Bringing up the rear
When it comes to a car’s styling, everyone’s bothered by how the front looks, or if the profile gives an impression of athleticism. But what about the back end? We reckon that’s just as important.
Think about it. If you see an incredible car driving towards you, you stop, you stare, you crane your neck – and then it drives past. At that point you’re left looking at an ever-shrinking rear end.
The back of the car is the final thing you see, so is the lasting impression you have of it. The rear end of a car has to be right, and that’s why car designers through the ages have sought to make the tail-light treatment on their cars a little bit different.
Here we explore 29 classic cars with rear lights that are just a bit out of the ordinary.
1. Tucker Torpedo (1948)
The Tucker Torpedo (or Tucker 48 to give it its absolutely correct name) is a classic case of what might have been.
Company founder Preston Tucker grew up in Detroit, so was surrounded by the automotive scene right away. He loved cars, and even became a policeman because he enjoyed driving quickly.
His ambitions grew, and he decided he wanted to build his own car, with a unique design, and the Torpedo was that car.
It had futuristic looks for a start (not for nothing was it nicknamed the cyclops car), but it also had a large flat-six engine mounted at the back. And where did this engine also see use? In the Bell 47 helicopter. Of course.
Tucker Torpedo (cont.)
It was technically highly advanced, with an exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.30Cd, a centre headlight that swivelled when the front wheels were turned, and it had suspension made of rubber that featured not a single spring. And with all this, it was said to handle beautifully.
Unfortunately, it was not a commercial success, and only 51 cars were ever built, of which around 47 are still around.
Which is pretty good going – we wonder if this classic car’s distinctive rear lights have helped its survival?
2. Volkswagen Beetle (1945-2003)
Fifty-eight years is quite a lifespan for a car, and is doubtless why the Volkswagen Beetle is such a legendary classic car today.
It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that one) in the 1930s, but series production only began at the end of the Second World War – and didn’t end until 2003.
The Beetle was designed to be small on the outside but roomy and usable on the inside. It was also intended to be cheap to run and maintain, and economy was helped by the car’s comparatively aerodynamic shape.
And we’re fans of the apparent simplicity but undoubted style of its rear lights.
Volkswagen Beetle (cont.)
The Beetle’s design proved influential, too, with other manufacturers making efforts to employ the rear-engined, rear-drive layout, most notably Chevrolet with its Corvair – although an outcry over that car’s handling tempered sales somewhat.
Engine sizes grew throughout the Beetle’s life, but the cheap-to-run philosophy was always adhered to.
And it proved exceptionally popular, not only as a standard vehicle but also as the basis for kit cars that are too numerous to count, most notably the Beach Buggy.
3. Chevrolet Bel Air Mk2 (1955-’57)
The second-generation Chevy Bel Air came along and took full advantage of the burgeoning desire for fins in the USA’s car-buying public.
So, as well as a Ferrari-aping front grille, the Bel Air had two large fins at the rear, which necessitated some funky new tail-light designs that were incorporated into the rear bumper.
Chevrolet Bel Air Mk2 (cont.)
However, this design remained for only one year, and in 1956 the Italian-style front grille was gone, and the rear lights were also housed in one unit. Interestingly, the left-hand rear light also shrouded the fuel filler.
Engine options included 3.5-litre (216.5cu in) and 3.9-litre (235.5cu in) straight-sixes, plus a 4.3-litre (265cu in) V8.
For 1957, this was enlarged to 4.6 litres (283cu in), and even had a mechanical fuel-injection system added. Not for nothing was the Bel Air marketed as ‘The Hot One’ by Chevrolet.
4. Facel Vega HK500 (1959-’62)
The name Facel had been around since 1939 as a supplier of parts to the aircraft industry, but in 1954 it showed that it had rather less lofty aspirations. By which we mean they were on the ground, not in the air, because it entered the world of car construction.
The marque’s first car broke cover at the 1954 Paris show and, with its long bonnet and two tail fins, it was aimed at both the European and, crucially, US markets.
Facel Vega HK500 (cont.)
Those aforementioned tail fins included neatly faired-in tail-lights, with reversing lights incorporated into the rear panel, a design which we think looks rather snazzy in the HK500 pictured here.
Reflecting its intended markets, under the bonnets of its cars Facel Vega employed a series of US-sourced V8s, which had reached 335bhp by the time the HK500 went on stream.
5. Cadillac Eldorado Mk4 (1959-’60)
The name Eldorado is a contraction of the Spanish El Dorado, which translates as ‘The Gilded One’. Well, that certainly applies to the Cadillac Eldorado, because it is most definitely a huge shiny monster of a car.
There were two versions of this Eldorado. The Seville was a hardtop, while the Biarritz name denoted the convertible model.
Either perfectly sums-up the term ‘land yacht’, because they were huge cars, designed to take you a very long way in serenity and comfort.
Cadillac Eldorado Mk4 (cont.)
They were exceptionally well equipped, because they had an automatic transmission, power steering, two-speed wipers, electric windows, electrically adjustable seats, air suspension and central locking.
They also featured two of the largest rear-wing fins yet seen, which incorporated the ‘rocket-ship’ tail-lights you can see above, while across the width of the car’s rear was a grille that aped that on the front of the vehicle.
However, for 1960, Cadillac toned down the rear styling, with lower fins and more integrated rear lights. Shame.
6. Chevrolet El Camino Mk1 (1959-’60)
Ford had stolen a march on Chevrolet in 1957, when it produced a coupé-based pick-up called the Ranchero. Something had to be done.
So, Chevy took the platform from the new Brookwood two-door estate and stuck an attractive pick-up bodyshell on top of it.
Indeed, the company marketed the El Camino as the first Chevy pick-up with a steel load-bed floor instead of a wooden one, and if the bed’s 26 retaining screws were removed, then it would reveal the Brookwood estate’s floorpan, including the footwells for rear passengers.
It also had funky horizontal fins and lights that bisected the tailgate.
Chevrolet El Camino Mk1 (cont.)
The people voted with their hard-earned cash, and the Chevrolet outsold the Ford in its first year by almost 50%.
No wonder, because it was brisk – with the most potent 5.7-litre (348cu in) V8 fitted, it could cover the 0-60mph dash in around 7 secs.
However, come 1960 buyers were flocking away from the El Camino, and Chevrolet chose to discontinue the original car after just two years.
7. Lincoln Continental Mk3 Convertible (1959-’60)
Ford had lofty aims for the Lincoln brand, its upmarket luxury offering, which it saw as a true rival for luxury marques such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley – and it had designed the Mk2 Continental with those competitors in mind.
However, it didn’t pay off, and it is thought Ford lost at least $1000 on every Continental Mk2 sold.
Changes were required, so aspirations were lowered for the Mk3, and Lincoln placed its crosshairs on Cadillac, GM’s luxury offering.
Lincoln Continental Mk3 Convertible (cont.)
The company developed a huge bodyshell (almost the longest convertible ever produced in the United States), and gave it lashings of chrome at either end, plus a stylish trio of lamps at either side of the car’s rear, as you can see here.
Under the bonnet lay a 7-litre (430cu in) V8 that drove the rear wheels through the three-speed automatic gearbox, providing suitably forceful and slushy performance.
8. Chevrolet Corvette C1 (1953-’62)
In early 1953, Chevrolet had a problem.
There were lots of soldiers returning to the US after service overseas, and they wanted sports cars. However, Chevy had nothing to offer them, so they were bringing back foreign cars such as Alfa Romeos and MGs. Bad for business.
So, Chevrolet set about developing its own sports car, and the fruit of the programme, the Ex-122 prototype that was the basis for the Corvette C1, was shown to the public later in ’53.
People loved it, so production began, even if the final car was more expensive than originally envisaged.
Chevrolet Corvette C1 (cont.)
The car was small and nimble, but being the 1950s in the US, some stylistic themes had to appear, and at the rear of the car were two fins, complete with protruding bullet tail-lights.
People may have loved it, but they didn’t buy it, and the ’Vette’s future looked decidedly shaky, a prospect not helped by its basic specification and fairly lethargic performance due to its 3.9-litre (235cu in) straight-six engine.
However, GM stuck with the car, and in 1955 introduced a 4.3-litre (265cu in) V8, which helped transform opinions. The Corvette’s future was assured.
9. Dodge Polara Mk1 (1960-’61)
People were fed up with austerity in 1950s America.
For many post-war years they’d endured serious, straight-laced automotive transport, but with the start of the rock and roll era, they wanted things to change. And car manufacturers had to adapt – quickly.
So, Dodge stylist Virgil Exner set about designing a car to grab attention, and he came up with the 1960 Polara, which had large rear fins, to say the least.
Dodge Polara Mk1 (cont.)
So what, you may say. After all, so did many other cars.
But these fins were mounted atop long ‘jet-pod’ tubes with the tail-lights at the end of them. If any vehicle encompassed the burgeoning jet age, then the Dodge Polara was that vehicle. It truly reeked of glamour and the romance of an undiscovered future.
The shape was futuristic, but the engine wasn’t quite so cutting edge.
It was a 6.3-litre (383cu in) V8, linked to a three-speed automatic transmission, which gave the Polara a majestic soundtrack and the waftiness of a yacht.
10. Plymouth Valiant Mk1 (1960-’62)
‘Bigger’s better’ had been the mantra of the US automobile industry through the 1950s, but by the end of the decade car makers were forced to realise that people were happy to have something smaller if the costs were reduced, too.
So, Plymouth set about designing and building a smaller saloon and estate car, called the Valiant, which was intended to take on diminutive, inexpensive incomers such as the VW Beetle.
Plymouth Valiant Mk1 (cont.)
Designers came up with a shape that pleased buyers’ eyes more than that of the similar Chrysler Falcon, complete with cool rear light ‘eyes’ on both the four-door and estate (Station Wagon) models.
Under the bonnet was a six-cylinder 2.8-litre (170cu in) engine that was both more powerful and more economical than the straight-six engines in some rivals, and some versions even came with ‘Captive-Aire’ tyres, which are better known today as run-flats.
11. Ford Cortina Mk1 (1962-’66)
The Ford Cortina was designed as a car that would appeal to the masses, as Britain’s move to four-wheeled transport gathered pace in the early 1960s.
To make the numbers work, the car had to be frugal on fuel and cheap to run so buyers would choose it, and, most importantly for Ford, inexpensive to produce.
It was launched as a two- or four-door saloon, or a five-door estate, and was an immediately recognisable shape, with its sculpted sides and rear lights that looked remarkably like the insignia of the CND.
Ford Cortina Mk1 (cont.)
Ford also knew that motor racing could provide an injection of glamour to a model that was aimed at those plying their trade on the highways of the country, so a year after the launch of the basic Cortina came the Ford Cortina Lotus, which featured a Lotus 1.6-litre engine and various chassis upgrades.
Those distinctive, three-spoke tail-lights remained, and they were all many competitors got to see of the car.
12. Rover P6 (1963-’77)
In the early 1960s, Rovers were cars that were desired by affluent older businessmen – the bowler-hat-and-cane brigade. And, yes, it was usually men.
But the business world was changing rapidly, and was becoming populated by younger, ambitious staff who didn’t see the same appeal in the upright, staid Rovers.
The marque responded with the P6, which was altogether more aggressive looking, with sharp angles, a wide, flat stance and performance to boot.
However, Rover wasn’t keen to completely leave behind its traditional customer base, so the new P6 and its P5 predecessor were actually sold alongside each other until the older car was eventually discontinued in 1973.
Rover P6 (cont.)
The sleek stance of the P6 proved popular, and the car remained on sale until 1977, when it was replaced by the Rover SD1.
However, the P6 was not without issues, most brought about by production problems during the notoriously riven 1970s.
Indeed, one example was so unreliable that it was reported to have spent 114 of its first 165 days in Rover workshops.
13. Ford Mustang Mk1 (1964-’73)
What is the longest-lived name in Ford’s history? Cortina? Nope. Escort? No. Fiesta? Try again. The Ford name with the lengthiest history is that of the Mustang, which has been around since 1964.
The Mustang was the result of a project begun by Ford’s Lee Iacocca, who wanted the company’s three design studios to come up with a car that was less than five metres long, that could seat four people, have bucket seats up front, a floor-mounted gearshift and weigh less than 1100kg (2425lb).
It also had to use mechanicals from existing model lines.
Ford Mustang Mk1 (cont.)
One design studio came up with what would eventually become the Mustang, although it was called the Cougar by that studio.
The design had a long bonnet and short rear end, and was the car that started the whole ‘pony car’ movement.
It became a star of the silver screen in its first year, too, when Bond girl Tilly Masterson drove a white Ford Mustang convertible (which ended up having its sill shredded) in the film Goldfinger.
14. Mazda Cosmo 110S (1967-’72)
The Mazda brand has been synonymous with the rotary engine since the 1960s, and the Cosmo is the reason for that relationship.
It was the first car to feature a two-rotor rotary engine, and it proved popular with Japanese buyers, who loved the fact that it produced great power but was categorised as being only 982cc, so qualified for a lower annual road tax fee.
Mazda Cosmo 110S (cont.)
The futuristic styling also appealed to customers, with the faired-in headlamps, long horizontal swage line and tail-lights that were bisected by the rear bumper, which is why this model features here.
The Cosmo, which was known as the 110S in export markets because of its 110bhp power output, was also reliable.
Indeed, Mazda entered two virtually standard cars in the 1968 Marathon de la Route race at the Nürburgring in Germany. The race lasted 84 hours and while one of the cars stopped after 81 hours because of an axle issue, the second car completed the event, achieving a fourth-place finish.
15. Mercury Cougar Mk1 (1967-’70)
People really used to love coupés in the United States.
So, when Mercury launched the Cougar in 1967 the car went on to account for almost 40% of the Lincoln-Mercury division’s entire sales that year.
It’s a staggering figure, given that the car was only ever sold as a two-door hardtop.
Mercury Cougar Mk1 (cont.)
It had mechanical underpinnings from the Ford Mustang, albeit with a wheelbase extended by 3in, and buyers initially had a choice of a 4.7-litre (289cu in) V8 or a 6.4-litre (390cu in) V8, although later high-performance models and special editions gained larger, more powerful V8s.
The car’s appearance certainly stood out, with its vacuum-operated vertically slatted headlight covers and its similar treatment at the rear end, as you can see above.
This generation of Cougar was popular, with annual sales figures of more than 100,000 cars for three of its four years on sale.
16. Range Rover Mk1 (1969-’94)
The Land-Rover Series models were undeniably tough, capable vehicles that would think nothing of scaling a rock face or crossing a muddy field. After all, that’s why they were the darlings of the farming world.
But while they were rugged and tough, they also demanded that the people who used them were rugged and tough, because they were a long way from being comfortable.
Which was a problem, when companies in the US were making large sums of money by selling models such as the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wagoneer.
Range Rover Mk1 (cont.)
The two-door Range Rover was revealed in 1970, and featured modern, angular styling, complete with, as you can see, wraparound rear-light units, a split tailgate (which would become de rigueur for the target market), and a 3.5-litre Rover V8 engine up front.
It was reckoned to be one of the world’s first vehicles that was as good off the road as it was on it, and a motoring dynasty was born.
17. Dodge Charger Mk2 (1968-’70)
There are far fewer examples of this generation of Dodge Charger around than there might have been, thanks to a certain television show that featured a car with bright orange paintwork. And that’s partly why the Charger is so sought after.
It wasn’t always that way. Back in 1966 and 1967, the first-generation Dodge Charger was launched as a sister car to the Dodge Coronet, but with a fastback rear end.
Buyers didn’t go for it, partly because of the styling and partly because buyers were in love with smaller, punchy pony cars, of which the Charger was not one.
Dodge Charger Mk2 (cont.)
So, when the second-generation Charger was launched, it had a conventional two-door body and traditional boot at the back.
The new car also featured aggressive-looking twin circular tail-light units in place of the previous model’s full-width light bar, as you can see here.
A starring role alongside Steve McQueen in the film Bullitt won’t have harmed sales figures, and indeed, Dodge had to increase production three-fold to meet demand.
18. Ford Cortina Mk3 (1969-’76)
Consolidation was the name of the game for Ford in Europe at the start of the 1970s. To that end, Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany were merged, to become Ford of Europe, and as such, their product lines had to blend, too.
So, the Ford Cortina Mk3 and Ford Taunus platforms were almost identical (during development the car was known as the TC1, in a blend of Taunus-Cortina).
The car featured the popular ‘Coke-bottle’ styling of the time, characterised by rising haunches behind the rear doors, plus a sculpted full-width rear panel that gave the impression of distance between the car’s square rear light units.
Ford Cortina Mk3 (cont.)
Early sales were not good, mainly because of production issues, following which a 10-week strike at Ford’s production plants drastically impacted the number of cars the company could build.
Still, the bounce-back in 1971 was strong, no doubt helped by the fact that the Cortina was a much more modern machine than its immediate rivals. In 1972, it was the best-selling car in Britain, a title it held for four years.
19. Hillman Avenger Mk1 (1970-’79)
The Hillman Avenger stands out for a couple of things.
First, it was the only car to be developed by Hillman following its takeover by Chrysler in 1967. Second, it was the first British car to receive a full-width plastic front grille.
It was a pretty attractive car, considering the marketplace and the era, and featured the fashionable ‘Coke bottle’ styling (as seen on the Ford Cortina Mk3), plus funky ‘hockey stick’ rear-light units that curved around the edge of the bootlid.
Hillman Avenger Mk1 (cont.)
There were a few models available, including a sporty GT with twin front headlights and go-faster stripes.
The fleet version of the car had only a single-speed fan and no passenger sunvisor.
However, in 1976 Hillman was taken over fully by Chrysler and the Avenger was facelifted. Alas, the curved rear-light units were no more.
20. Vauxhall Firenza (1971-’75)
Coupés are cool, and can be used to sprinkle a little extra zing over an otherwise comparatively mundane range.
They can also be fairly cheap to produce if they use the same mechanicals as their more humdrum siblings. Ford discovered that with the Capri, and Vauxhall did the same when it came up with the Firenza.
The Firenza was, in essence, a coupé version of the Viva saloon and estate cars, so it had just two doors and a fastback body. It also had twin front headlights.
Apart from that, it was the same, which was cool because the third-generation Viva had a neat-looking slim bar of tail-lights that wrapped around the corner of the car.
Vauxhall Firenza (cont.)
Then in 1973 Vauxhall developed a high-performance ‘droop snoot’ version of the Firenza, which had a glass-reinforced plastic nose reminiscent of that on the Ferrari Daytona, and a tuned 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine.
Sales were minimal, but the droop-snoot styling influenced both the forthcoming Vauxhall Chevette and Cavalier models.
21. Mercedes-Benz 116-series S-Class (1972-’80)
There’s no denying that the Mercedes S-Class is a luxury machine par excellence. But what fewer people know is that the S-Class is often also used by the brand to launch new luxury and safety technology.
For example, this generation of S-Class introduced four-channel anti-lock brakes to the world in 1978.
It also featured the classic ridged tail-light covers that were a feature of most Mercedes models throughout the 1970s, ’80s and some of the ’90s.
Mercedes-Benz 116-series S-Class (cont.)
So, were these rear-light covers simply a styling statement, to ensure people knew they were following a Mercedes-Benz?
Of course not. They minimised the accumulation of dirt that happens as a car is being driven around, meaning the lights can be seen more clearly.
That’s the S-Class – new safety tech, even if it’s just a light cover.
22. Lancia Stratos (1973-’78)
Talk about bending the rules.
Until 1973, the world of rallying had generally entailed taking a common-or-garden production car, removing all the luxury stuff (what there was of it), then tuning it, and fitting bigger suspension and brakes. And off you went in search of a stage to conquer.
But Lancia wanted to conquer more than just a stage – it wanted to conquer the world.
So, instead, it designed and built a supercar from the ground up to take full advantage of the regulations.
Lancia Stratos (cont.)
The Lancia Stratos was that car.
It was tiny for a start, being almost as wide as it was long, and it featured a mid-mounted 2.4-litre Ferrari V6 engine.
The bodywork comprised a central cab section with front and rear clamshells covering various components up front, and the engine behind the cabin. And, of course, the rear view of a Stratos is unlike anything else, with its great-looking circular light units, fat tyres and twin exhausts.
The idea was a success. The Stratos won the 1974, ’75 and ’76 world championships, before it was cast aside as a result of internal politics in the Fiat group (which owned Lancia).
23. Lamborghini Countach (1974-’90)
As boots to fill go, those of the Lamborghini Miura are pretty sizeable. After all, it was generally recognised as the world’s first true supercar. Tough gig to follow.
But Italian design house Bertone knocked it out of the park when it came up with the Countach. Where the Miura was curvy, the Countach was angular, sharp and aggressive.
And, of course, the Countach had doors that swivelled upwards – instant cool points.
Lamborghini Countach (cont.)
The Lamborghini Countach initially had a 3.9-litre V12, but as the car’s life progressed its engine was increased in size to 5.2 litres, in order to keep up with newer performance rivals.
And it had some of the neatest tail-lights in existence: a bar of three lights housed in an angular ‘pod’ at either side of the car’s rear end.
It’s just a shame that bodywork additions to later versions obscured the purity of the original car’s shape.
24. Maserati Khamsin (1974-’82)
Let’s get one thing straight right away – the Maserati Khamsin doesn’t have particularly cool rear lights. So why is it here, you may ask?
Well, it’s here because while the light units themselves might not be that attractive (they are, after all, plain old rectangular units that were shared with the Merak and Bora models, as well as the De Tomaso Pantera), the way they were mounted made them stand out.
That’s because in the Khamsin they were set in a glass panel that ran right across the rear of the car, so they seemed to ‘float’ as you drove along behind it.
Maserati Khamsin (cont.)
Okay, so Maserati was clearly more concerned with styling than the fact that anyone could look into the car to see if there was anything worth stealing, but there’s no denying that they look pretty cool.
It’s a shame that US buyers didn’t get the full Khamsin effect, because cars sold there had to have the rear lights moved out of the glass panel and mounted atop the rear bumper.
Both Maserati and designer Bertone hated this, believing it made the rear of the car look clumsy, so they fought bitterly against the ruling, but to no avail.
25. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Mk2 (1970-’81)
The Pontiac Firebird was a good-looking car from the moment it was launched, because its pony car long-bonnet, short-tail looks were neatly proportioned.
It also had two wide-apart, small light units at the rear that were oh-so of the era.
However, three facelifts down the line, towards the end of the 1970s, Pontiac gave the car’s rear end a little more mystery, because it did away with the separate light units in favour of a single black Perspex band that ran across the width of the vehicle (ignore the fact that it made the brake lights a bit less bright than those on previous-generation cars).
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Mk2 (cont.)
It’s just a shame that the car was a shadow of its former self, having been strangled by emissions regulations, so while it looked the part, it couldn’t walk the walk.
Indeed, while the Trans Am had shot to fame in the film Smokey and the Bandit in 1977, the later car used in Smokey and the Bandit II had to be fitted with nitrous-oxide tanks in order to achieve the performance required by the production company’s stunt crews.
26. Porsche 911 (1974-’89)
The Porsche 911 had long been established as one of the world’s most instantly recognisable sports cars, with its upright cabin, slightly heavy-looking tail, and front and rear light units that wrapped around each corner of the bodywork.
However, as with everything automotive, things sometimes have to change, so for 1974 the car’s styling was tweaked to take account of new ‘impact’ bumpers required by US authorities.
Porsche 911 (cont.)
While the light units remained similar at the rear, they were now also joined by a Perspex band that sported the word ‘Porsche’.
The updates could have looked horrendous, but Porsche pulled a stylistic masterstroke, and the later cars are now almost as sought-after as earlier models.
27. Ferrari Testarossa (1984-’91)
If ever a car epitomised the era in which it existed, that car was the Ferrari Testarossa.
Just as the world was emerging from the bleakness of the 1970s into the ‘more, more, more’ ethos of the 1980s, the Testarossa appeared over the horizon as a 12-cylinder standard bearer for excess.
It featured a 4.9-litre flat-12 engine that produced 385bhp and 361lb ft of torque, and it had the sort of performance to make a Lamborghini Countach driver think twice.
Ferrari Testarossa (cont.)
This engine was fed with cooling air through huge side scoops with long strakes along them, which proved somewhat controversial at the time.
It was also large, at almost two metres wide, and the width was accentuated by the horizontal strakes that ran right across the rear of the car, shrouding the light units beneath them.
From behind, it looked like the car had huge shoulder pads, which was precisely what the fashion of the 1980s was all about.
28. Maserati 3200GT (1998-2002)
The Maserati 3200GT didn’t come along a moment too soon.
It was a replacement for the Shamal, which had been on sale since 1990, but which was based on a design from a decade earlier than that.
And while the 3200GT moniker might sound dull, it was actually a homage to the company’s first-ever grand-touring model, the 3500GT.
Maserati 3200GT (cont.)
It clearly had a big job ahead – and it had to stand out. So the car’s designers came up with a tail-light treatment like no other.
The lights were arranged in a ‘boomerang’ shape around the edge of the car’s rear bodywork, with the outer edge of the curve providing the brake light, the inner edge functioning as indicators.
Indeed, the 3200GT was the first car in the world to use LED light units.
29. BMW Z8 (1998-2003)
The BMW Z8 was a stunning-looking concept car that actually made it as far as the road.
The project began in 1993, when designers were tasked with building a car that would pay tribute to the BMW 507 roadster of the 1950s, but one thing led to another and the Z07 concept was revealed at the 1997 Tokyo show.
To say it was given a favourable reception is a bit of an understatement, so BMW set about turning the concept into a production reality.
BMW Z8 (cont.)
It had a 4.9-litre V8 engine that produced 395bhp which, combined with the light weight afforded by the all-aluminium chassis and body, helped the Z8 to cover the 0-62mph dash in just 4.7 secs. Very rapid for the day.
At the rear end, the sleek light units were completely faired into the bodywork, and were actually constructed of neon tubes instead of using lightbulbs.
These units were said to respond more quickly than bulbs and would, apparently, last the life of the vehicle.
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