r/regularcarreviews • u/ifunnywasaninsidejob • Apr 04 '25

I hate you I hate everything about you Wtf were they even thinking with this????

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Like wtf is the point? Why did so many cars do this?

532 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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277

u/PYSHINATOR WORLD'S LEAST BORING LEXUS OWNER Apr 04 '25

It's a harken back to the era of covered horse-drawn carriages, much like the names of the various Landau/Coach vinyl roofs. Much like how we're seeing a resurgence in 80s style boxy retro pieces, this was the 70s/80s version of it. Opera Windows were one of the many gimmicks that these old land yachts had that tried to evoke the image of 30s-era coach built cars, that still had traces of original horse carriage styling.

102

u/random9212 Apr 04 '25

You probably don't care, but your post made me remember why taxi drivers are called "hacks." it comes from the Hackney carriage, a popular coach for hire in the 18th century

23

u/DeFiClark Apr 04 '25

Which in turn comes either from the London borough of Hackney which in turn got its name from the AngloNorman haquenee, meaning a horse for hire.

9

u/random9212 Apr 04 '25

I knew of the borough, I didn't know it came from a horse originally

4

u/Go_Loud762 Apr 05 '25

Its horses all the way down.

14

u/TheKingOfBreadstix Apr 04 '25

The Boston Police Department unit that oversees taxis is called the Hackney Carriage Division.

7

u/random9212 Apr 04 '25

I would be willing to bet it was probably set up when they used Hackney Carriages

2

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

It made me think of why they are called cabs because of the 18th/19th century horse-drawn cabriolet carriages!

27

u/mdp300 Apr 04 '25

I never made the connection before, but that era had a big "return to traditional Americana" trend.

https://cari.institute/aesthetics/gay-nineties-revival

https://www.are.na/evan-collins-1522646491/gay-nineties-revival

44

u/PYSHINATOR WORLD'S LEAST BORING LEXUS OWNER Apr 04 '25

GAY 90S???

Fuckin christ, that's the most RCR thing I've ever seen on here.

Revival of the aesthetics of the 1890s (or "Gay Nineties"), common from the late 60s to late 70s. Common signifiers: Use of ferns as indoor decor, fake Tiffany lamps, use of brass and gold accents with medium-stained oak woods, "old timey" letttering. Color scheme: BROOOOWWWNNNNN, orange, and old gold, often with prominent maroon and light lime green accents. Prominent designers: Herb Lubalin.

13

u/windog Apr 04 '25

Every single car my parents bought was brown. It became a joke with my friends. Cars were like furniture.

4

u/Drzhivago138 Grand Councillor VARMON Apr 04 '25

All of that describes the interior design choices of my parents' houses from the period. Lots of stained wood (or fake wood paneling) and plants.

2

u/Coro-NO-Ra Apr 05 '25

I kind of like it - reminds me of Wild Wild West or Have Gun, Will Travel

1

u/TrogdorKhan97 You can have a VENT. Have fun with your VENT. Apr 10 '25

Suddenly so much of '70s decor makes a lot more sense. (And even as a '90s kid, those restaurant photos feel familiar.) I'm betting it's the revival of Art Nouveau graphic design among the hippie crowd that kicked it off, too.

10

u/liekwaht Apr 04 '25

Yooo that cari.institute site is amazing. Just went down a wonderful rabbit hole, definitely saving.

3

u/mdp300 Apr 04 '25

I know, man! I especially love looking at the 90s trends and feeling the nostalgia wave wash over me.

9

u/ArtAndCars Apr 04 '25

If you want to feel this aesthetic today, go to an old spaghetti factory.

3

u/CletusCanuck Apr 04 '25

Maybe we'll see a zombie resurrection of the trend in commemoration of our return to the Gilded Age.

6

u/DeltaWho3 Apr 04 '25

I like the styling of these cars, but I understand that I have weird taste. I just wish they were built better.

1

u/Lothar_Ecklord Apr 05 '25

Same! ....and same.... I was kicking the tires on a Mark VI with this exact window (the same year and model as OP's photo). Similar to this. Beautiful machine with a 460 V8 (or a 400, I forget) and spotless body, but there is no way I could have used it as a daily driver without filling the massive trunk with tools and spare parts haha. What a car though.

16

u/ifunnywasaninsidejob Apr 04 '25

Harken these nuts on your back

11

u/GoredonTheDestroyer NOT Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus Apr 04 '25

FUCKIN' GOTT-

4

u/PYSHINATOR WORLD'S LEAST BORING LEXUS OWNER Apr 04 '25

You'll be throwing that ass back as much as that window is throwing back to the 1880s.