Design Details: What's a Grille? Edition

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 06/16/2016 at 21:40 • Filed to: Design Details, Taurus, Tesla

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Design Details! A while back we asked which were the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ; today, let’s analyze cars without grilles. Whether electric or a ‘bottom-breather’ design, plenty of cars have had a lack of openings carved out of their front fascias, but which ones have been particularly pretty, ugly, or noteworthy?

In the American market the styling of the first Taurus was revolutionary for its lack of grille

Nowadays Tesla is getting all the attention although the S looks more like a grille omission rather than a styling decision

So what do you think Oppo?

What are the best/worst/most distinctive grille-less cars in the automotive world?

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:44

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Iron Mask forever.

crowmolly > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:45

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Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:48

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Alfalfa > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:49

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Grills are for radiators, radiators are for squares.

S65 > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:52

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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:58

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Time for cars.

Saturn SC2

Saturn SL2

Nissan 300ZX

Mazda MX-5

Oldsmobile Shillouette

Chevy Lumina Z34

Honda Civic

daender > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 21:59

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Beep.

fhrblig > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:04

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I had a B3 Passat almost identical to this. While I think the B4 refresh with a grille looks a little better, I still like the way the B3 looks.

Die-Trying > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:14

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Amoore100 > PanchoVilleneuve ST 06/16/2016 at 22:18

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R32 sedans had a similar motif, unlike the grilles on the R32 GT-Rs

Amoore100 > fhrblig 06/16/2016 at 22:21

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Oh, yeah! I had forgotten about the Passat! I can’t think of any contemporary VAG cars that used the same ‘bottom-breather’ approach, I wonder why Schäfer decided to use it on the B3...

Amoore100 > Die-Trying 06/16/2016 at 22:21

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Well, it certainly is one of the most iconic.

Amoore100 > daender 06/16/2016 at 22:22

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Yep. Less so on the GT-R, though.

Amoore100 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 06/16/2016 at 22:22

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Time for cars indeed. I had forgotten about most of these, the ‘90s was the heyday of grille-less cars as it turns out.

Amoore100 > S65 06/16/2016 at 22:23

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Wedges!

Amoore100 > Alfalfa 06/16/2016 at 22:24

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Then how do you classify this grille?

Amoore100 > crowmolly 06/16/2016 at 22:25

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Icons.

Amoore100 > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 06/16/2016 at 22:25

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YES!!! I love me some Eastern Bloc engineering :D

S65 > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:25

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not for canada - australian in disguise > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:27

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TVR Wedge 4 lyf

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:27

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I have an odd obsession with 1987-1996 stuff for some reason.

Amoore100 > S65 06/16/2016 at 22:29

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That’s right! TVR had plenty of grille-less designs over the years, even after they left the wedge era.

Amoore100 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 06/16/2016 at 22:30

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I think it’s because of the end of sealed-beam legislation and the rise of the wedge styling which influenced the new ‘chiseled’ front end designs. Add that to the influence of the Taurus in the US and the Sierra in Europe and that probably explains the appearance of these cars during this time.

Amoore100 > not for canada - australian in disguise 06/16/2016 at 22:30

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How about a TVR bubble instead?

XJDano > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:31

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Although I had an 88 V6 with a grille

Die-Trying > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:31

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i dunno why its such a pretty design. it just has those nice clean uncluttered lines(ditch the front signals), and gentle curves to it.

its a pain to get the curves right after they been dented.

nice thing is that they are still good and cheap.(rough examples)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:31

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Czech design at its best.

Amoore100 > XJDano 06/16/2016 at 22:34

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They kind of ruined it with the next gen IMO. That one was a high point for the T-Bird before it all went downhill.

Die-Trying > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:42

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930 and 939

gmctavish needs more space > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 22:48

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The split window Type 2 has to be up there for best/most iconic

Bay windows technically have grilles on the front, but design wise I feel it’s still more of a grille-less feel

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 23:01

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I would suggest the original FIAT 500 and it’s direct descendent, the FIAT 126. No front grill as both were rear-engined and air-cooled. Both were very successful ‘People’s Cars’ that helped mobilize millions between them - Italy’s population after the Second World War and the destruction it wrought, and giving people basic transportation in Communist Poland:

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 23:13

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Ford was having fun with no-grille cars

Amoore100 > Die-Trying 06/16/2016 at 23:18

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Well the same man who did that also did this:

Which is likely even harder to un-dent and undoubtedly very costly to purchase.

Die-Trying > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 23:32

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forever have loved the curves of the 356......

but as long as im on about cars that ill never be able to touch in my life..... i like the 55o too....

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Amoore100 06/16/2016 at 23:53

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The 1992 Ford Crown Victoria, in particular the P75. Take one P71, throw at it all the luxury options from a Town Car and all the goodies from the towing package, throw in awesome mesh wheels, two-tone paint, bespoke badging and trim, and features never again seen on a Crown Vic (9 speaker JBL system with sub, anyone?), and you have the ultimate rarity. Obscenely expensive, and only ever produced for one year, this is the White Jaguar to the everyday Panther. If one of these pops up on Craigslist near you, buy it without any questions, as you’ll never again see one of these in your life.

Amoore100 > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 06/17/2016 at 00:19

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Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the Cobra concept...its 2.5L I4 seems like an antithesis to what we generally think of when we hear ‘Ford Cobra’...

Amoore100 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/17/2016 at 00:20

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The new 500 almost does the same thing although the bottom grille is a bit too prominent for me to classify it as a ‘grille-less’ car...

Amoore100 > gmctavish needs more space 06/17/2016 at 00:37

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Seems like a theme among early minivans...

A small grille with a rear engine.

Amoore100 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/17/2016 at 00:38

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Wow! I had no idea this existed! Now I really need one...

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 00:53

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When new, it cost 30% more than a base Crown Victoria S, and came with every possible option. The easiest ways to identify one is by the two-tone cladding, and the bespoke “Touring Sedan” emblems.

gmctavish needs more space > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 00:53

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This is true

I can’t actually remember where the engine is in the Commer though

Alfalfa > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 01:19

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Um, a regular Volvo grill, just lower?

facw > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 06/17/2016 at 01:49

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.

Echo51 > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 02:05

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The top of the line(save for cosworth which only shared general body style) RS2000 Escort mk5 had a closed off grille. Why? Aerodynamics? It can’t be cooling because with a rather large 2.0L 16v that pretty much shoves it’s bulging 4-2-1 factory manifold tubes into the radiator there’s plenty of heat to go around. Do note the “power” bulges in the hood that are there to make it fit under aswell.

All normal models got a vented grille, ‘cept for a single i’ve seen which has the indentation of vents but is just blocked off.

Amoore100 > Alfalfa 06/17/2016 at 02:23

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I think the story actually went that the 480 wasn’t going to have a grille until the CEO of Volvo saw the design and made sure that a slatted rectangle appeared somewhere on the front.

RT > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 06/17/2016 at 06:23

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Me too, most of my favourites come from that time period.

RT > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 06:29

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Infinti had the guts to make their first ever car without a grille, and this was in 1989.

Sadly, they later added a fake grill because the poor sales.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 08:06

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Well, a front-engined, water-cooled car needs to get cooling air from somewhere! ;)

Amoore100 > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/17/2016 at 12:55

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Well that’s what the Taurus was but it hid its grille a bit better ;)

Amoore100 > RT 06/17/2016 at 12:57

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I remember that! Well, not exactly because I wasn’t born yet, but I remember seeing those roaming around. I don’t think its the lack of grille that turned off buyers but rather the fact that the badge looked like a huge, ugly belt buckle that joined the hood with the bumper.

Amoore100 > Echo51 06/17/2016 at 13:05

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That’s really interesting! I’ve been toying around with SLRR again lately and I have an Escort Cossie mod installed and was noticing this interesting design detail. Thanks for the explanation!

Interesting how only the RS2000s had the sealed grille, both the regular and the Cossie had openings.

Amoore100 > gmctavish needs more space 06/17/2016 at 13:05

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I think the Commer is a cabover. eh, close enough!

Amoore100 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/17/2016 at 13:08

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Fancy versions of normal cars are always so interesting. They’re like luxury sleepers, understated class if you will. It almost seems like Ford was taking a page from Volvo’s book since the 780 Bertone was just a realllllly plush 760 with fancy badging.

Echo51 > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 15:25

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The regular you found is a mk5 facelift, the mk5's pre-facelift still have a seperate grille, just with vent holes in it.

If you’re sneaky you’ll notice the RS/Xr3i models use the same headlamp/side marker housing as the cosworth, but different bumper and thus fogs/indicators. Another thing is the Cossies kept the square/mk5 rear lamps, while the mk5 facelift got a smoother more rounded version with fogs in the tailgate.

And that’s a few years and lots of braincells i’ve lost to remember minute detail about a car that’s rusting away into the forgotten memories of many people, oh well.

RT > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 18:32

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It was during the Japanese bubble economy, everybody went crazy for the sake of it. xD

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Amoore100 06/17/2016 at 23:01

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I’ve always been partial to the early B3 Passat. It became a little more generic when they added the grille on the facelifted models:

Amoore100 > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 06/17/2016 at 23:29

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Is the facelift even a real grille? Or is it just a faux grille?