Should "Pop Up Lights" Come Back?
The pop-up headlight was, for many years, a simple yet awesome pleasure. It took the car’s most anthropomorphic feature—those eyelike headlights—and made them even more human, allowing them to open and shut like drowsy lids.
New safety regulations have pushed it out of favor. Pop-up headlights—or hidden headlamps, as they are technically deemed—first appeared on the Cord 810 in 1936. At the time, they were implemented for their supposed aerodynamic advantage; when folded down into the fender and not in use, their design gave cars a sleeker profile. They also provided a smoother, “eyeless” aesthetic when shut, which in my opinion looked really good.
If they were still In use what would modern cars look like?
Pop-up headlights remained popular because the headlight height requirement in the 1970s was higher than the desired height of a low-slung sports car; the hidden headlamp design allowed manufacturers to get around this rule, raising the lights up to the requisite level while maintaining the aesthetic they wanted. Over the years, such headlamps have appeared on a wide range of car models, from suburban, mid-range vehicles like the Honda Accord to sportier, flashier models like the Mazda MX-5.
Sadly, cars can no longer be manufactured with these magnificent headlights due to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Standard No. 108. (Here’s one sensible restriction: “Whenever any malfunction occurs in a component that controls or conducts power for the actuation of the concealment device, each closed headlamp concealment device shall be capable of being fully opened by a means not requiring the use of any tools. Thereafter, the headlamp concealment device must remain fully opened until intentionally closed.”)
For those who dont understand, they are saying that if they fail and cannot be opened without tools when damaged they can not be legally allowed in manufacturing.
In addition, car engineers have lately been playing with alternative headlamp innovations, including adaptive headlights (which adjust light beams according to the driver’s position on the road) as well as LED lighting technology and fixed light solutions. But if you’re truly nostalgic for headlights that blink, you might be able to modify the car you drove off the showroom lot—in some cases, anyway.
Comment what you think about pop up headlights and if you think they should come back!
Comments
#bringbackthepopups :D
That reason doesn’t make sense because other electronic devices that have something to do with safety can also go wrong.
Exactly, they should be brought back ;)
Other electronic devices don’t become a sharp wedge to slit pedestrians in case of an accident though.
MattRobinson
that gt86 look dope
I’m gonna say no.
I like pop-ups as much as the next guy, but pop-ups are a safety hazard, not to mention a performance barrier. Plus, they’re rather out of style in the modern car market; people might not like them.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. There are zero advantages to pop-up headlights for manufacturers.
They could but are a bit unsafe and don’t fit the modern style of cars. Time moves on sadly
That GT86 looks like a freaking Celica
They’re nice, but useless these days.
🖕🏼🖕🏼
thanks
Yes!