The Change in Car Design Over the Past 80 Years

Take a phone-based hearing test from the comfort of home. FREE for AARP members.

En español | One of the best-selling cars of all time, the Beetle's bug-like curved body was created in 1938 by Austrian designer Erwin Komenda and made its way onto American shores from

1949 until 1977, when it ceased production. The "love bug" of a car crept back onto the market with an all-new design in 1998. Volkswagen recently announced the last Beetle will be produced

in 2019.

Many a pop star has celebrated this American classic — the Beach Boys, Prince and the Corvettes, to name a few. Known as America’s sportscar, the Corvette debuted as a “dream car” in January

1953. Since then, the Corvette has introduced some of the car industry’s most innovative features, including composite body panels, fuel injection, antilock brakes, stability control and

tire-pressure-warning and antitheft systems.

The “DS” is short for déesse — goddess in French. And given its innovative technology and design, it remains on many a top 10 list of best cars ever. Did we mention that it’s French? A

French car, designed by an Italian artist and architect named Flaminio Bertoni. This car was destined to be sexy. Shaped like a shark and futuristic with a minimalist interior, the DS was

luxurious and also economical. It is still seen today as a celebration of French culture and design.

The Suez Canal crisis of 1956 led to an oil crisis in Great Britain, where car manufacturers were under pressure to produce cars with greater fuel efficiency. Sir Alec Issigonis of the

British Motor Corporation went above and beyond and in 1959 debuted a car that was not only fuel efficient, but also had a small exterior, spacious interior, superb handling and carried four

passengers (and their luggage), at an affordable price. Hailed as the father of the Mini, Issigonis was knighted in 1969 by Queen Elizabeth for his accomplishments. The Mini remains in

production today.

Britain’s Jaguar E-Type was hailed as “the most beautiful car ever made” by legendary automaker Enzo Ferrari and is an iconic emblem of the 1960s. The two-seater was first offered as a coupe

and a roadster and built with an aluminum body instead of steel. In the U.S. it is referred to as the Jaguar XKE. The Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero, an updated electric version of the classic,

made its way onto the world stage during the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple rode to their evening wedding festivities in the car. 

How many inventions can boast saving over a million lives over a span of 56 years? Prior to the three-point safety belt, cars were made with lap belts that didn’t protect the head or upper

body during a crash. Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin was Volvo’s first safety engineer and made it a priority to create a seat belt that could better protect drivers and passengers. What he

developed in 1959 was a seat belt that secured the chest and lower torso with just one click. The invention first appeared in the 1959 Volvo Amazon and Volvo PV544. Volvo didn’t keep the

design to themselves — it filed an “open patent” so that other car companies could use the life-saving innovation.

The Ford Mustang was nicknamed a “pony car” because of it horse logo. Pony cars went on to describe a whole class of cars that followed in the Mustang’s footsteps (or hoofprints) – American,

two-door, four-passenger, long hood, short deck, open mouth, targeted at young people and affordable. Other notable pony cars include the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Trans AM, Pontiac

Firebird, Mercury Cougar and Dodge Challenger.

An oil crisis and a call for cleaner air led to a decline in the larger pony and muscle cars of the 1960s. Compact, boxy cars that were fuel efficient and reduced emissions became the trend.

The GM Chevrolet Veg (1975 model pictured here), a Ford Pinto and AMC Gremlin are examples of cars that fit the bill. However, design and safety suffered. None of the three made it past

1980. Compact cars from Volkswagen, Toyota and Datsun (now Nissan) also competed in the U.S. market and fared better over time. 

In the late 1970s, automakers sought to create a new family vehicle that was a cross between a station wagon and a van — something that was spacious enough for a family and its cargo and

didn't guzzle gas. What came about in 1983, thanks to Chrysler, was the minivan (1993 model pictured here), which dominated car sales during the 1980s and well into the 1990s. The invention

eventually saved Chrysler from financial disaster with three models — the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. The exterior was still the drab boxy design of the

1980s, but a highlight was its sliding door. 

While not the first sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Ford Explorer was one of the best-selling of its time (and is still popular) and emblematic of the trend. SUVs were taller and gave

drivers a better view of the road, and had large interiors that fit up to seven passengers and were engineered to tackle tough terrain, including wet and bumpy roads. Popular with families,

they were more rugged and less fuel efficient than many of today’s SUVs — including the current, fifth-generation Ford Explorer.

The essential difference between the modern SUV and a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is that an SUV is built on a truck platform, while a crossover is built on a car platform — though

marketers often are loose with their labeling depending on their target audience (CUVs are often billed as small SUVs). Both are hugely popular — but these days, the CUV is extra hot. Fans

say it offers the sporty style of an SUV but with a smoother ride and better fuel efficiency. Toyota RAV4 (2019 model pictured here), Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V are three bestselling

versions. 

This is Toyota's somewhat whimsical vision of what a car of the future might look like — offering a sleek, minimalist design and "mobility that is warm, friendly and revolves around you," as

they put it. It would begin to learn, then anticipate, your needs (it might even be able to detect your emotions, and take over the driving for you if necessary). The driver and car will

work as a team, and it will be less of a machine and "more of a pal."  

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.

You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.

You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.

You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.