Over 100 years, it's reasonable to expect a little change to happen along the way. When it comes to car body design, change is aplenty. But, the unique thing about cars and the automotive industry's methods for construction, the industry always seems to stay in sync. Cars will often take design and manufacturing cues from each other and that creates quite a chronicle. In the spirit of design evolution, Toyota of Clermont is here with a timeline of every major decade in which the design of cars changed dramatically.
As the Seasons Change, So Does Car Body Design
1910
Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile (don't get that twisted), he did invent the assembly line which brought Clermont car to the mainstream. The earliest iterations of mainstream car body design were tall, doorless, glassless, and more or less resembled horse drawn carriages. They even had fold over fabric tops (very convertible).
1920
Becoming more opulent and iconic, car body design evolved rapidly. Instead of the horse-drawn carriage look from 10 years earlier, Clermont cars instead were lowered, given greater length in the front to accompany larger engines, and elegance was at the forefront. Vehicles truly had personality and were an indictment of the excess of the roaring 20s. Think Great Gatsby and you're in the ballpark.
1930
Engineering and Clermont vehicle construction took a huge leap forward in the 30s because of a single hull chassis. This made production faster and allowed manufacturers to easily attach exterior accessories like headlamps and running boards. Two tone exterior colors also fell out of style during this period (crazy that they're wildly popular in 2021). While two tone paint jobs fell out of grace, drivers sought an expanded palette of paint colors during this time to elevate the status of their vehicles.
1940
The era in which WWII took place upset the automotive industry as many manufacturers made products fit for the war-effort. Consumer vehicles saw an innovative construction method called "Ponton styling." The idea was for car body design to be in one fluid shape that blends all exterior elements into an uninterrupted form.
1950
Clermont car body design took an interesting turn after WWII. European manufacturers took a more minimalistic route and downsized their models. This did provide them with longevity as some of those models are still in production today. North America took a different approach. This is an era in which many collectors seek their pieces for the fact that every style of vehicle was different and bodacious. Plus the color palette used during the 50s is super nostalgic.
1960
The era of the muscle car. And the era of imports. North America's manufacturers went big on hood sizes, engines, and low on cabin profiles to create a distinct and powerful look. This was also the time when Japanese manufacturers (like Toyota and Nissan) began to enter the space in stronger force. Plus, metallic paints were used largely during this time.
1970
With an oil embargo going on, it was time to conserve fuel. Naturally, manufacturers abandoned the gas guzzling muscle car formula for the compact sedan and hatchback.
1980
Interiors became sleek during the 80s, but many claim this era of Clermont car body design as the one where the color palette shrank. Consumers became more concerned with fuel efficiency and safety (as they should) and manufacturers abandoned style efforts for more practical ones.
1990
If the 80s can best be described as the era of boxy cars, then the 90s went the complete other way. Instead of boxy shapes, cars from the 90s rocked the curves and rounded edges (if you can even call them that). Most of these vehicles didn't age well for the modern day, but you can't deny that the engineering on a 90s Clermont Toyota is top notch.
2000
After the turn of the millenium cars took on all forms of shapes and sizes. The sedan, while once a mainstay, has taken a back seat to the crossover and SUV categories and all are stylistically different. Safety features and fuel efficiency still take precedent for many drivers and many manufacturers have managed to blend great car body design with practicality. Most vehicles are easily built with parts that can be easily attached via assembly line and a standard array of design cues and engine choices. There's no one real way to classify vehicles from this time period.
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