Reusing old designs

[Lee]

It seems, at least to me, that when a companies sales start to falter, they look back at what sold well. There seems to be a lot of redoing of old designs with modern upgrades. The list that comes to mind are:

The Prowler
PT Crusier
VW Bug
Mini Cooper
and now the Mustang

[stanhas87]

Dear Sirs:

Nostalgia also sets on automotive circles and when something was as sucessful as the VW bug and the original Mustangs minus well bring these back. Sometimes it works,and sometimes it does not. Same thing is true at the model circles

[skunk]

Bah, these retro fads. Especially in times of economic downturns, people get really into retro. While there is no denying that the new Mustang is quite good-looking, and not to mention a great improvement over the old Fox Mustangs, it somehow leaves me wanting. A Nissan 350Z is (to me) a much more interesting design, without falling into simply reusing old styling cues.

Plus, how do you facelift an update of an old design? Will there be a New New Beetle? I am not trying to rag on people who buy or like cars such as these, I myself find the new Mustang the best-looking US Ford since, well, the original Mustang.
But I am more excited by innovation. And, to be fair, I am even more excited by the genuine articles. ;D

[BillC]

I had a '67 Mustang and it was quite a car. I think Ford did a great job of updating the design.

Believe it or not, the current Chrysler 300 is an update of the mid-50s Chrysler. Actually, I am not sure "update" is as close as "caricature."

As to what one does to refresh the appeal of a retro design, that's a toughie. After all, the styling of the original Beetle and Mini was largely unchanged from the time the first one made its debut until the last one rolled off the assembly line. I certainly don't think the styling cues found in the VW Ragster concept will do VW as much good as simply refining the lines of the current New Beetle. Perhaps it's time to let the New Beetle join the original and move on. I think VW missed their window of opportunity with the retro upgrade of the T2 Microbus.

BMW, on the other hand, has a wide variety of things they can do with the Mini. After all, look how many variations there were of Issigonis' original 1959 car.

Right now, a lot of styling seems to be stagnant; either stuck in the past, mired in the bland or aimed at the apparently warped esthetics of today's youth. What I want to see is another 1986 Taurus, a design that is such a break from the same old stuff that it brings people flocking to the dealership.

[stanhas87]

Dear Sirs:

I myself would like to see a re-design of the original 1977 Dodge Monaco or Coronet,if you will. I know is weird,but I always thought that car was very good looking.

Also agree that in terms of design, car companies do not really know what to come next. Frankly I am tired of the current 'jelly-bean' theme and perhaps is everybody else; hence the 'retro' stylings.

It is also worth to remember that some companies offered replica cars such as the 1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile,AC Cobra,1956 Ford Thunderbird and so on. Or Excalibur which was called. if I am not wrong, a neo-Classic design.

[superba]

In college, I had a friend that tried to convince me that his 1978 Dodge Monaco looked like a Ferarri if you squinted just right...........I remember laughing considerably.

Does anybody remember that in 1958 AMC reintroduced the 1955 Rambler, three years after production had stopped. Except for the full wheel openings it was essentially the same car......The first retro car?

[stanhas87]

superba said:

In college, I had a friend that tried to convince me that his 1978 Dodge Monaco looked like a Ferarri if you squinted just right...........I remember laughing considerably.

Dear Joe:

I would not go that far. However, with today technologies,that 440 ci can make it go as fast as a Ferrarri. Just take a look at the 4000 pound Bentley sedan: very high speed,high performance as well.

[stanhas87]

superba said:

Does anybody remember that in 1958 AMC reintroduced the 1955 Rambler, three years after production had stopped. Except for the full wheel openings it was essentially the same car......The first retro car?

Dear Joe:

This is the case that plagued most of the Independents: no money for new tooling;hence old designs at times carried on and at times a new life were given to older designs. Studebaker also had the same problem.

[superba]

Nick:

I agree to a point, yes Studebaker clearly had financial troubles and tooling costs were an issue. The 59 Lark is actually a shorten version of the 53 Commander.

By the end of 1959 Studebaker was actually making a lot of money, rather than invest in new tooling, profits were invested in other Studebaker holdings ie STP Motor Oil, Gravely Tractor, Clark Vacuums, Onan Generators, Wagner Electric and Paxton Engineering. Technically Studebaker never went out of business, they just diversified. Studebaker/Worthington Leasing is still in business today. See the URL below

www.studebaker.com/




Even the font used in the logo is the same as in the 1960's

By 1958 AMC was retooling the very successful Rambler Classics and Ambassadors, In 1958 both vehicles were very modern designs based on the cars initially introduced in 1956.

The 1958 Rambler American, although a retooled 1951 was actually filling a nich to help expand AMC in the marketplace.

AMC was making a profit during most of the 50's. The really big bucks were made in the early 60's

[stanhas87]

superba said:

Nick:

I agree to a point, yes Studebaker clearly had financial troubles and tooling costs were an issue. The 59 Lark is actually a shorten version of the 53 Commander.

By the end of 1959 Studebaker was actually making a lot of money, rather than invest in new tooling, profits were invested in other Studebaker holdings ie STP Motor Oil, Gravely Tractor, Clark Vacuums, Onan Generators, Wagner Electric and Paxton Engineering. Technically Studebaker never went out of business, they just diversified. Studebaker/Worthington Leasing is still in business today. See the URL below

www.studebaker.com/

Dear Joe:

The Avanti is,so to speak, a modern Studebaker version and as I heard, a Hummer-type vehicle is/was planned under the Studebaker name.

I did liked their cars and the facts above make me even happier. I hope to see this make back. Incidentally, the new Avanti looks very good. As it did forty years ago.

[stanhas87]

superba said:

By 1958 AMC was retooling the very successful Rambler Classics and Ambassadors, In 1958 both vehicles were very modern designs based on the cars initially introduced in 1956.

The 1958 Rambler American, although a retooled 1951 was actually filling a nich to help expand AMC in the marketplace.

AMC was making a profit during most of the 50's. The really big bucks were made in the early 60's

Dear Joe:

Something that gave AMC an edge with its Rambler was the recession of 1958. That event made car buyers going towards the more compact vehicles. By the end of the 1960's, the make wanted to have a 'complete line of vehicles; hence the slow death or the Rambler name.

As I understand in some markets the Matador was known as either Rambler and/or Nash.Also have some nice photos of an Australian-sourced matador; it is a lhd car as well.

[superba]

I remember seeing a Rambler Hornet in southern California parked at Disneyland in 1983. It had Mexican plates. I think the Rambler Name was used in the UK up until the 80's as well.

[cfesmire]

I see Chevrolet offering a truck that has a passing similarity to the old mid 50's pickup. Had the old one not ever existed, I might like the truck but seeing it as a "return to the good old days" attempt, it looks a little silly.

[Lee]

One of the packages that you can get with the new Mustang has changable color of the dash lights. There is 120 different color choices which can be changed just by turning the knob.

[skunk]

Well, here is the ultimate in retro:

www.kingpin.co.jp/fiat500/01/macchina.html

Some Japanese company (I think that it is Autobacs) makes an exact fibreglass copy of an old Fiat 500, equipped with a (rearmounted) Subaru 660cc inline four and a three speed Automatic gearbox. The only downside is the remarkably anodyne interior, but I guess there are a lot of laws to comply with. I kinda want one...