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Comment by _niv6 | Hacker News Reader

Re: #1, I would love a modern car that looks like a 1937 Packard 120C: https://i.imgur.com/i6HxWbm.jpg

This is just wishful thinking, but electric cars might be the way forward in making that happen. Customizable top shell, standardized bottom skate. Design and order your own.

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Body-work is heavy regulated. E.g. location and size of bumpers, certain lights not allowed on movable body-work, etc. A lot of the "top shell" also has structural elements under other regulations.

Lots of older-gen designs would not be certifyably street legal if released today.

That's true. Morgan does make some new vehicles with a classic look though.

https://i.imgur.com/5sc1Baz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FVlIX2V.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eEalrSe.jpg

i believe Morgan falls under the exemptions for small-volume carmakers. Toyota couldn't get away with that design on the next-gen Camry for example, but as long as you're only making a few cars you can do some more adventurous things with the design.

I don't think you can buy a complete Morgan in the US except for the 3 wheeler, which sneaks in as a motorcycle.

Another important thing to note is pedestrian crash safety- cars these days are sort of bulbous because you can't have hard edges and pass pedestrian crash safety tests

Could you make them out of thin plastic? I'm thinking, like, disposable coke bottle.

...or add exterior air bags, perhaps?

edit: upon googling the subject, apparently some companies are already working on it. I'm not surprised.

Look the the Plymouth Prowler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Prowler. It can be done but probably not profitably.

The Prowler is a 23+ year old design. It's not an indicator of what can be built and sold in volume today.

I do miss cars designed by coach builders. Bertone and Pininfarina have some beautiful designs. But, I think it comes down to a few questions: How much are you willing to pay? Will these custom coaches pass your local regulations?

The PT Cruiser was definitely a nod to that style of car:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_PT_Cruiser

The Chevrolet Prowler went a little in that direction. But I guess there is no real demand for such a thing.

Were Plymouth Prowlers customizable to the level that the other post was talking about? I thought they were just weird looking, but not with really any body customization options.

Also, those don't hit the 1940's-50's future chic look. They are solidly a 1990's product. They're like the Chumbawumba (sp?) of cars.

Is that picture from the Lemay Museum in Washington?

Yep.

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