When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I think "progressing" in the thread title is too subjective. Evolving might be a better word. Styling is always evolving. For better or worse is up to the individual.
Well, most auto historians (and I agree with them) consider the original 1986 Ford Taurus as the breakthrough model that changed the styling-emphasis for sedans from a basic three-box design to what was to become the classic aero-look, with rounded-off fenders, a lower roofline, and lower C/D's in the air-resistance. The 1Gen Taurus/Sable, of course, was not as Jelly-Bean or Aero-like as subsequent sedan models that were to follow....but, without question, started a long-term trend that still is prevalent in the industry.
Well, most auto historians (and I agree with them) consider the original 1986 Ford Taurus as the breakthrough model that changed the styling-emphasis for sedans from a basic three-box design to what was to become the classic aero-look, with rounded-off fenders, a lower roofline, and lower C/D's in the air-resistance. The 1Gen Taurus/Sable, of course, was not as Jelly-Bean or Aero-like as subsequent sedan models that were to follow....but, without question, started a long-term trend that still is prevalent in the industry.
Yes the "jelly bean" style saw mass market sedan sales in the Taurus, but before that there was in fact Audi who brought the slick aero-look to us with the beautiful Audi 5000 in 1983 (three years before Ford), which of course subsequently became the star of 60 Minutes unintended acceleration fiasco. But for its time a beautiful car. Boxy by today's standard yes, but by the square boxes that were prevalent at the time, no.
All I know is that automotive styling across the board has never been better than how it is now. Yes, many vehicles today are overstyled, but at what point in history were your everyday economy cars and family sedans pleasing to look at? Few cars today are truly "bland."
There are some good styling examples that go along with regulations just fine. The Dodge Challenger is one, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Mercedes SLS, all nice looking non VW beetle or like mentioned Jelly Bean designs. The lifting body roof lines are sooooooo old, I'd rather see boxes return, over all the jelly beans. Lexus could just go back to the LS400 Gen 1 it has a very pleasant side profile, and beats any average production car now made in that respect. I wish Harley Earl could be resurrected he is the best of the best designers.
He means any car with a side profile roof that is like a VW beetle, I personally call them blister roofs, all the cars now have that same boring blister side profile.
And is that butt ugly Lexus grill ever going to change? So what a 2017 still looks like a what? When did that ugly grill come about? That and the roof will make is so I never buy a new Lexus.
Just kind of an interesting though Automotive styling hasn't changed much IMO since the late 1990's Granted everything has gone to crossover form, but hell we had those in the late 90's as well, Rav4, CR-V. Just looking back, its amazing how much the automotive shape changed between the 80's and the 90's. I mean look at these two cars I owned, I can't think of more opposite shapes/styling themes. Still I loved them both, I like driving the Lexus a bit more, but the Cadillac had character all its own. Both cars have been faultlessly reliable in the time I owned them, the Cadillac even more so lol.
1991 Cadillac Brougham D'Elegance, total 80's holdover.
1992 Lexus SC300/5 Speed, the latest, greatest thing Toyota has to offer in the early 90's
Originally Posted by Aron9000
Just saying, styling hasn't changed that much in the last 10, 15 years.
I think you're all over the map. you say big change 80's to 90's based on your two cars (huge old caddy and sleek small lexus coupe) but there were plenty of smaller cars during the 80's too (i had a honda prelude). The extinction of the giant old caddy though was because a) they were horribly inefficient and b) honda and toyota showed that small cars could be efficient, reliable, and decent looking, and a heck of a lot easier to park and fit in a garage, lol.
Its like overnight everything became curvy, you couldn't find a straight edge on a car in the 90's, at least compared to their 80's cars. Things started to get a bit less curvy and more straight edged(though not nearly as boxy as the late 70's/80's) in the 2000's, but this is when the bland era set in IMO, cars all started to have the same shape, same formula, same dimensions,.
I think manufacturing improvements and sophistication changed a lot of possibilities and the curves improved fuel efficiency a lot.
now we're in a materials race where cars are made from all kinds of exotic materials for weight, environment, and cosmetic reasons.
Also, cameras and sensors have changed the need to have great visual outlook, and thus design possibilities.
design never stops changing, to me there's no decade of this or that.
technology is also driving car designs mainly LED lighting. LED lighting puts out far more light for the size so they can make head/tailight housings smaller which gives more freedom in design compared to chunky bulky incandescent of the past.
imagine how iconic the Porsche 911 is....just not a car for the masses......
My angel eyes on my BMW were seriously cool in late 2006, powered by halogen H8's. today, his kids that are given these cars are embarrassed by how dim and yellow the corona light rings are....first world problems! I leave them because I like to keep things stock, so you know I have a Pre-LCI car. I actually like the smaller mirrors on the Pre-LCI over the dumbo ones on the LCI...
p.s. the led ambient red lighting was a joke how cool it was in late 2006, as were the leds in the door handles. I believe oddly the markers are LED, whereas the majority is incandescent. Infiniti already was LED at this point.
I find they all cheat off each other.
Look at the trunk deck lid, the licence plate surround, and the rear wheel arch flare of the Maserati vs the Toyota coupe.
I find they all cheat off each other.
Look at the trunk deck lid, the licence plate surround, and the rear wheel arch flare of the Maserati vs the Toyota coupe.
well yes they both have rear ends and wheel arches but that's where the similarities end.
09-27-17, 07:17 AM
you say big change 80's to 90's based on your two cars (huge old caddy and sleek small lexus coupe) but there were plenty of smaller cars during the 80's too (i had a honda prelude). The extinction of the giant old caddy though was because a) they were horribly inefficient and b) honda and toyota showed that small cars could be efficient, reliable, and decent looking, and a heck of a lot easier to park and fit in a garage, lol.
