Whatever happened to pop up headlights?
 

Seems the pedestrian protection Nazis have banned thn along with hood ornaments.
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That pantera just gave me a stiffy!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I think they went the way of this device (fast forward to 43 seconds in)


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I was never a big fan. No great loss.

Once the DOT started to allow aero headlights the car companies didn't need them.

Nakamichi cured the azimuth error with that little trick!

Whatever happened to pop up headlights?

The 80s ended.

Ian

Aerodynamics happened to them

The 2000s Corvettes didn't get the memo. :D

Canada and the DRL??

What about the scooters that had pop up headlights every time they were started. Closed when parked, what was the point? Marketing?

Didn't see any early/mid 80s Honda Preludes or Accords.

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No. On cars with pop-up headlights, the DRL was a fog light.

Pop up headlights originate because of US rules one minimum headlight height, lots of foreign cars with lower front ends, addressed the issue with pop up headlights.

Example - Ferrari Daytona, smooth front Euro, pop ups USA.

The USA raised the front bumper height, and this did away with many new cars with pop up headlights, the USA raised it even further, and this completely did them in.

I was reading a C&D or R&T review of a car with pop-up headlights years ago... I believe it was a smaller car like a 914 or the first MR2.

As I remember it, the reviewer said that he popped 'em up at 70 MPH and it was like hitting some kind of airbrake... like on a Dauntless SBD-5 dive bomber or something.

For those who need a picture:

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Haha! My neighbors kids were in the garage the other night and realized the 944 had pop up headlights so I turned them on. They were totally in awe of them lol. We realized it was probably the first time they'd ever seen them in use on a car.

I owned one of these in the mid 80s. Not a bad car but the headlights were not reliable.
They worked OK most of the time but on occasion they would jam halfway or only one would pop up.

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All wrong...my understanding is it relates pedestrian safety. Pop-ups cause too much damage to legs and other body parts.

Pop up headlights may not return because of pedestrian collision safety standards, but they were at best a styling affectation and at worst an attempt to meet headlight height requirements.
The "Bug eye (or Frog eye, depending upon which side of the Atlantic you hail ) Sprite was intended to have pop ups, but it was deemed too costly.
I was glad to see them disappear. I have considered surgery to the front of my '90 Miata almost every time I have to drive after dark. An Italia kit would improve the front end immensely.
I have even considered the headlights from the first generation Sunfire. Now THAT's desperation!

Best
Les