The last car with pop up headlights?

The last car with pop up headlights?

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Chassis 33

Original Poster:

6,194 posts

281 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
We were having a discussion about this last night at the White Hart Classic Car meet, what was the last car to be fitted with pop up headlights?
The general consensus was possibly MX5, Elan or NSX, anything more recent?

Also have they just gone out of fashion as over complicated unnecessary contraptions or has legislation banned them?
Regards
Iain

Moley RUFC

3,609 posts

188 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Probably the MX-5

VetteG

3,236 posts

243 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
C5 Corvette

744ti

181 posts

188 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Wikipedia says "The last time pop-up headlamps appeared on a volume-production car was in 2004 when both the Lotus Esprit and C5 Corvette ended production."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_headlamps

Edited by 744ti on Wednesday 5th November 08:35

G'kar

3,728 posts

185 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Esprit in production untill 2004.

plasticpig

12,932 posts

224 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
I think its the Corvette. EU safety legislation did for them in europe.

Edited by plasticpig on Wednesday 5th November 08:35


Edited by plasticpig on Wednesday 5th November 08:35

Promised Land

4,699 posts

208 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all


This was done on top gear years ago when the esprit was stopped and Clarkson said the only car left was the 456.

IIRC the esprit was last produced in 2002 for the UK, maybe a bit later for the US

Edited by Promised Land on Wednesday 5th November 08:39

Hot_Stu

1,031 posts

230 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Duplicate

Edited by Hot_Stu on Wednesday 5th November 08:37

Hot_Stu

1,031 posts

230 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Duplicate

Edited by Hot_Stu on Wednesday 5th November 08:38

TIGA84

5,204 posts

230 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
456 GTAM

littlemidgetgem

5,993 posts

214 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Are pop up lights banned now?

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

207 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
littlemidgetgem said:
Are pop up lights banned now?
On new cars, yes.

Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
I don't know what the statistics are for pedestrians injured by pop-up headlamps, but I can guess. Zero. rolleyes

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
RobCrezz said:
littlemidgetgem said:
Are pop up lights banned now?
On new cars, yes.
Just incase you hit a pedestrian. Mind you. Why a pedestrian is standing in the road at night and not moving out of the way of a car with it's lights on. Who knows.

Chassis 33

Original Poster:

6,194 posts

281 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Reading around I don't think they are explicitly banned more its really difficult to meet things like pedestrian impact ratings with pop up lights.
Regards
Iain

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

207 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Chassis 33 said:
Reading around I don't think they are explicitly banned more its really difficult to meet things like pedestrian impact ratings with pop up lights.
Regards
Iain
That is correct, I was just trying to keep it simple smile

Hot_Stu

1,031 posts

230 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Presumably kit cars and replicas can still have them ?

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

207 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Munter said:
RobCrezz said:
littlemidgetgem said:
Are pop up lights banned now?
On new cars, yes.
Just incase you hit a pedestrian. Mind you. Why a pedestrian is standing in the road at night and not moving out of the way of a car with it's lights on. Who knows.
Exactly. My last 2 cars have had pop up headlights, they better keep out of the road!

Galsia

2,166 posts

189 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
I seem to recall that the Spirit of Ectasy bonnet ornament on Rolls Royce cars was going to be banned for the same reason but Rolls Royce got around it by adding a mechanism that makes it rapidly retract into the bodywork in a collision. I suppose manufacturers could design pop up lights to do the same thing if they wish.

LuS1fer

41,080 posts

244 months

Wednesday 5th November 2008
quotequote all
Definitely the Corvette. I loved pop-up headlamps. I hate fixed lamps, they're so boring and the reason the Corvette C6 looks so crap.