A retro-style automobile is a vehicle that is styled to appear like cars from previous decades. Often these cars use modern technology and production techniques. This design trend developed in the early 1990s and led to almost all automobile brands introducing models that referenced previous cars of the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Overview
Retro design usually references iconic classic vehicles.[2] Another form of adopting classic style elements comes in the form of Revival Cars, with manufacturers such as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Alvis, Allard and Lister producing reproductions of classic models. Another example of classic inspired design is a Neoclassic, a modern car made to resemble one from the 1920s-1930's.[3] Technically, retro cars can differ greatly from the historical models they reference.[4][2]
As early as 1961, American designer Virgil Exner used elements of classic automobile design for the new models of Chrysler's top brand Imperial.[5] The 1961 Imperials had free-standing headlights, and the sides of the cars featured a chrome strip that mimicked the line of curved fenders. Exner later transferred the concept to the newly formed Stutz Motor Company brand, whose Blackhawk range was referred to as the Revival Car in the United States. The 1980 Cadillac Seville referenced the Hooper tail of the 1950s and the 1983 Lincoln Mark VII had a hint of a spare wheel bulge in the trunk lid.
Retro design reached its first peak with the Mazda MX-5, which in its first form from 1989 to 1998, referenced the Lotus Elan from 1962 and was considered the first newly designed roadster in decades.[4][6] Between 1989 and 1991, Nissan produced the retro-inspired 'Pike Cars'; the Nissan Be-1, Nissan Pao, Nissan Figaro and Nissan S-Cargo in limited production, which are often credited as pioneers of the retro design trend.[7] In Japan, retro packages for various small car models, such as the Daihatsu Mira or the Subaru Vivio, have also been popular since the 1990s. The success of retro design in Japan is also due to the kawaii aesthetic.[8]
In 1994, a new version of the Volkswagen Beetle was presented as the “Volkswagen Concept one” study at the Detroit Motor Show. Since the reactions of trade fair visitors were positive, the concept was brought to the market in 1998 as the New Beetle, based on the Golf IV and without the typical Beetle rear engine.[9][10] In Europe, this is considered the beginning of the retro wave, continuing in 1999 with the Jaguar S-Type, in 2000 with the Mini, in 2007 with the Fiat 500 and in 2009 with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
American companies, notably Chrysler, were also experimenting with retro design throughout the 1990s. American retro design can be traced back to when car designer Bob Lutz intended to create a modern interpretation of the Shelby Cobra. This idea would later morph into the Dodge Viper. The Viper helped positively shape the American public's opinion on the Chrysler Corporation, prompting Lutz to further experiment with retro design, with early examples including the 1994 Dodge Ram, with styling inspired by previous Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, and the 1995 Chrysler Atlantic, inspired by various art-deco cars of the 1930s.[11] Later American examples of retro design include the Plymouth Prowler in the style of a hot rod, the Chrysler PT Cruiser modelled on limousines of the 1930s and the Ford Thunderbird from 2003.
An important designer of retro cars is J Mays. According to experts, retro design has brought back emotionality in automobile design.[6] At the beginning of the 2000s, retro design developed into new classic design . Vehicles like the Lancia Thesis consist of a mix of classic and modern design elements, without citing any specific historical vehicle.[3]
Despite a fall in popularity, retro design has made a comeback in the early 2020s, with cars such as the Renault 5 EV being developed.[12]
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