Faleh, our driver, and I were sitting on the edge of the sidewalk in Alfi Sq in Abadan and watching the cars go by. That’s a ’68 Chevy Impala. That one’s a ’69. I could tell from the differences in the shape of the rear lights.
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As drivers and passengers we spend more time looking at the back of the cars than any other part. So you would think it makes more sense for designers to pay more attention, or at least equal attention, to the back than the front.
As a car and design enthusiast, the most obvious and interesting change I’ve noticed in recent years is, of all things, the exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe! Not the shape of the break lights, not the window, not the fender, not the tires… the exhaust pipe! The change is really significant.
The “egzoz” used to be a nasty ugly tin can with a protruding pipe that ruined the rear look of every car since the very first models a century ago. And nobody really cared. Engineers were in charge of the motor and mechanical parts while designers had a say in what the body and interior would look like. There were exceptions. Fancy Italian makers made sure the exhaust often complemented the cars’ overall exciting design.
Now in the 21st century, the rest of the industry is catching up. In a world where there’s crazy competition between auto makers in every continent, every little thing matters and the ugly dangling exhaust is no longer tolerated. More and more cars, even some of the cheapest and smallest models, have jazzed up their pipes.
Another thing I’ve noticed is not so much about looks but rather functionality. How many thousand times have I stared out an airplane from the window seat? How many times have I taken a picture of the wing over the heavens? So how I could I miss the change?
The passenger jet wings used to be straight. Now the tips are curved up. To improve balance? Don’t know. But it looks cool.
Faleh would understand 🙂
