Thoughts on Automotive Styling, aka old cars are obsolete.

[rkrochen]

All of this is so true but we need to remember we grew up around these cars and they are entrenched in our memories. As the new generation grows up they will gravitate towards the cars they grew up with. We have already seen this with pre 50’s cars as that generation is slipping away. The way I see it it’s our job to ensure the cars we love so deerly are remembered forever.

 

[Carmine]

For me it's the short wide hexagon that the grill of every other car on the road has some variation of. It's to the point that I have to look at the branding to identify the car. I used to be able to tell a car by the styling ques regardless of year or make, now they're all a blend of indiscernible crap painted white, black, or 35 shades of grey. It's truly pathetisad.

Subaru
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Ford
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Audi
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Chevrolet
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Hyundai
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Toyota
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Honda
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That's an excellent piece of research.

And yes, the blacked out grill was a sales dud on the Charger.

 

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

Last night my wife and I went to get groceries after I got home from work, my old beat up ram was on the end so we took it....as we returned I sat waiting for a green so I could make my left, across from me making a right turn onto the same street I intended to proceed upon was the below truck in black.....

I turned to my wife and proclaimed "that is the most hideous thing I have ever seen, I would sooner use the $80k that truck cost as masking paper then even so much as drive that"

When did looks for trucks die? I'm not a fan of the grille or tail light treatment of the new '19 Rams, the GM's are the most hideous swamp creatures I've ever seen, d the astetics of the Ford's is not much better then the swamp Monster GM's, Toyota trucks have never been lookers, not have Nissan's, so what does that leave me?

The answer, driving my 18 year old truck and enjoying the view in my driveway and across its nose when behind the wheel. Because it's bold, brash styling became an icon for Dodge truck styling.

My 2 cents worth..

Nick

 

[jct]

One of the "new" safety standard is pedestrian crash designs

Totally ruins the over all design of the car

 

[Carmine]

Last night my wife and I went to get groceries after I got home from work, my old beat up ram was on the end so we took it....as we returned I sat waiting for a green so I could make my left, across from me making a right turn onto the same street I intended to proceed upon was the below truck in black.....

I turned to my wife and proclaimed "that is the most hideous thing I have ever seen, I would sooner use the $80k that truck cost as masking paper then even so much as drive that"
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When did looks for trucks die? I'm not a fan of the grille or tail light treatment of the new '19 Rams, the GM's are the most hideous swamp creatures I've ever seen, d the astetics of the Ford's is not much better then the swamp Monster GM's, Toyota trucks have never been lookers, not have Nissan's, so what does that leave me?

The answer, driving my 18 year old truck and enjoying the view in my driveway and across its nose when behind the wheel. Because it's bold, brash styling became an icon for Dodge truck styling.

My 2 cents worth..

Nick

I completely agree with your post, with one caveat... I think the '09-current (classic model) Dodge Rams are the best looking since '94-'01. I think they will be remembered very fondly. I picture myself buying one eventually.

 

[Snotty]

Trucks today are hideous! And who was the idiot at Ford who designed the 4 headlights that all burn at once??? Every time I see one of these monstrosities at night I flash my high-beams, just to be flashed back. Who allowed that to be legal???

 

[swisherred]

I cant stand the new lexus with that giant *** grill....I wouldnt spend that much money on a car that looked like that....for that money i would buy 2 or 3 or 4 old cars and love them dearly. Even as bad as my car is right now, I still get people staring and questioning me about it...even trying to buy it....you just dont see them anymore. No class in most of todays cars.

 

[commando1]

Because truck buyers are fiercely brand loyal, Dodge used bold styling to elicit passionate feelings for the new truck in an attempt to draw buyers away from competitors' lots. Deemed risky at its introduction, the Kenworth big-rig look has paid off with outstanding success

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/dodge/ram-1500/1994/1994-dodge-ram-1500-laramie-slt/

Seems pale now, doesn't it.

 

[1Fury1]

Yessss to the army green hellcat charger. The new Lincoln SUVs and sedans I find somewhat appealing too.

 

[commando1]

Yessss to the army green hellcat charger. The new Lincoln SUVs and sedans I find somewhat appealing too.

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Not crazy about the Bentley grill love fest Lincoln is currently having.

 

[300rag]

Not crazy about the Bentley grill love fest Lincoln is currently having.
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KIA

 

[CBODY67]

Great thread, Carmine! The other evening, I happened into some YouTube videos, one of which was for a '71-era Plymouth Valiant. I wondered how we went from something efficient and generally enjoyable to drive to a sea of "utilities"? Was it the then-demise of rwd, as some still wanted rwd and that meant "truck-based" vehicle?

I think it was when the later-gen K-cars came out, and the Ford Taurus was popular, that Chairman Lee said "We don't build 'potatoe' cars"?

The bulbous front end designs were allegedly to be Euro in origin and a design that would decrease knee injuries of pedestrians who might contact moving vehicles. I don't believe that regulation every took place, but any car designed in that era for sale in Europe had that sort of front end shape, it seems. Kind of like how hood ornaments were flattened and then became spring-loaded in the USA brands.

Stylists have taken some efforts to make the current cars LOOK longer than they actually are. Take that mid-size SUV, chop off the roof rear of the 2nd seat, put in an angled rear window and suitable trunk lid. Put in a more angular windshield, and you'll discover just how short they really are. Probably more '70 Valiant/Dart than not. LOL All in the shape of the metal. Or a '68 Satellite station wagon next to one of the "larger" SUVs?

Light duty trucks have gotten out of hand, height wise! My daily-driver is similar to a Dodge Intrepid. The headlights on a Ford SD250 are even with the inside rear view mirror in elevation. One of those new F-150s with the 4-light + fog lights came up behind me the other night, obviously with some aftermarket bulbs in them, ALL 6+DRL in action. Reached over to adjust the inside rear view mirror to "nite", but that didn't do anything for the multitude of shadows in front of my car. Then, today, I walked up beside a new F250SD and I could barely see over the top of the bed! The headlights were shoulder-high on me. TOO dang high! When you need a hidden step mechanism in the tailgate to gain normal access to use the pickup truck bed, then the truck is TOO DANG HIGH.

The newer RAMS and Dodge Rams have always looked good. Fords look proportional, so their size kind of disappers. GM has had some nice looking pickups, but so much is sub-standard in their NEW 2019s it's not funny -- especially the HEIGHT.

Rootes Group Sunbeam made by the same company that made mixers? I guess that all Chevy Berettas came with a gun in the console compartment too? And a VHS tape of "Beretta" in the glove compartment?

Next time that "citizen" comes around, ask "What three USA vehicle corporations could touch the lives of every citizen in the USA in 1963?" Ford, GM, Packard, AMC, or Chrysler? PM me with comments.

Some of the newer "pods" do look kind of neat, but have no where the comfort of a C-body Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge for the (former) Great American Summer Vacation.

CBODY67

 

[commando1]

KIA

Nice Lincoln.

 

[300rag]

Nice Lincoln.

I've heard that somewhere before

 

[Dan Scully]

My 73 has style , body design by Dempster Dumpster.

 

[cbarge]

Vent wing windows and real roof drip rails.
New cars should have those functions.
I say functions since they work .
As we all know vent wings help air flow in our cars.
So do roof drip rails by channeling rain water away from the window so we can crack it open for more air flow.

I just luuuuv the 2008 300C I have. All the creature comforts and 340 horses from the Hemi.
Perfect daily grinder.
My biggest pet peeve I have with my 2008 300C is the damn windows keep fogging up no matter how cold or hot it is.
(No the heater core is fine!)
I cannot drive with the window open in the rain everything gets soaked and i have to keep running the HVAC system that tries to clear the windows. I hate the deflectors that you have to tack on to the doors,very tacky IMO.
Being such an air tight car with double weatherstripping on all doors does not help either.

 

[CBODY67]

(fogged windows????)

 

[cbarge]

(fogged windows????)

Yeah When it is -20 degrees outside and the car is warm on the inside the windows fog up.
The side glass is very thick to boot.
In the summer when the humidity is high it fogs up even worse.
Lately I drive with the r/r window cracked open and helps somewhat to keep the glass clear.

 

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

1994 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT - Long-Term Wrap Up - MotorTrend

Seems pale now, doesn't it.

My dad who has never really been a car guy told me when I bought my 01 Ram, that he loved that styling the minute he saw the new 94's, because it was so bold and different from everyone else.

My mom who's always been into cars for the most part said the same thing, she especially liked the 99 update for the Sport models as I had both at the same time (98 sport and 01 sport), she said the more rounded and 3 dimensional grille gave the truck more styling.

Its funny, but even non-car people recognize styling that is an outlier from its perspective competition.

Nick

 

[cantflip]

They create aggressive-looking insects with hunched up rear ends that look like a dog laying a deuce.”

Image created and now permanent...

Safety regulations as they pertain to pedestrians have more effect on design than passenger safety. This manifests as shorter hoods, taller, blunted and flush front end details. The idea being you “flop and tumble” off the front of a car as opposed to having your hip/legs broken, or submarining under the front wheels.Safety regulations as they pertain to pedestrians have more effect on design than passenger safety. This manifests as shorter hoods, taller, blunted and flush front end details. The idea being you “flop and tumble” off the front of a car as opposed to having your hip/legs broken, or submarining under the front wheels.

And IDK about anybody else, but if I decide to hit somebody with my car, I'm looking to do damage.

Early in my relationship with Viv, I went over a little bit of "type A personality automotive safety". Basically I taught her that in a situation where she is driving and some jackhole tries to get physically aggressive, she's already in control of a weapon.

Sometime later, she was driving home from work and a homeless looking guy was trying to flag a car in front of her. Failing to stop the first car, he stepped into her path and tried to get her to stop.

She hit the gas, he dove out of the way.

Later when she told me. I responded "Honey, I am soo proud of you. And don't worry, we carry good insurance if the next one doesn't make it in time."