What was the first modern car to not have enormous panel gaps?

Kinja'd!!! "IloveToyotaCenturies" (toyotacenturyfanatic)
03/29/2015 at 12:53 • Filed to: None

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Up until recently, it was a universally accepted fact that any car built after 1974 (or at least the early 1980s) would have obnoxiously large panel gaps. What do you think was the first car to buck this trend?

The above car is a 2006 s350 I just bought. Notice it's inhumanely large panel gaps.


DISCUSSION (6)


Kinja'd!!! E30Joe drives a Subaru > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 12:55

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Any black car ;)


Kinja'd!!! nafsucof > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 12:58

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those are luxury gaps, like speed holes only different. So comfortable!

It is crazy big though. What was the car company with the ball bearings on the panels showing how close fit they where Lexus?


Kinja'd!!! TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 13:00

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Possibly the Lexus LS400. I heard from somewhere that the car was designed to have panel gaps no more than 10 mm wide.


Kinja'd!!! Crest > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 14:07

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The dodge viper would like to have a word with you


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 14:44

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Not sure who was the first to really nail panel fit, but I do know that Bob Lutz considered the 5th generation Hyundai Sonata to be the bench mark in that regard for the Malibu. He bought one and had GM's body engineers look it over and asked them why their panels couldn't fit that well.


Kinja'd!!! DipodomysDeserti > IloveToyotaCenturies
03/29/2015 at 23:49

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The question should be what was the last car to not have large panel gaps.