[against all odds]

Let's discuss why every new car looks exactly the same; Same shape, same silver spoke wheels.

Why?

[Duane lxiv]

It's simple, The guy driving down the road sees a car, truck, SUV he likes.
Oh, too bad it's a Chevy ( he hates Chevys)
He sees another he likes ( hey wait a minute, THAT"S A FORD!!!)
He buys the Ford,
They look a LOT alike, BUT it's his favorite brand.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Not to sure.. I think now it's just about getting from Point A to Point B... To me more heart went into building the older cars..

[poncho62]

The shape of (or lack of) today's cars is supposed to be more aerodynamic for better gas mileage.

[TucsonJay]

They don't all really look the same.

Some look like navy beans....
some like pumpkin seeds....
some like corn kernels....
and some look like pellets of sheep dung! (Google it)

Obviously you are just too hard to please. :-)~

I suppose you like (as Obama would say) "old ideas". What do you expect? Someone to start making a'65 Mustang fastback... a '32 Ford coupe... '50 Merc... or a Corvette roadster? As "O" would say... "Those are old ideas that didn't work". :-)~

P.S. (I wish they made 'em again too!!!)

[poncho62]

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by against all odds

Let's discuss why every new car looks exactly the same; Same shape, same silver spoke wheels.

Why?

I been asking myself that since the early 80's.

Perhaps it is because the suits in the marketing departments are dictating the styles to the design departments?
And then the engineering departments have to try and make it work, under an impossible deadline with impossible expectations.

The American auto industry died decades ago.
Proof: Iacoca K-cars, Naderized 85mph speedos, chromed plastic, fake wood trim, imported parts with American badging.

Need I say more.

[632Mantis]

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

Not to sure.. I think now it's just about getting from Point A to Point B... To me more heart went into building the older cars..

People actually cared about "style" back in the old days.

Now, people only care about "convenience".

[69 widetrack]

How many of you guys are old enough to remember the yearly car shows where dealers in every community would get together to unvale that years offering...It was exciting, they changed body styles every year, with changes you could see.

Today they don't, retooling cost to much, so people drive a car that's had the same body style for years and accept it.

Why could they be profitable back then and not now, they let their guard down when the imports came in and thought they had the market cornered. Now they had to play catch up with an aggressive competitor and cut cost just to compete. If they would have taken the imports more seriously in the begining, we might have better style and design today.

[MXrider13]

I think its just because most people (My parents and their friends all in their late 40's, early 50's) just want cars that can get them to work and home. Thats why my Dad's 2012 Hyundai looks like next doors 2011 Ford. Just that basic round shape.

[gearheadslife]

why epa and c.a.f.e.

it be nice if the feds would allow each manufactor 1 car that was exempt from the c.a.f.e. and mpg rating..
bet you'd see a very nice looking bunch of cars that didn't look like an egg

[against all odds]

No, my question was not why cars look they way they do (well, that is an interesting question as well....)

Why question is why do all the brands look exactly the same----same front end, same triangular tailights---with low cut trunk opening, same body shape and same silver aluminum spoke wheels?

Would having different styling hurt sales?

[MARTINSR]

For the most part cars of today DO look totally different with interesting styling, IF that is what you want to see. If you have interest in these cars, you WILL see the differences, even subtle differences. If you don't care about them, you won't.

It's like a friend on my facebook page who posted a shot of a local town titled "In 1924" one problem, the very first car in the photo is a 46 Chevy. So that person couldn't even tell the difference between 20's cars and 40's cars! They couldn't because they don't have a passion for them like we do. I will bet there are plenty of people who would blow you away at their knowledge of styling on late model cars.

Honestly, some of them are pretty cool in my opinion. I'll be going the day after Thanksgiving to the San Francisco International Auto Show and seeing what is for store in the coming years.

Brian

[against all odds]

Well, i think today cars REALLY look the same as compared to say these following examples:

OK, i think pontiac started the whole stacked headlight thing with the 64 lemans or something. And, then of course Ford had to follow suit with the galaxy.

Fast foward to 77 and the following cars had stacked rectangular headlights----chevelle, monte carlo, charger, LTD etc. (Coincidence? i think not, but that's a subject for another thread)

But the cars still had noticeable differences even though the styling trends were similar.

NOW, EVERY car has silver spoked aluminum wheels. Same exact shape. Exact same headlights Now, yes if you look at the grill there are some differences. But, really todays cars look more similar than ever and i think this is a strange/unusual phenomenon.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by 632Mantis

People actually cared about "style" back in the old days.

Now, people only care about "convenience".

Your right about that..