this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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Cars - For Car Enthusiasts

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[–] DoucheBagMcSwag 24 points 2 weeks ago (21 children)

Man, I miss those pop-up lights in cars. I heard they broke down often and were pretty trouble prone though...

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (20 children)

The pop-up headlights were a stopgap solution to a problem that no longer exists. They're a result of the DOT at the time flat out requiring that all cars sold in the US must use the same handful of dorky looking sealed beam headlamps, bar none, without exception. None of them were very attractive and certainly not aerodynamic, especially considering that they must be positioned with their massive flat faces perpendicular to the road in order to actually work.

Have you ever wondered why every car in the '70s and '80s seemed to have this same doofy Clark-Griswold's-station-wagon lookin' square (and sometimes, circular) headlight design?

It's because they had to, by law. Up until 1983 they didn't have a choice.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (11 children)

Sorry, ill disagree because I prefer all earlier car designs to anything existing today. Cars now are pretty much all hideous as a whole. And a nightmare to fix as well. Thats a beauty of a Ford you posted. Im sure 0 people will agree.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I agree. Lights are too bright and distracting now also, and there seems to be no way to go back.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

There's no likely way to go back, because sweeping good-for-all regulation that aesthetically inconveniences someone is political suicide in this selfish culture.

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