Flashback: Hidden headlamps, the ‘sunglasses’ of car design
Once considered the ‘sunglasses’ of the automotive world, this seemingly forgotten technology faces an uncertain future. Karl Smith looks back at the early days of the trend
There is nothing like a pair of sunglasses to sharpen or even change your image and, if you think about it, concealed headlights are the sunglasses of the automotive world.
The first concealed headlights emerged in the 1930s: the Cord 810 pioneered them, with Chrysler and others following closely behind. The concealed lights fitted in perfectly with the streamlined modern style, which sought to smooth everything into aerodynamic shapes, accentuated by chrome strakes and other, carefully curated accents. Indulge us for a moment with the gallery below.
The concealed headlight emerged again in the 1960s, partly as a throwback to those early days, but also as an integral part of the wedge shape that emerged from the Italian design studios.
The seventies and eighties were the ’salad days’ of this feature, practically a mandated inclusion for the wedge shape as an exposed headlight would ruin the whole look.
But, in America, the Big Three also put concealed headlights on big luxury cars, not as streamlining, but to add mystery and intrigue to the front mask. It was a strong styling feature and added a bit of Rat Pack cool, popular for about a decade before it slowly ended in the 1980s.
The Mazda MX-5 brought the pop-up headlight back into vogue. It was streamlined cool when it was closed, and was Triumph Sprite cute when opened. Few cars have accomplished so complete a look. Of course, there were those awkward moments when the headlights got stuck in the “up” position, or worse, when one was stuck open and the other closed and the car drove around ‘winking’ at everyone.
Mechanical issues aside, the concealed headlight has been a popular feature for three-quarters of a century now. Over 200 nameplates have employed the feature in one form or another. Will this continue? Probably not. The advances in lighting technology have made for very bold and creative front-end treatments and down-the-road graphics.
Yes, Mazda made a strong case for a return of the feature at the Japan Mobility show last month, with the stunning Iconic SP concept. But the future seems to be more in line with the Lucid “lightblade” and similar LED treatments which, applied judiciously, can give the car various personalities be it mystery, sophistication, friendliness or even aggression. Technology has moved on, and with certain specialised exceptions, we must move along with it.