Safety regulations, crumple zones and the demand for increased interior space and comfort now mean that cars are bigger than they ever have been. It's not until you see a car next to its ancestor, however, that you realise just how bloated modern carshave become.
To illustrate these differences, we've lined up 10 before and after shots of old cars and their modern counterparts, plus details of each car's length, width, height and weight.
BMW 5-Series
E12
Wheelbase: 2600mm
Length: 4600mm
Width: 1690mm
Height: 1425mm
Weight: 1430kg
F10
Wheelbase: 2968mm
Length: 4899mm
Width: 1860mm
Height: 1462mm
Weight: 1685kg
Dodge Challenger
First-generation
Wheelbase: 2790mm
Length: 4860mm
Width: 1930mm
Height: 1290 mm
Weight: 1360kg
Third-generation
Wheelbase: 2950mm
Length: 5020mm
Width: 1920mm
Height: 1450mm
Weight: 1906kg
Fiat 500
Classic
Wheelbase: 1840mm
Length: 2970mm
Width: 1320mm
Height: 1320mm
Weight: 499kg
Modern
Wheelbase: 2300mm
Length: 3546mm
Width: 1627mm
Height: 1488mm
Weight: 980kg
Ford Fiesta
Mk1
Wheelbase: 2286mm
Length: 3565mm
Width: 1567mm
Height: 1360mm
Weight: 800kg
Mk7
Wheelbase: 2489mm
Length: 4067mm
Width: 1722mm
Height: 1473mm
Weight: 1100kg
Jaguar XJ
X308
Wheelbase: 2800mm
Length: 5000mm
Width: 1800mm
Height: 1300mm
Weight: 1800kg
X351
Wheelbase: 3033mm
Length: 5123mm
Width: 1895mm
Height: 1448mm
Weight: 1892kg
Mercedes 300SL/SLS
Source: blogs.cars.com
300SL
Wheelbase: 2400mm
Length: 4520mm
Width: 1790mm
Height: 1300mm
Weight: 1093kg
SLS AMG
Wheelbase: 2680mm
Length: 4638mm
Width: 1939mm
Height: 1252mm
Weight: 1620kg
Mini
Classic Cooper S rally
Wheelbase: 2036mm
Length: 3054mm
Width: 1397mm
Height: 1346mm
Weight: 686kg
Countryman WRC
Wheelbase: 2595mm
Length: 4110mm
Width: Width 1820mm
Height: 1561mm
Weight: 1200kg
Porsche 911
Classic
Wheelbase: 2211mm
Length: 4290mm
Width: 1700mm
Height: 1300mm
Weight: 1050kg
991
Wheelbase: 2451mm
Length: 4491mm
Width: 1806mm
Height: 1293mm
Weight: 1395kg
VW Beetle
Classic
Wheelbase: 2400mm
Length: 4079mm
Width: 1539mm
Height: 1500mm
Weight: 800kg
Modern
Wheelbase: 2537mm
Length: 4278mm
Width: 1808mm
Height: 1486mm
Weight: 1300kg
VW Golf GTi
Mk1
Wheelbase: 2400mm
Length: 3705mm
Width: 1610mm
Height: 1395mm
Weight: 800kg
Mk6
Wheelbase: 2578mm
Length: 4213mm
Width: 1779mm
Height: 1469mm
Weight: 1370kg
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