I think that people will now start taking to more extravagant styling. Especially now that big bodied cars are making a come back. Does anyone else on here thing something nice like that done in the 50's would make an impact?

 

I dunno, I have a hard time thinking that they will come back.

When people are unwilling to take a chance on color (why is everything silver these days?) and the top selling cars are basically the most boring on the market, I just can't see a major change happening. Probably a few new designs will spice things up a bit, but I'm not expecting a major shift. Just IMHO.

 

Regarding the 'Silver' comment, tend to buy only Silver or White just because I don't care for Reds, Blues, Oranges and Black (because Black gets dirty too fast). I can't stand anything that can even vaguely be in the 'Beige/Tan/Gold' catagory.

So what does that really leave? I don't want a 'loud' color like Yellow, though Yellow does look nice on some cars. Just not for me.

Some dark Greens are nice, but don't look good on all cars imo.

All that's really left are shades of Gray, Silver and White. (Silver and White are easiest to keep clean also.)

I had a Teal Green 1991 Camaro and really like that color, but it's not really available anymore. (That and I prefered the more Green Teal over the more Turquoise Blue looking Teals.)

I've always wanted to have a car in the deep Purple of the 1992 Camaro's, but Purple has gone by the wayside unfortunately. (I'd LOVE to see the 5th Gen in that color.)

Silver (and White) are pretty much timeless colors. They look modern and clean, whereas some Reds, Yellow and Blues are loud. And other darker Reds and Blues are 'dull' to me.

Black is a beautiful color on most cars. But such a b***h to keep clean. That, and Black tends to 'hide' details and lines of a car unless it's really bright out.

So, there's my long winded explanation why _I_ prefer Silver or White.

 

I don't think the return of 'big cars' means an automatic return to extravagant styling, and I think we're already experiencing it outside of Detroit (san Chysler although IMO the Magnum and 300 are still slab sided and a little boing to look at after 5 minutes).

Mazda's been offering more dramatic styling on everything from the RX-7 to the Mazda 3 5-door. BWM has been spearheading more dynamic styling for the last 5+ years. Mercedes is putting more curves and creases into it's sheet metal. The new Civics are certainly bold moves.

It seems GM and Ford are mearly catching up again.

 

You've started one of the most thought provking, and intresting threads here in a long time.

Seems each new design that comes out is the result of some styling studio purposely telling their stylist to pile it on. I don't think we are going to end up with the excesses of the 1950s, but we are in what is no doubt in a new age where styling is of as huge importance as it has ever been in the past. Even the Toyota Camry and Avalon are pretty extravagant in design.

It can be said that Chrysler started it (the way Ford started the "jellybean" aerodynamic styling fad in the 80s) with the 300. But ironically, alot of the what makes the 300 visually stunning (the exagerated wheelarch sculptures and oversized grill) was on the Sebring sedan first.

Ford missed the boat on this IMO with the 500 and GM in typical fashion gets to the party after someone else creates the market but takes it to the extreme. Mazda seems to be the only foreign based company that was in the forefront.

I'd expect to see more body chrome, and perhaps a return of 2 tone paints in the near future, and some trick styling details. But tailfins aren't likely to return.

 

Well I also don't think we'll be seeing tailfins, but I wonder whether we will see some "feature" that all the cars in a certain class of each brand will imitate? The thing that made me post this was after I saw the 58 Impala in American Graffiti. The crome, with just a hint of red really really sets that car off!
I'm sure that if any person saw that car driving on the road they'd do a double take, and if a company could make a modern car with the same effect (not a retro attempt moching a classic), I'm sure they'd (the public) be inclined to buy it.