The Shapes of Cars to Come

Will the cars that ordinary people drive ever again be as diverse and as distinctive in their shapes and styles as they were in the 1960s and 1970s?

@fmf said
Will the cars that ordinary people drive ever again be as diverse and as distinctive in their shapes and styles as they were in the 1960s and 1970s?

the economics say no

@lemondrop

The days of the infernal-combustion-engine-powered vehicle in private hands are numbered. Private vehicles will, with a few exceptions for handicapped people, eventually be HPVs. Wind-resistance squares with doubled speed, hence, HPVs are typically teardrop-shaped to minimize wind resistance. So, most vehicles in private hands will tend towards tear-drop or pear-shapes. The sooner the better, IMO.

@lemondrop said
the economics say no

In fact economics is a difficult beast, in city cars which go only up to about 50 km/h we can expect curios forms. But there needs to be a business case first 😉

as soon as electric is evolved to efficient standards, the next greatest thing will appear without warning

zero personal vehicles

much like wifi has become quite ubiquitous, transporters will be also
the technology envisioned in the sixties (and prolly before) will be hashed out so that moving from one "space" to another "space" will require no intermediate transportation of any sort
a transport hub, or terminal (ack! not terminal!) will grace every domicile and public hotspot

i promise to give fair warning before i pop into yer bedroom

@fmf said
Will the cars that ordinary people drive ever again be as diverse and as distinctive in their shapes and styles as they were in the 1960s and 1970s?

Sadly no, vehicular transportation will become increasingly utilitarian and environmentally complaint. I suppose this is inevitable and congruent with current climate considerations and economics. Cars, proper cars, will become collectors items in the next 20-50 years.

@divegeester said
Sadly no, vehicular transportation will become increasingly utilitarian and environmentally complaint. I suppose this is inevitable and congruent with current climate considerations and economics. Cars, proper cars, will become collectors items in the next 20-50 years.

I would agree with you on that, and happy I probably will not be around to see it, at least I hope not, I'd be very old in 50 years!!! 😉

-VR

@divegeester said
Sadly no, vehicular transportation will become increasingly utilitarian and environmentally complaint. I suppose this is inevitable and congruent with current climate considerations and economics. Cars, proper cars, will become collectors items in the next 20-50 years.

a passionate car lament

YouTube : red barchetta

@FMF
Not since they realized the effect of poor air flow causing wasted energy and increased use of fuel.
So aerodynamics is a big part of why they don't look like say a 57 plymouth.

@ponderable said
in city cars which go only up to about 50 km/h we can expect curios forms.

I shall pin my hopes on this then.

Talk about the aerodynamics of cars pottering around suburbs and city centres for doing the weekly shop or ferrying kids to and from school seems a bit silly.

@fmf said
Will the cars that ordinary people drive ever again be as diverse and as distinctive in their shapes and styles as they were in the 1960s and 1970s?

I doubt it. With all the available info. on demographics, consumer wish lists etc. Auto companies now know what it takes to build a car that generates company profits, and maximizing profits is more important than style and diversity.

@mchill said
I doubt it. With all the available info. on demographics, consumer wish lists etc. Auto companies now know what it takes to build a car that generates company profits, and maximizing profits is more important than style and diversity.

I think the homogeneity of car styles is something that "drooling midrange accountants" and their ilk have foisted up consumers over the last 40 years because they are dreary risk averse jobsworths. I don't think the homogeneity of car styles is caused by "consumer wish lists".

In line with the global trend, the UK will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, essentially triggering the end of meaningful internal combustion engine innovation immediately.

Some car manufacturers will struggle to migrate their design and manufacturing process and some simply may not have the proprietary technologies required to compete. Consolidation and less consumer choice will result in a less diverse and competitive market place. Car buying and driving will be a dull experience of four-wheeled perambulation and twist-and-go motorcycling.

Furthermore, the uk is nowhere near the required charging infrastructure for surge in electric powered vehicles and only 30% of our electricity is produced from renewable clean sources. So essentially the wealthy buy a Tesla and dump their pollution in someone else’s airspace.

I predict that we will look back on this last 50 years of motoring with a nostalgic gloom and regret that we were not able to find an alternative to neutering the joy of motoring.

@fmf said
Will the cars that ordinary people drive ever again be as diverse and as distinctive in their shapes and styles as they were in the 1960s and 1970s?

If we keep up doing what we currently do (to the planet), people, ordinary or not, will go the way of the dinosaurs. 🤔

@great-big-stees said
If we keep up doing what we currently do (to the planet), people, ordinary or not, will go the way of the dinosaurs. 🤔

True, but it took a long time. 🙂