Classics dwarfed by moderns
Discussion
As a golfer, I compare the width too. I can put a full-size golf bag sideways in the back of the old Mercedes T202 (2000) estate, but a new 3 series estate needs the back seats down to accomodate, and the new C Class will take it diagonally, not width-ways. When I had a Mk 1 Jetta in 1981 I could fit four bags in sideways and weekend luggage.
na said:
all the cars need to be bigger because of all the extra items on them, for pedestrian safety, because adults and children are generally much bigger now, perhaps more padding inside - I'm sure a lot of modern cars have less room for the driver and passengers than the older smaller versions or models
Requirements of the NCAP ratings have a lot to do with this 
LordBretSinclair said:
na said:
all the cars need to be bigger because of all the extra items on them, for pedestrian safety, because adults and children are generally much bigger now, perhaps more padding inside - I'm sure a lot of modern cars have less room for the driver and passengers than the older smaller versions or models
Requirements of the NCAP ratings have a lot to do with this 
Though safety has moved on I can't see that it's to blame for everything. A Panda is still fairly narrow.
CDP said:
LordBretSinclair said:
na said:
all the cars need to be bigger because of all the extra items on them, for pedestrian safety, because adults and children are generally much bigger now, perhaps more padding inside - I'm sure a lot of modern cars have less room for the driver and passengers than the older smaller versions or models
Requirements of the NCAP ratings have a lot to do with this 
Though safety has moved on I can't see that it's to blame for everything. A Panda is still fairly narrow.
LordBretSinclair said:
Requirements of the NCAP ratings have a lot to do with this 
doh, I meant to put driver and passenger safety
years ago I can remember seeing the interior space of a 1100/1300 and thinking I'd forgotten just how much space there was in the smallish car compared to the new cars at that time, same when my mate got a Dolly Sprint
mph1977 said:
CDP said:
LordBretSinclair said:
na said:
all the cars need to be bigger because of all the extra items on them, for pedestrian safety, because adults and children are generally much bigger now, perhaps more padding inside - I'm sure a lot of modern cars have less room for the driver and passengers than the older smaller versions or models
Requirements of the NCAP ratings have a lot to do with this 
Though safety has moved on I can't see that it's to blame for everything. A Panda is still fairly narrow.
CDP said:
But as I mentioned earlier my TF managed four stars without side airbags. That's in a convertible with all the hood mechanism too.
IIRC the MGF and TF also had excellent NCAP ratings for pedestrian safety. I'm sure that the fact there are no hefty engine parts within millimetres of the inside of the bonnet had a lot to do with this.I do miss my F - it wasn't fantastic or particularly exciting but it did what it said on the tin - had a lot of fun in mine

na said:
I might be wrong but didn't pedestrian safety measure increase in the last few years
Yes but it's mostly down to not having hard stuff like engines and strut tops directly under the surface. That's why bonnet lines have risen so much. A rear engine car with wishbones can pass these regulations pretty easily and keep the bonnet line low. So can the Toyota GT86 as it's boxer is so shallow.CDP said:
na said:
I might be wrong but didn't pedestrian safety measure increase in the last few years
Yes but it's mostly down to not having hard stuff like engines and strut tops directly under the surface. That's why bonnet lines have risen so much.reminds us MGers of the increase in ride height in the 70s for USA regs introducing the 'rubber bumper' cars
LotusOmega375D said:
300bhp/ton said:
eh?
I think the comparison here is that current "Cavalier" mid range model is larger in all dimensions than the next size up "Carlton" model of 20 years ago. It's getting so silly that you'd struggle to get some modern saloons into a garage.- No it was more the Insignia was being labelled as a hatch, as in hatchback. Ok it has a hatch opening, but it's clearly a large family saloon sector vehicle just as the Carlton was. I also don't see it as a Cavalier spec model, it is Vauxhalls 'Carlton' market position while the Astra is more the modern Cavalier in terms of marketing and line up.
Travis Mcgee said:
Might just be me, but I am convinced the latest BMW 3 series saloon is the same size as a 90's 5 series.
It is because that's also the market place it sits in. Ignore the numbers of the models. The 3 Series hasn't got bigger it's been moved up market. Once it was the entry level model, no longer that is now the 1 Series (or arguably even a MINI).The current 3 Series is in money, line up and market a 5 Series.
RichB said:
mph1977 said:
300bhp/ton said:
all that demonstrates is that cars now are a 'size bigger' than they were 20 summat years ago, compare modern Astra with the Vectra A and the current Corsa with a Mk2or 3 Astra... Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff