Anyone else misses popup headlights?

[The Flex]

One of the coolest aspects of the car if they had one. So cool imo.

 

[White & Nerdy]

They've got a place, certainly.

I think the main reason hidden headlights were used, originally, was stupid U.S. headlight regulations that barred the use of anything other than specifically prescribed shapes and sizes of headlights. Those same laws also banned headlight covers and fairings, which created a lose-lose situation as far as matters pertaining to aerodynamics. The solution was hidden headlights, which had the added advantage of looking really cool when done right. In the early 80's, the rules were amended to allow aerodynamic "European style" headlights, so hidden headlights slowly faded out. It took a long time, however, probably because standard-sized sealed-beam headlights are probably cheaper to manufacture and use than oddsized headlights customized to a specific make and model.

The reason they eventually fell out of favor anyway is that they were just one more thing to go wrong, and from what I've heard they would often freeze shut when used in colder climates.

 

[Punknoodle]

Actually, the main reason they aren't around any more is because of pedestrian impact design rules. Too dangerous you see. Compared to massive bull bars attached to 4WDs anyway

I don't really miss them on new cars I think headlight design these days is pretty good.

 

[homeforsummer]

I don't really miss them on new cars I think headlight design these days is pretty good.

While I agree with this to an extent, I'd love to see how pop-ups could be implemented into modern cars. Some of them were pretty cool even in the 80s and 90s (seem to recall the ones on a C4 Corvette do a backflip) so with modern panel fit, technology and light elements it'd be intriguing to see pop-ups done properly.

 

[KinLM]

I miss them, but here's the thing.

They look good on older cars because they were both from the same time period, so it keeps the styling constant and looks good.

But it would look bad on a modern car. I mean, on a car of today they would just look out of place. Can you picture a Ferrari 458 with pop-up headlights and it NOT ruin the body line of the car?

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I'm currently thinking of the FC RX7 I saw yesterday with one up and one down. They're certainly cool, but we don't need them back.

 

[Dean]

Honestly, no, I don't miss them. I find them bad looking, when in use.

 

[homeforsummer]

Can you picture a Ferrari 458 with pop-up headlights and it NOT ruin the body line of the car?

No reason why it couldn't work - if you get the old-school pop-ups image out of your head and imagine what a modern interpretation might look like, it could be quite interesting. Of course, round Miata-style ones or square F40-style ones would look rubbish on a 458, but something crazy may work - imagine lamps similar to the existing ones rising upwards sideways like they're tearing through the car's skin...

 

[Keef]

I don't miss them because I see them every day.

That said, I do think they're cool. Totally unnecessary and needlessly expensive for repair, but cool.

 

[Antonisbob]

Yes! They're definitely cool, on many cars I gives a more clean look.

 

[GTMail]

Yes! They're definitely cool, on many cars I gives a more clean look.

Don't want to be a stickler here but are any if those(minus the Toronado) actually pop-ups? Yes they have a similar design but I always thought those as being hide away headlights. As for me I never really liked pop-up headlights. They break a lot and they're not that aesthetically pleasing in my opinion. It's also not like I'm totally in love with the LED-crazy phase of headlights these days either.

 

[Adamgp]

I miss driving down the road and having oncoming cars winking at me.

 

[TheCracker]

Do i miss pop-up lights? - no more than i miss vinyl roofs, live rear axles or drum brakes.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I have hideaway headlights on my RS/SS 69 Camaro. They look great on some cars but no I do not miss them.

 

[Slash]

I suppose it could work on some cars but it really depends on the design of the car. Most newer cars don't have anyway it could work.


I do like the way they look though.

 

[Keef]

Yes! They're definitely cool, on many cars I gives a more clean look.

You speak of how cool they are and then post all the wrong reasons? If it weren't for the Toronado I'd think you were joking.

EDIT: Please people, stop posting awful American cars that are the reason most people hate pop-ups. For cripe's sake!

EDIT: I see where you're coming from with hidden lights but there are only a few examples where it works well. That aside, you can't see them pop up from inside so it's pointless. The only reason I like the lights is so I can see them go up and down while I'm driving.

 

[Slash]

You speak of how cool they are and then post all the wrong reasons? If it weren't for the Toronado I'd think you were joking.

I don't think they look bad.

 

[Tornado]

You speak of how cool they are and then post all the wrong reasons?

Especially the "clean look" part.

 

[Celicaas]

I Dunno why you guys are very anti american come on whats wrong with american cars other than gas mileage ?

 

[gt4rulez]

i do miss them...

A couple of friends have a Miata and a Eunos Roadster, i love how you can actually make them wink if you turn them on/off quite fast

 

[Bopop4]

I Dunno why you guys are very anti american come on whats wrong with american cars other than gas mileage ?

Umm...a LOT of things.

 

[Tornado]

I Dunno why you guys are very anti american come on whats wrong with american cars other than gas mileage ?

What's wrong with American cars? Nothing, so long as you qualify that question with what era you're referring to so you avoid the two decades where they were generally quite awful across the board. It's really only tangentially related to the topic at large though.


What's wrong American barges in the mid-1970s in regards to saying the car styling was "clean" and hideaway headlights contributed to that? Plenty; not the least of which being that seemingly the only reason those 40 foot yachts even had those incredibly unreliable covers on the lights was so they would have a few more inches of space on the front end to cover with badging and pinstripes. In the 60's those style of headlights were usually used to fit in with the "full width grill" style that was popular after the Riviera, and in the 1980s they at least seemed to have an aerodynamic purpose as they were canted backwards (even though sometimes it was just so you could tell which K-Car Chrysler was the "fancy" one). The 1970's they were just there to say "luxury" even though they were standard on things that weren't remotely luxury, like the Dodge Monaco.

 

[Northstar]

I don't really miss them, they are one of those things that are cool looking on cars from those periods but I'm happy new cars don't use them.

Now if only over-sized grills would go the same way(granted they never had their good period).

 

[GDII]

I don't think I miss them with today's current car styling. My car has them so I get to see them when I want.

 

[McLaren]

You speak of how cool they are and then post all the wrong reasons? If it weren't for the Toronado I'd think you were joking.

EDIT: Please people, stop posting awful American cars that are the reason most people hate pop-ups. For cripe's sake!

EDIT: I see where you're coming from with hidden lights but there are only a few examples where it works well. That aside, you can't see them pop up from inside so it's pointless. The only reason I like the lights is so I can see them go up and down while I'm driving.

Kind of have to agree here. I think the only American cars that really managed to pull off the pop up headlamps were Corvettes & the muscle cars. When pop up headlamps started to be phased out, well, as Keef's post shows, the Italians & the Japanese were the ones who really pulled them off beautifully.

 

[eight6er]

Nope I hate pop up headlights, even though my current car has them, and five other cars I've owned also had them.

 

[Shoe67]

To me it really depends on the car. Ferrari 308 is amazing with them. Older Corvette (C4 or C5 I can't remember) doesn't look as good with them.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I like mine:

 

[TheCracker]

EDIT: Please people, stop posting awful American cars that are the reason most people hate pop-ups. For cripe's sake!

But. The Daytona looked better with the plexi-glass nose. The VT 6.0 with the Nissan 300ZX headlights was the best looking Diablo, as was the 2002 facelifted NSX.

 

[daan]

The Opel GT's lights are cool, as are the Panther Solo's.



And I like the way the Corvette's do a back flip first.