why are American cars so ugly?

[jazzdude]

Why is it that their cars are so ugly? I mean they take a car that looks reasonably ok for the European markets and then stick some garish grille on it, some beady wonky headlights, and then some skinny wheels with chrome hub caps and make the thing just awful. Even their sports models are wrong.

It's a mystery to me.

[Northernchimp]

Americanised European cars are nasty- they have completely ruined the Lancia line up.

[Codswallop]

It's nice that you have your opinion on the subject. Thanks for sharing

[Blue Oval84]

Having been over and driven there recently, the reason they don't have low profile tyres is because they wouldn't work very well on their roads. They're even rougher than ours, we hit some enormous potholes in the rental even on the freeway!

[robsa]

Nonsense!

What about the handsome Pontiac Aztec?



And I absolutely love what they did to the focus. After all, who wouldn't want giant beluga-whale bumpers front and rear?



Ahhh... much better......

American cars aren't all ugly though, they just have a very different design aesthetic to european manufactiurers. I love some of the old Caddy's, Plymouths and so on. Then you have the muscle cars like the Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Corvette Stingray, Chevrolet Camaro and so on....

[DocArbathnot]

jazzdude said:

and then some skinny wheels with chrome hub caps .

I like chrome hubcaps I saw some on a new Beetle very smart.

[David87]

Yes, they are disgusting.

[jazzdude]

When you consider some of those amazing chrome finned Cadillacs of the 50s and the original Corvettes, what happened?

[jazzdude]

David87 said:

Yes, they are disgusting.

Agreed, but why that chrome grille?

[Blue Oval84]

robsa said:

Nonsense!

And I absolutely love what they did to the focus. After all, who wouldn't want giant beluga-whale bumpers front and rear?

European cars aren't designed to the same low speed crash standards as American cars AFAIK, to make an EU car pass their tests you need bigger bumpers (I think they have to be able to hit a bollard at a particular speed without incurring damage or something like that)

[Crafty_]

^ Because American cars have always had chrome/stainless. Even way back in to the 30s.
Its just what they do. The only exception of this seems to be the current/upcoming muscle car models.

[NadiR]

David87 said:

Yes, they are disgusting.

Doesn't that run on coal?

[007 VXR]

jazzdude said:

David87 said:

Yes, they are disgusting.

Agreed, but why that chrome grille?

And that fks the car for you?

Looks

[Chicane-UK]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think some American cars look terrific.

[Mr2Mike]

jazzdude said:

Agreed, but why that chrome grille?

Why not? Plenty of European cars have chrome grills.

[g3org3y]

Chicane-UK said:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think some American cars look terrific.

Look even better in real life.