Cars are very boring these days-you cannot tell a Nissan from a Toyota, or FORD, or GM. They all have the same basic look. Would there be an interest in some 1940s design features (like outboard fenders, higher roofs, split windshields, etc.)?
Chrysler had some success with the 1930s-look PT Cruiser-I liked the design, but the car itself had too many problems.
Still, there would be a nice thing to have more diversity in body styles.
Would you buy a 1940s-look car?
PT Cruiser: Nice styling, too small. I heard it was underpowered.
Prowler: Nice styling, if you like that sort of thing.
Thunderbird (11th generation): I liked the way it looked. But there are more interesting – and better cars.
As far as 1940s styling goes, I have a name for them: Bulgemobiles. They all look alike to me, and they’re all bulgy behemoths.
So, no; I wouldn’t buy a 1940s-look car. The Dodge Challenger, OTOH, I like. (But Porsches, MGBs, and other sports cars, or else efficiency machines, are more my style.)
I am not a “car guy,” but I can tell cars apart pretty easily. Headlight placement and the lines around the front third of the car are the biggest give-aways. Except for Hyundais. They seem to design their cars to look like ripoffs of their competition.
The main two reasons all the cars look alike these days is pedestrian front end crash test ratings and aerodynamics. All the front ends are tall and softer edged now so as to not kill pedestrians right away, and then naturally from there everything else has to rise up in the name of superior airflow. So the back ends have also been getting higher and bigger in the name of aerodynamics and better gas mileage as a result. When aerodynamics are key all the cars start ending up with similar profiles.
I mean, sure, I’d love some different styling - everything from the 50s through the 70s is pretty good for me - but it’s not going to happen in mass market modern cars as long as we’ve got those pedestrian ratings to pass and gas prices going up.
You could do a lot even while keeping the same shape. What about bringing back vast chrome bumpers, but as chromed overlays? What about varying window shape? What about asymmetricality? And while we’re at it, kill off the macho bumpiness and fender flares. I’d love to see a pickup here styled like an Australian ute.
I drive a 2002 PT Cruiser, and I’m totally happy with it. I hear all the problems started in 2003, when they redesigned it and ruined every reason to own one. But I have to admit, when I’m accelerating with the A/C on, I have to get out and push.
Man-I’d love to have an updated 1953 Buick Roadmonster-my mother’s aunt had one. You sat in a plush easy chair, surrounded by acres of chrome. handling wasn’t much, but that ride was smooth-and you could play with the antenna on the roof 9you could turn it from the inside).
Hell, I’d be ecstatic if they just started using semi-modern concept car styles. The technology and materials engineering is probably even advanced enough to make some of them practical.
But if there WAS a retro car style I’d go for…it’d be tail fins. 
I would love a fully rodded-out 1950 Mercury or '33 Ford coupe and roll around like ZZ Top, but I have neither the time or money, so it shall have to remain a dream…
Good heavens that concept car is butt ugly. It looks like a typical modern car with a pusher engine stuck on the back of it. Interesting concept, but…
Trim-Line wood look door panel decals!
Perhaps you’d prefer the Ford Nucleon? Zero emissions, great mileage, and built in the U.S. of A!
And to think the Pinto got a bad rep.
A woody version of that would be awesome.
I have a 2001 PT Cruiser. I don’t drive often, but at least the car is distinctive. If I had to do frequent rush hour expressway driving, I wouldn’t like it since there is a huge blind spot which makes merging an act of prayer.
I think the best-looking cars were built in the 1920s.
Muthafuk, that’s a sexy thing. Yep I’d buy that.
I talked to an actual designer about this - one of the guys that worked on the Audi R8 Spyder.
There’s a couple of things to take note of -
Firstly - the number of “pieces” a body comes in - those from the 60s and 70s that many may consider the “golden age” of beautiful design may have had 60 or more body panels - now its vastly less (actually in the low teens) - the limitations of this drives part of the design process.
Adding on to that (and this is my opinion) - we’ve reached the stage now where we know that certain shapes / styles are objectively better - in terms of things like pedestrian protection, aerodynamics, road holding, engine cooling etc. It only stands to reason that a shape / design that is objectively better is going to become more commonplace - with distinctive looks loosing out to the gods of things like fuel economy etc.
In the 90’s everything looked like a half-melted ice cube.
50’s and 60’s did some things with style (esp. Raymond Lowry of Studebaker - 56-57 Hawks, Avanti).
Get your hands on a hardcopy version of Hemmings Motor News - THE Bible of antique and classic cars (plus some plain junk).
I haven’t had one since the 60’s, but I hope it is still full of very nice classics.
Flip through and see what decade attracts you most.
Hint: 1920’s
Could go back to the 80’s for size. For example, families are getting to SUV for more room.
Why can’t the sedan have a big box on the back, and call it a ‘station wagon’ ?
I would agree that most cars today really do look alike.
When we go to our local casino, the parking garage has cars ranging from Mercedes and Lexus to Toyota and Hyundai - and the damn things all pretty much look the same! I understand quality differences but still - kinda makes you wonder why someone would pay $50,000 (or far more) extra for a car that pretty much looks like any $18,000 car in that parking garage.
Some of the “sports cars” still have cool designs - then new Corvette looks pretty cool, the Tesla certainly catches the eye, and several of the very high-end luxury brands do have at least a bit of style and “cool” factor when you see them.
But the rest of the cars are all sort of “meh”…and even the year to year body design changes are usually so minimal, I doubt even most owners of those cars can’t really tell the difference between a 2012 model or a 2014 model.