Others
Those Fake-Wood Station Wagons Were Copying Cars Built by Cabinetmakers

The woodgrain paneling on an old station wagon rarely fools anyone. Even when new, the printed vinyl was not likely to be mistaken for hand-finished mahogany. It was wood in the same way a kitchen

AutoExpert
Others
Those Giant 1970s Bumpers Were Built for Parking-Lot Crashes, Not High-Speed Safety

Look at an American car from 1971, then find the same model from 1974. The earlier car may have a slim chrome blade tucked neatly against its body. Three years later, the bumper appears to have lef

AutoExpert
Others
Everyone Says Pop-Up Headlights Were Banned, but That Is Not What Actually Happened

Few automotive features can make a parked car look as alive as pop-up headlights. Turn the switch and two neat sections of bodywork rise from the hood, pause with theatrical precision and reveal the l

AutoExpert
Others
The Seatbelt That Chased You Across the Door Was America’s Cheaper Alternative to an Airbag

Open the door of certain 1980s or early 1990s cars and a small buckle begins travelling along the roofline. Sit down, close the door and the shoulder belt glides toward the B-pillar, hopefully passi

AutoExpert
Others
One Rule Forced American Car Designers to Reuse the Same Headlights for Over 40 Years

Park a 1940s Jeep beside a Chevrolet sedan, an early Volkswagen Beetle and a British roadster, then look closely at their headlights. The surrounding bodies could hardly be more different. The glass c

AutoExpert
Others
Before Every Car Got a Third Brake Light, 343 San Francisco Taxis Had to Prove It Worked

A third brake light is remarkably easy to ignore. It sits in the rear window or above the tailgate, performs one job and receives considerably less attention than the lamps surrounding it. That ano

AutoExpert
Others
Whitewall Tires Started as a Manufacturing Compromise. Then They Became a Status Symbol

Whitewall tires have become visual shorthand for a particular kind of motoring glamour. Put them on a long Cadillac with chrome bumpers, tailfins and enough hood to host a family picnic, and the pi

AutoExpert
Car News
Aston Martin Revives Five Forgotten Colors For One-Off Heritage Collection

Car companies love talking about the latest colors, but Aston Martin has gone digging through its own history instead. For Monterey Car Week, the British brand has created five one-off Heritage Collec

AutoExpert
Car News
Ferrari Wanted Pop-Up Headlights For The 849 Testarossa, But Regulations Said No

Ferrari's new 849 Testarossa has become one of the brand's most talked-about models, but not because of its performance. While the styling continues to split opinion, the car could have looked

AutoExpert
Others
Why Every New Car Suddenly Looks Exactly the Same

Once you notice it, you can’t unsee it. Walk through a random parking lot in 2026 and it starts feeling weirdly dystopian. Rows of anonymous crossovers. Same sloped roofline. Same angry L

AutoExpert
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5