Jump to content

Round or square?


Recommended Posts

Posted

I've got to admit that the facelift Visas really do look dreary with their shaped headlights, especially the earlier ones with the combined indicators. Glad they sold the GTi with rounds or there's a strond chance I wouldn't have bought it:

 

20130322-IMG_9799.jpg

 

Ask me this question if I ever need to replace the surrounds though......

  • Like 2
Posted

And so did early versions of the US spec Renault 5, AKA Renault LeCar.

 

 

16830296927_340529e0de.jpg

  • Like 4
Posted

Lancia couldn't use the Montecarlo name in America because Chevrolet were already selling a Monte Carlo.  So the car came to America as the Lancia Scorpion.  And, since all headlights in the US had to be sealed-beam units and meet certain minimum height requirements at the time, Lancia were forced to devise this lash-up.  Exposed round sealed-beam units mounted to pods which rose when the lights were switched on.

 

lancia_scorpion_silver_1978.jpg

 

 

Here are the lights in the "up" position.

 

lancia-scorpion-1.jpg

  • Like 5
Posted

Not as far as I am aware, AMC went to twin squares on later stuff but have only seen Pacers with roundies....

Posted

Leaving aside the innumerable Japanese models of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s which started life with round lights and were facelifted with rectangular units (Starlet, 323, my Laurel etc etc), there’s the Sunny B11:

 

4014959706_25f4bfcc34_o.jpg

1989/90 Nissan Sunny 1.3DX estate (B11) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Round lights on the pov-spec estate and panel van.

 

3967256782_44f7247cf5_o.jpg

1982 Datsun Sunny 1.3DX (B11) + me 1992 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Rectangular on the rest of the range (excuse the idiot spoiling this photo).

 

This was common with a number of Japanese models of the time, on the home market or for developing countries at least, with low-spec/commercial/taxi-spec models having infill panels and round lights.

Posted

Was there ever a square light AMC Pacer?

 

 

Nope.  Pacers stuck with round headlights throughout the entire production run.

 

 

 

 

Not as far as I am aware, AMC went to twin squares on later stuff but have only seen Pacers with roundies....

 

 

 

Correct.  When the Hornet was facelifted and transformed into the Concorde and the Gremlin morphed into the Spirit, those oh-so-modern and fashionable looking square headlights (still sealed-beam, mind you) sat proudly on their slightly re-sculpted noses.

Posted

The escort mk2 had round headlamps on all but the Ghia model however in 1979 they all got rectangular lamps which apparently didn't shine as brightly.

Wrong thread. This should be in Bullshit facts fred.

Posted

L upwards got square lamps in 79 but Pop, Pop Plus and Sport stuck with rounds.

Posted

Twin rounds on Renault 30 look so much better than the squares on the 20.

Posted

My first car was a '77 mk1 Golf, with the proper round headlights. A few with mk1's now seem to rock this US square style, but I'm not convinced.

4253176730_65f53ed293_o.jpg

Posted

Every time I see the thread title I am reminded of that priest in Father Ted. "No round envelopes for me... Ah no!....What's your favourite humming noise?"

Posted

I keep thinking this thread is about battery terminals.

  • Like 1
Posted

My first car was a '77 mk1 Golf, with the proper round headlights. A few with mk1's now seem to rock this US square style, but I'm not convinced.

4253176730_65f53ed293_o.jpg

In the late 80s many Golfs, GTIs in particular became transformed by wearing a Jetta Mk2 front, didn't look right.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...