Growing up in the '60s and and '70s, it seemed automobiles were more diverse and distinct.
You had the Volkswagon Beetle and the VW van, symbols of '60s counterculture. Cute girls with pony tails drove the Beetle and guys with long hair and headbands drove the van.
Then there was the ballsy Mustang with its Mach 1 design and the sporty Camaro.
The Corvette — a la the "Stingray" — was the ultimate hipster car while the older set with money drove Cadillacs and Lincolns.
There was the Cougar with its unique grill and the Corvair, which only stuck around for a few years, partly because of Ralph Nadar's safety standard accusations.
These days, all of the cars look alike. Can you really tell the difference between a Camry and an Accord? Today's Mustangs and Cadillacs look nothing like their predecessors. And the Volkswagon is not even recognizable. Herbie would not be impressed.
Even more generic are the colors. Everything is black or dark blue. Nothing is lime green. Occasionally you spot ginster yellow. But these are the exceptions.
And SUVs are everywhere.
Has the automobile industry conformed to a mainstream, Stepford Wife standard?
Seems so.
Don't forget the Charger and the Barracuda. Unique designs with lots of power.
Posted by: Seth | January 07, 2008 at 08:04 AM
I'm afraid that to some degree, for better or worse, aerodynamics have come into play to help improve fuel efficiency. The closer everyone gets to the holy grail of aerodynamic efficiency (with relation to the size of the car), the more "same" they will become. Modern safety standards, with the space and extra weight that come with them, also help shape the car towards that end. I'm sure the work Ford put into re-launching the retro-styled Mustang a few years ago started well before anyone thought gas would hit $3.00 a gallon as soon as it did. But hey, we're Americans, and V8 excess is generally the norm, hence the myriad of gigantic SUVs and pick-up trucks as big as my living room out there.
Posted by: wefo | January 07, 2008 at 09:21 AM
Heh. You can get lime-green Bugs (even better, you can pay somebody in the Boston area to put black spots on a red Bug). Also, you can get this weird green Prius, which would give you a double shot of uniqueness, I guess, as you drive your weird green giant egg thing around town.
Posted by: Adam Gaffin | January 07, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Seth - how could I forget the Charger and the Barracuda? Those were two of my favorite HotWheels.
Wefo - thanks for the technical analysis. Does this have anything to do with keeping a smooth line making sure you don't scrub your speed into the bends?
Adam - thanks for the consumer tip. I think I may have seen a few of those putt-putting around in the Fens the other day.
Posted by: Dan | January 07, 2008 at 02:42 PM
It's the same sort of safe-playing that has neutered the music industry. Everybody imitates whatever sold well last month; novelty is sacrificed at the desk (read: altar
Posted by: Scott | January 08, 2008 at 02:02 AM
Hmm... something went askew with the last part of that sentence! It should be...
"Novelty is sacrificed at the desk (read: altar) of the bean-counter.
Posted by: Scott | January 08, 2008 at 02:04 AM
Yes, Scott, as Cyndi Lauper says, "Money changes everything."
Posted by: Dan | January 08, 2008 at 08:22 AM
John Henry Bonham
Posted by: wefo | January 08, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Why is everyone typing in italics?
My Mustang GT is Zinc Yellow. :)
Great colour for those that serve and protect to spot.
However, not a single ticket in almost 5 years!
Blandness in car design is epidemic, I agree.
I first really noticed with the minivan. They were everywhere. Now it's SUV's. Yup. It's time to move on.
Posted by: Cyn | January 14, 2008 at 04:17 AM