by Mike Gulett –
When I become attracted to a car it starts with the looks and if I like what I see then I look deeper at the technology, performance and the people who created it. But my interest all starts with the style of the car. After the brouhaha over the new Ferrari Luce I started wondering what is it that makes a car attractive, or not attractive.
Beauty is certainly a matter of personal taste so what I think is beautiful is not necessarily universal (I am thinking of the Lamborghini Espada here).
Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada
I think we tend to judge car design through five lenses.
1. Proportion
More than any other styling feature, proportion likely determines whether a car looks right or not.
The cars most people consider beautiful share some common traits:
- Long wheelbase
- Wheels pushed toward the corners
- Balanced front-to-rear
- Low center of gravity
- Proper cabin placement
For example the Jaguar E-Type is beautiful because its proportions are just about perfect.
Jaguar E-Type
2. Visual Tension
The most memorable cars usually contain opposing ideas held in a delicate balance.
Consider the Bizzarrini GT 5300:
- Aggressive yet elegant
- Muscular yet lightweight
- Functional yet sensual
People seem to respond to this tension. Cars that are too soft usually can appear weak. Cars that are too aggressive usually can appear too muscular or cartoonish.
Great design often sits between visual extremes.
3. Recognition and Novelty
People usually want a familiar style and a new style at the same time. This is why extreme cars often fail initially.
The Citroën DS looked like it came from another planet. Many people were shocked when it debuted in the 1960s. Today it is considered one of the most beautiful of cars.
Citroën DS
A similar story with:
- Porsche 928
- Lamborghini Countach
- Ferrari FF
Citroën DS21 Henri Chapron
A design that is too familiar can become boring. A design that is too unfamiliar can be uncomfortable and perhaps gangly.
The beauty lies somewhere in between.
4. Authenticity
People dislike designs that appear dishonest.
For example:
- Fake air vents
- Artificial exhaust tips
- Decorative scoops with no function
- Excessive styling clutter
Car enthusiasts value honesty in design and purpose of style.
One reason the Porsche 911 has endured for so many decades is that its shape continues to reflect its engineering layout.
Iso Grifo – Mike Gulett
Cars such as the Citroën SM and the Iso Grifo look purposeful and well thought out. Their styling appears to arise from what they are rather than from any marketing requirements.
5. Story
Perhaps the most overlooked factor is that we don’t always see cars objectively, we tend to see the story behind the car.
A car becomes more attractive when we know its history (the people involved and why it was created). The more interesting the history the more attractive the car.
Consider the difference between seeing:
- Some random old coupe
- A Ford GT40 that beat Ferrari at Le Mans
- An Aston Martin Vanquish associated with the final hand-built Aston Martins
- A Studebaker Avanti that represented a last attempt to save an independent automaker
The car’s story can change how we perceive the style.
Studebaker Avanti
Why Modern Cars Often Look Similar
Many contemporary cars are styled for:
- Aerodynamics
- Crash safety
- Interior volume
- Manufacturing efficiency and cost
As a result, they often converge toward similar proportions, this can be one reason why we think modern car designs are boring.
A 1960s car lover could distinguish an Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Maserati, Aston Martin, or Ferrari from a block away. Today, many modern cars look the same, especially from a block away.
My Observation
Cars that trigger an emotional response, like a De Tomaso Mangusta or an Iso Grifo, tend to become collector favorites despite the underlying technology.
The reason car lovers still stop and stare at an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, a Lamborghini Miura, or a Aston Martin Vanquish is that they all combine beautiful proportions, visual tension, authenticity, along with a compelling story.
Aston Martin Vanquish S
We don’t fall in love with cars because they are perfect, we fall in love with them because their design makes us feel something special.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
De Tomaso Mangusta Prototype
Research, some text and some images by ChatGPT 5.2
MIKE,
A very thoughtful and intelligent summary of a very difficult question. Thank you very much for doing that. Much could be discussed about what you have said. The overall premise is excellent.
You have also chosen some excellent examples. Congratulations as this is not an easy thing to do.
DICK RUZZIN / DETROIT
Thanks Dick – it is always great to hear from an expert.
Styling was paramount in the automotive industry for decades. Today not so much ! The new Jaguar proposal confirms that.
Mike,
As John Shea says above, “Styling was paramount in the automotive industry for decades. Today not so much!” Today, besides the hideous SUVs and Crossovers, all the companies that make regular sedans and coupes pretty much make the same looking car, whether it is German or Japanese or Korean. Nobody is willing to take a chance to “think outside the box” and come out with a striking design that will stand out from the others for fear of failure in the marketplace. Companies were willing to take chances years ago: GM with the Corvair and Toronado, Ford with the (failed) Edsel and Mustang, Chrysler with its Tri-Five “Forward Look” designs, and the late, great AMC with its AMX sports car. Every brand and model used to have its own distinct look, and now you have to get up close to see a company name and logo to distinguish what kind of car you are looking at. It is truly a pathetic time we live in now with respect to automotive design.
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY.
Showing the Countach in the announcement of the story leaves me wondering if that is curvy enough to qualify. It is a series of flat planes, and started a whole trend that still is in evidence today. The Mangusta, pictured in the story,
is more curvy though it too has flat planes. I was near some horses the other day and realized that is part of the appeal of the horse to our eyes, the curved surfaces, with a lot of musculatrue underneath. Similarly some cars I’ve been near recently (like SR1 Ferrari), have taut curved surfaces and are pleasant to look at. So my vote is for curved surfaces in so far as what makes a car beautiful. Ferrucio was just lucky in timing that his car was so radical mechanically (mid-engined, flip up doors, the ultimate wedge) that he hit the right place at the right time in both design and mechanicals, but of all the examples in the story have mroe curves so that’s the highest score in my list of
desirable design traits.