Copycat automotive design.

[Oldcarfan27]

Ever notice many similarities in car designs throughout the years?

These are designs during their same time period, not talking about retro cars. And we're not talking about "badge engineering" either.

1. How come General Motors didn't use the front of the 61 Pontiac with the tail of the 61 Chevrolet? Similarities are uncanny. 

Ever notice the 3rd gen Camaro looks like an updated Monza?

3. Who copied who? 78 Challenger and 79 Mustang. 

4. For years, I couldn't tell which was the Plymouth and which was the Studebaker. 

5. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Ford and Volvo.

Even the vertical taillight idea was cribbed from the Ford Sportsman. 

6. I think the Chevelle got the designs mixed up. The '70 should be matched up to the '71 rear bumper...

And the 71-72 square framed single headlights need to match the 70 single, squared rear taillights. 

Add some of your own design dupes, but please, show major styling cues, not minor parts like mirrors, rally wheels, fake vent slats, etc.

[Snake45]

Agree with you completely about the '70-'72 Chevelles, and I've thought so for years. 

I always thought the '70 Camaro could/should have been the '70 Barracuda, and vice versa. In fact, all the '70-'74 Cudas look like progressions of the 1G Camaro design. 

[Oldcarfan27]

2 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Agree with you completely about the '70-'72 Chevelles, and I've thought so for years. 

I always thought the '70 Camaro could/should have been the '70 Barracuda, and vice versa. In fact, all the '70-'74 Cudas look like progressions of the 1G Camaro design. 

Good point! Never thought about how the 2nd gen Camaro DOES look like an updated 69 Barracuda. Same idea with the 'Cuda/Camaro switch. Maybe they switched designers mid-stream?

[Oldcarfan27]

What if BMW "aero'd up" their 80s 635 model? It would've probably ended up looking like the Thunderbird SC.

Put some Crown Victoria lace wheels on the 'Bird and you've got an almost exact copy!

[Oldcarfan27]

To me, the 81 Dodge Colt looks like a toned down Pacer.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Oldcarfan27

[Tabbysdaddy]

I always thought the same about the Chevelles too.

[deuces wild]

3 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Agree with you completely about the '70-'72 Chevelles, and I've thought so for years. 

I always thought the '70 Camaro could/should have been the '70 Barracuda, and vice versa. In fact, all the '70-'74 Cudas look like progressions of the 1G Camaro design. 

I see it also... I think it has to do with the "coke bottle" rear quarters...

[ChrisBcritter]

Out of left field, perhaps, but I always thought there was a little Avanti influence in the final ('90-'92) Olds Toronado Troféo:

Which was partly why I bought a used Troféo about 25 years ago.

[ozmodeler]

8 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

What if BMW "aero'd up" their 80s 635 model? It would've probably ended up looking like the Thunderbird SC.

Put some Crown Victoria lace wheels on the 'Bird and you've got an almost exact copy!

that 'Bird was a nice design in the 90's and still looks good today.

[pack rat]

As some others have pointed out, every time I look at a Lexus RX350 I see a '61 Plymouth.

I prefer the Plymouth.

[espo]

Anyone else ever notice the front end of a 1960 Edsel and think of a 1959 Pontiac? 

[iamsuperdan]

Opel GT

C3 Corvette.

[SCRWDRVR]

33 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

Opel GT

C3 Corvette.

That would be exactly why when I was young we always called the Opel a poor mans Corvette....

 

I have to agree on the Chevelle's, I never noticed it honestly but very true..

[The Junkman]

Then there was early '80's chic.

https://blog.consumerguide.com/high-end-haunches-luxury-bustlebacks-1982/

I recall at the time someone noted the resemblance of the bustle back to the classic Rolls Royce design to one of the designers.  His response was to the effect that if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

[Mike C.]

I've seen plenty of people make their own '71 Chevelle with the '70 front clip. Even more '69 Chevelles with incorrect '70-72 stereo stripes. Many people put SS stripes on Fords and Mopars.?

I always think its a good thing when they mimic the early 60s Ferrari GTO (240 Z).

[NOBLNG]

Every time I see an early Celica, I get a Camaro vibe.

[Richard Bartrop]

The first thing Harley Earl did for GM was to swipe the design of the Hispano-Suiza, and offer it up as the new LaSalle.

 

[Oldcarfan27]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

Every time I see an early Celica, I get a Camaro vibe.

How often do you still see an early Celica? Around here, not much at all!

Speaking of Celicas, will the real Mustang please stand up. I think Ford did it better. 

[OldNYJim]

Viper and second generation Miata:

The same guy styled both though, I believe

[Oldcarfan27]

Another case of "If you're gonna rob a bank - why not rob Fort Knox!"

[Richard Bartrop]

The 1964- Imperial owes a lot to the 1961 Imperial, but they were designed by the same person.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

              I shamelessly copied the fender flare design from the Porsche 944 for a 240Z re-skin and convertible conversion too...   

 

I also used elements of the Porsche 904 to do this re-skin on a 914 for another client (though others have taken the credit, all the original design work, and a heavy rework of the nastily bodged full-scale interpretation of it was in fact mine; the car is pictured here just coming out of my own workshop).

Edited April 4, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[Richard Bartrop]

I'm pretty sure Gandini took some inspiration from the Monza SS when he designed to Miura

And I'm sure that Ford Stylists had the Lamborshini Espada, or one of the concepts that inspired it, in mind when they were designing the '71 Mustang

 

[ZTony8]

I maintain that a Porsche 928 is a Pacer styled by Italians.

[Oldcarfan27]

54 minutes ago, ZTony8 said:

I maintain that a Porsche 928 is a Pacer styled by Italians.

When the 928s were new I thought - Uggh, what's that? Over time, I've grown to like it. Just don't put the headlights on, otherwise "Kermit just got stomped on!"

IIRC, it was actually supposed to be the replacement for the 911, but public reaction was so strong for the old car that both were retained and sold.