Will we ever see their like again?

[Jantrix]

I'm speaking of cars with style, creativity and artistic flair. I'm sure most of you would argee the late 40's to the mid 60's were the pinnacle of automotive design, aesthetically speaking.  Milage wasn't an issue so they could build pretty much whatever they thought up. Lots of chrome, big curvy glass, space age styling as it was imagined at the time. Two toned paint jobs and lots of trim. I was born in '68 so I saw those cars as they were on their 14th owner and headed to the junk yards by the time I was old enough to take notice.

I've always hoped that maybe someday when an alternative fuel source/technology comes around where again milage isn't an issue, we might see a automotive design renaissance. I've been holding onto that hope for a long time. But the more I think about it, the more I doubt it will happen.

Because I think the average car owner doesn't want it. There has been a culture shift. To most folks the car is the object that gets us from point A to point B. It's just a tool. It's not a statement or something precious. Heck, most folks don't even wash their cars anymore. When I was young we washed both cars every weekend, unless it was snowing.

What do you think? Will we ever see their like again?

[MrBuick]

I'm 100% doubtful it's every gonna happen. I agree that a large part of it is due to what the average modern commuter wants...and that's just to commute. They go from A to B, and use an appliance to do so. And, what's happened in the auto industry is it's become so bogged down with Government regulations, many of which make it difficult to make cars that would look as good as those of yesteryear. While those things don't necessarily have as large of an impact today on the overall look of a car, when those regulations hit in the mid 70's, about the only option was huge, protruding bumpers and other ugly designs. Aerodynamics, weight savings, and other fuel economy improving techniques further go against designing a truly beautiful modern car (at least while maintaining general affordability among the masses), and of the vested interest of the auto manufactures to mass produce hundreds of thousands of each model every year. But honestly, I don't know if I'd want it to happen. For me, being someone who loves working on old cars as much as I love looking at them, I feel like it'd take something away...that "tingling" feeling I get as I trace the body lines of a mid 50's Buick Special wouldn't be quite the same. That week-long grin plastered on my face after spending the weekend prepping a 455 short block for a rebuild would dissipate. The thumbs up and gas station conversations that happen when you own a car that's actually worth talking about would subside, and it wouldn't take long for the general public to once again lose interest. 

[Snake45]

 I'm sure most of you would argee the late 40's to the mid 60's were the pinnacle of automotive design, aesthetically speaking.  

IMHO, the best looking cars were built between 1965 and 1970. There are some good-lookers both older and younger, but to me the last half of the '60s were what cars are SUPPOSED to look like.

[Matt Bacon]

I'm sure most of you would argee the late 40's to the mid 60's were the pinnacle of automotive design, aesthetically speaking.  

I think it's pretty much in the eye of he beholder... For example, I certainly wouldn't regard that limited number of years as the "pinnacle", at all. I suspect what you're talking about is a particular style of American car, maybe... But for me, there are beautiful cars in the 30s, from the Jaguar SS100 to the Saoutchik and Figoni & Falaschi Art Deco masterpieces and the Bugatti Atlantique. There ARE plenty of beautiful cars from the 40s to mid-Sixties, including the XK120, 250SWB Califonia, Aston Martin DB4 Zagato, E-Type and Alfa 33 Stradale. Equally, I'd make a case that the Lambo Miura is the most beautiful car ever built, and that's the late 60s. Then you get the Countach and Esprit, epitomising the "Origami" style -- whether you personally like it or not, they have style, personality, creativity and flair. Coming up to more or less the present day, the Alfa 8C is achingly beautiful, the Huayra is a technological marvel that's also a steampunk symphony of style inside, and the BMW i8 is bleeding edge...

Average daily drivers are more influenced by aerodynamics and safety than they are by "art", but I think there's still plenty of extremely expressive auto design going on. And I don't think for the vast majority of the people on the roads tha cars have EVER been more than a way of getting from A to B. Between the late 40s and the mid-60s, the auto marketing guys were selling you the DREAM that a car was a statement, and Exner and his ilk were piling on chrome and fins as part of the con that made you want to buy a new car every two years, but for most people across most of the world it WAS just a dream. There have always been humdrum, dull workaday cars and ground-breaking style statements that cross the border into art, and I reckon there always will be...

bestest,

M.

[MrBuick]

And I don't think for the vast majority of the people on the roads tha cars have EVER been more than a way of getting from A to B.

I think this might depend on where you're from...in the US in the 50's Chevrolet marketed towards Americans using the phrase "See the USA in your Chevrolet;" they were encouraging people to just get out and drive, and they did. Family time was spent by simply going for a drive. People cruised around without a specific destination in mind. Sure, that stuff still happens, but I think it's overshadowed now by the general 'hustle' of people's daily routine.

[pharoah]

I don't know. They keep rounding them off to look like jellybeans. But there's that old expression, 'What goes around comes around'  I don't think fins will ever make a comeback.

It almost looks like cars will be another appliance. Like little Nerf balls on wheels. Sad....

[Xingu]

There are lots of current vehicles that meet the criteria you spelled out. The problem is 99.99% of the world's population cannot afford them. There are stunningly beautiful cars that start out upwards of $1 million.

I find there are beautiful cars in every era. There are also some hideous looking vehicles in each era as well. I hope all cars don't end up looking like the Apple car.

[MrObsessive]

There are a number of new cars that I like-------a lot of them though are way outta my price range! What I'd like to see make a comeback are the classic proportions from years ago. Front wheel drive notwithstanding, I simply can't stand the front wheels so close to the leading edge of the doors! On a lot of cars it looks goofy to me with too much front overhang, and once inside, foot room (I wear size 15 shoes) and leg room can be marginal.

It's one of the reasons I got rid of my Saturn and went back to RWD with my Challenger. 

It wasn't this way years ago when FWD was first intro'd-----think 1966-67 Olds Toronado/Cadillac Eldorado. Nice classic proportions yet they were FWD. Now I know that the engine in those sat North/South while the new cars are East/West, which is in part the reason the proportions are the way they are. 

However I look no further than what Volvo is soon to put out, and their latest designs have lost that "FWD" look. They look for all the world like a rear wheel drive car, and I say good for them!

As far as cars being nothing more than appliances? I can only attribute that to how society has changed in the last 40 years or so. First, you have a lot of people who simply don't have the time like they used to with tinkering around with a car-----I include myself in that group. With the economy the way it is, people are working either longer hours, or are working multiple jobs just to keep their head above water. Let's face it-----family life isn't the way it used to be with a lot of single parents out there that want a dependable car, and looks unfortunately can take a back seat. They want something that can get them from point A to point B, and want it to be as dependable as their refrigerator. Nevermind that it can have all the personality of one.

I don't know what the future holds as far as car design is concerned, but all I can say is that styling is subjective, and tastes seem to change every ten years or so. I personally hope that people actually get back to buying cars again, and leave the lumbering "in your way" SUV/CUV's behind.

We'll see...........

[Lizard Racing]

IMHO, 1969 was about the last year we had any decent cars.  I was watching Bullitt and realized I could name almost every car in the movie.  Try doing that today.

That being said, there's a lot to be said about today's cars.  They're more reliable, safer and more economical. 

Road & Track once did a comparison of two Corvettes, 20 years apart: A1969 L-88 big block and a contemporary 1989 model.  The conclusion was that the '69 was limited by its bias-ply tires.  The newer car was only marginally slower, but did it with a lot less fuss.  It was easier to drive fast.

Yes, today's performance cars are probably faster, but there's nothing like the exhaust roar and getting pinned in your seat.

[MrBuick]

IMHO, 1969 was about the last year we had any decent cars.  I was watching Bullitt and realized I could name almost every car in the movie.  Try doing that today.

That being said, there's a lot to be said about today's cars.  They're more reliable, safer and more economical. 

Road & Track once did a comparison of two Corvettes, 20 years apart: A1969 L-88 big block and a contemporary 1989 model.  The conclusion was that the '69 was limited by its bias-ply tires.  The newer car was only marginally slower, but did it with a lot less fuss.  It was easier to drive fast.

Yes, today's performance cars are probably faster, but there's nothing like the exhaust roar and getting pinned in your seat.

To be fair, the C4 Corvette's were simply terrible.

There are a number of new cars that I like-------a lot of them though are way outta my price range! What I'd like to see make a comeback are the classic proportions from years ago....................

...................I don't know what the future holds as far as car design is concerned, but all I can say is that styling is subjective, and tastes seem to change every ten years or so. I personally hope that people actually get back to buying cars again, and leave the lumbering "in your way" SUV/CUV's behind.

 

You make some good points, styling is entirely subjective. Unfortunately for me, there are very few modern vehicles I like the looks of enough to actually want one. Whether it's because of styling, or just simply because they're not worth near what you pay for them, I find it very, VERY hard to like most modern cars. Even the retro styling Pony cars that have become so popular...I feel they get one end of it right with each re-design, but not both. A good example would be the brand-new Mustang. The tail looks pretty good, probably the best tail end since the '68 or maybe '70, but the front end almost looks like a Taurus. 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I still think there are some stunningly original designs out there, even in "affordable" cars.

Two I'd like to own are the Nissan Cube and the Honda CR-Z.

The Cube tries hard to LOOK like an appliance, and I think it succeeds. It's a non-car in styling, eminently likable for its iconoclastic practicality in the way the original Beetle was. 

                                                     

The Honda CR-Z always makes me do a double-take whenever I see a real one on the road or parked. I'd buy it just for its looks, and illegally put some kind of screaming powerplant in it to go with the pocket-rocket lines.

           

                                                             

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[CometMan]

It seems to me that with all the government mandates imposed on the auto makers now for safety/mileage standards that something has to give, and people are way more concerned with how comfortable the car is inside, and which electronic devices they can use while they are there takes more precedence than what other people think of the car as they drive by. I always get a lot of really cool looks and compliments from people when I drive my 1966 car, but after driving to a show and back, I am usually exhausted. On the other hand, I can drive my 2012 car, which doesn't usually draw much of a second glance, hundreds of miles without stopping and feel just as good as when I started.

[Richard Bartrop]

I was a kid when the 60s cars were new, and the ones from the 50's were still plentiful, and you know what people said?

"Why can't we have cars with real style like we did in the 30s, instead of this hideous stuff?"

People never appreciate how good they have it until it's too late.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I was a kid when the 60s cars were new, and the ones from the 50's were still plentiful, and you know what people said?

"Why can't we have cars with real style like we did in the 30s, instead of this hideous stuff?"

Gee willikers...'round that time I remember being excited, along with most of the adults, when the new cars came out every year. I also remember most "old-timey" cars not being appreciated very much by anyone other than eccentric old men and hot-rod builders.

We musta lived on different planets. 

This is one of the most popular cars on Earth. Actually, it's a very good car. It's also bland, boring and completely forgettable.

                                                         

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[charlie8575]

Political correctness, unfortunately, has infiltrated all facets of life.

One of the reasons I still drive V8, body-on-frame cars with live rear axles.

I have to get new shocks in my Roadmaster, so I went to a small local chain for a quote. A mechanic had to come in from the shop and explain my car to the service writer because he had no idea how to spec parts for something that wasn't a wrong-wheel-drive unitized tin can. 

And that was after I explained to the guy that no, my car doesn't have struts. 

Charlie Larkin

[Art Anderson]

I was a kid when the 60s cars were new, and the ones from the 50's were still plentiful, and you know what people said?

"Why can't we have cars with real style like we did in the 30s, instead of this hideous stuff?"

People never appreciate how good they have it until it's too late.

My experiences and memories of those times EXACTLY!

[Joe Handley]

Gee willikers...'round that time I remember being excited, along with most of the adults, when the new cars came out every year. I also remember most "old-timey" cars not being appreciated very much by anyone other than eccentric old men and hot-rod builders.

We musta lived on different planets. 

This is one of the most popular cars on Earth. Actually, it's a very good car. It's also bland, boring and completely forgettable.

                                                         

Honestly, one of the things I like about my 200 is that it does look different than other midsized appliances, those (shudders) Camrys, in particular.  It has chrome but isn't at '58 Buick levels of obnoxious, the roofline is different that anything other than the Charger, Avenger (it's twin) and the Chevy Cruze......oddly enough......... I also like the "Light Tube" LED headlight strip over the LED  strips other cars have where the LED's are pointed straight forward since it lights up like an neon tube vs shooting light straight into traffic.

[Richard Bartrop]

Gee willikers...'round that time I remember being excited, along with most of the adults, when the new cars came out every year. I also remember most "old-timey" cars not being appreciated very much by anyone other than eccentric old men and hot-rod builders.

We musta lived on different planets. 

This is one of the most popular cars on Earth. Actually, it's a very good car. It's also bland, boring and completely forgettable.

                                                         

Eccentric old men and hot rod builders.  In other words, people like us now.

I thought 60's cars were really cool back then.  My Dad had a '67 Toronado that I thought looked like something out of the future, back when that was considered a good thing.  I also devoured anyting I could find on the history of the automobile, and people were singing that same tune.  They just change the dates periodically.  It was also when Exner was pitching his "revivals" concept, after trying to add 30s touches to his designs for Chrysler.  Mitchell was doing the same thing at GM, but with a little more subtlety.

In fact, I guarantee that 30 years hence, people will be moaning about why we can't have cars with real style like that one you posted.

Don't believe me?  Check out this guy on the Hemmings blog singing the praises of an 80s Camry.http://blog.hemmings.com/?p=630672

[peteski]

I still think there are some stunningly original designs out there, even in "affordable" cars.

Two I'd like to own are the Nissan Cube and the Honda CR-Z.

The Cube tries hard to LOOK like an appliance, and I think it succeeds. It's a non-car in styling, eminently likable for its iconoclastic practicality in the way the original Beetle was. 

                                                     

 

 

                                   

Eh, they copied the original true "box" concept of the SCION xB (Toyota bB).  My white 2006 xB looks more like a fridge or a toaster than the Cube. To me the Cube designers "jumped the shark" - it to me looks like something out of a Roger Rabbit movie - a cartoon caricature of a car.

[Joe Handley]

In fact, I guarantee that 30 years hence, people will be moaning about why we can't have cars with real style like that one you posted.

I promise you, I will not be one of those old men!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Eh, they copied the original true "box" concept of the SCION xB (Toyota bB).  My white 2006 xB looks more like a fridge or a toaster than the Cube. To me the Cube designers "jumped the shark" - it to me looks like something out of a Roger Rabbit movie - a cartoon caricature of a car.

 I probably should have included the xB, but I prefer the particular versions of the Cube for its proportions and exactly what you refer to as its "cartoon caricature of a car" looks. It's almost as though it's an inside joke that's so subtle, most people don't get the joke. I like that.

Then of course, there are the cars nobody but Arab oil sheikhs can afford.      

                  

                                                                                               

I also think Porsche has done a nice job bringing back more of the feel of the original 911, but updated...even a Targa version...

                                                 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

One thing to take into consideration is that if the automotive transportation industry is ever 'rationalized', it just doesn't make sense to have multiple platforms from several manufacturers, all entirely different, but that do exactly the same thing.

A much smarter and more cost-effective way to build cars would be platform and parts sharing across the industry, with differentiation between 'makes' being achieved through styling alone. If (BIG IF) energy ever becomes cheap again, and aerodynamic efficiency isn't such a primary design requisite, we might see some flashy and flamboyant stuff for the masses once more.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Another thing to remember is that "cars as appliances" have really been the norm rather than the exception for most of automotive history. A Model T was pretty basic transportation and only came in one color, and for every '50s gaudy, chrome-laden, optioned-out top-of-the-line impress-the-neighbors turnpike-cruiser, or '60s factory drag racer (the cars that tend to grab the focus of our looking-back perspective), there were a hundred or a thousand plain-Jane, low-line get-to-work-and-back strippers that were bought for price alone, or Dad's brand loyalty, or simple utility...and had nothing whatsoever to do with passion for automobiles.

 

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Kit Basher]

 

A much smarter and more cost-effective way to build cars would be platform and parts sharing across the industry, with differentiation between 'makes' being achieved through styling alone.

It seems like it's just the opposite now. My Focus hatchback looks almost identical to a Subaru Impreza, Mazda 3, or a Golf. None of them have parts or platforms in common.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Kit Basher

[peteski]

One thing to take into consideration is that if the automotive transportation industry is ever 'rationalized', it just doesn't make sense to have multiple platforms from several manufacturers, all entirely different, but that do exactly the same thing.

A much smarter and more cost-effective way to build cars would be platform and parts sharing across the industry, with differentiation between 'makes' being achieved through styling alone. If (BIG IF) energy ever becomes cheap again, and aerodynamic efficiency isn't such a primary design requisite, we might see some flashy and flamboyant stuff for the masses once more.

Um, hasn't that already happen to the large extent? How many truly independent car makers can you name in today's word?

There is some serious platform (or even entire vehicle) sharing going on, even between what seems to be rival manufacturers.  Pontiac Vibe? No, Toyota Matrix. Ford Probe? No, Mazda!  I can go on and on. Platform sharing (at least within the older car companies) and badge-engineering has been going on for decades.