my cars, but some sizes just don’t seem to be available anymore. It is nice to see quite a few of the old designs available again – my ’67 Sedan deVille had a set of really old thin double-white-walls on it when I got and didn’t think those would ever be back in production. Low and behold, Coker has ’em in stock!

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