Why aren't there (m)any more "respectable" coupes/two-doors?

"Malanga" (malanga-) 05/29/2016 at 22:16 • Filed to: Coupes, Stuff, Tags, Cars, Oppo, idk

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So I was watching a certain 1964 film (bonus points to those who can guess it correctly from the pic above) and I realized all (well, most) of the character were driving 2-doors, when their modern equivalents would be driving 4-doors. This got me thinking... what caused the demise of the “respectable” coupe?

Now, there are some respectable coupes out (Cadillac ATS, for one) today, although they are few and far between, but the market has gone down like crazy since, say, the 70s. Sporty coupes are still here, but you never see family men/married men driving coupes that aren’t designed with speed in mind, where you might have back then (maybe. Never lived back then so this could be a completely pointless post if it’s just a movies thing). I think it just comes down to the evolution in styling and a bit of an altered mindset on the importance of practicality. For example, an E24 6-series:

And the modern equivalent:

The change has been leaning way more in favor of aggression and sharpness... another example:

The car just looks so angry, and it might just be that “angry” isn’t in tune with respectableness. You couldn’t imagine (I can’t at least) a detective or businessman driving one of these around. They’d just drive a 5-series or something, not a coupe...

way2blu does a rev update > Malanga 05/29/2016 at 22:55

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What about this one?

“Class” is its middle name.

Malanga > way2blu does a rev update 05/29/2016 at 22:59

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I should really change the title to read “less”!

gawdzillla > Malanga 05/29/2016 at 23:01

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F type

Malanga > gawdzillla 05/29/2016 at 23:04

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Oh. Shit. You just nailed the jackpot... didn't even think of the F-Type haha.

lone_liberal > Malanga 05/29/2016 at 23:09

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When the BMW 3-Series sedan became the default car of the yuppie I think people started to default to four doors instead of two doors as previously. Larger two door cars were seen as old fashioned. Also, child seats.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Malanga 05/29/2016 at 23:10

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DID SOMEBODY SAY CLASSY COUPE?!?!

Frank Grimes > Malanga 05/29/2016 at 23:10

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goldfinger and I wish they would start designing a great looking coupe rather than starting with the 4 door also I am just depressed about the lumpy crappy looking cars of today they all look like camrys.

Malanga > lone_liberal 05/29/2016 at 23:11

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That makes sense. Wish they'd make a comeback though...

Malanga > Frank Grimes 05/29/2016 at 23:12

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Completely agree, cars today are starting to get more and more alike. Damn pedestrian safety regulations! Nice job on the movie too.

Malanga > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 05/29/2016 at 23:14

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Someone did... Love me some Jag. Someone pointed out that the F-Type fits that classy coupe bit really well. Maybe just a Jag thing lol

punkgoose17 > Malanga 05/30/2016 at 07:21

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I love the cars used in Goldfinger: the Thunderbird, Falcons, and the Falcon Ranchers. I cannot think of any nonexpensive coupes. Infiniti still makes the q60 coupe.

wafflesnfalafel > punkgoose17 06/01/2016 at 19:23

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yeah - I was thinking the infinity is kind of one of the few remaining power coupes in that field. Big SUV’s and pickups have just slaughtered the sexy coupe market... “Why would I want a t-bird if I can have a platinum edition F-150?”

RT > Malanga 06/03/2016 at 21:01

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Tbh you can blame people getting too greedy and making the banks go bust.

So, that caused the demand for mainstream coupes to go down, leaving only the coupes with the most stable market share to keep up (mainly the German offerings).

Then Chris Bangle’s styling direction, sharp lines and LED lights played a huge role in the design of the most popular coupés.

People benchmark the popular stuff, so you are left with the modern bunch of sharp and aggressive looking coupés, which are less common due to the decreased amount of mainstream models.