Who Had the First 90s Car? 

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo) 10/11/2017 at 21:14 • Filed to: None

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I had a thought today “I wonder what car was the first to completely break out of the 80s boxiness into the 90s soft, round, bubbly design? I’m not talking about exotics or low production cars but mass produced cars.i think it’s easy to say that Japan Spear headed the 90s assault on hard edges. I had alway thought of the 5th gen Civic as being a front runner, I mean it looked like a space ship compared to its boxy competitors. Even Honda and Acura other models like the Integra. Prelude and Accord stayed nice an boxy till 1994.

But 2 years earlier in 1990 round bodied cars hit the market. And hey came from Nissan like the 1990 300zx, and the 1990 Nissan NX2000.These still had hints of 80s design but have a predominant roundness. The curve of the Z32's roofline sets it aperture from its wedge shaped predecessor. And the NX is a pure bubble compare to the box that came before it. Losing its straight edge angles and pop up headlights in favor of cuvres aplenty and fixed headlights.

So 80s

And of coarse there was the bar of soap that is the NA Miata. And I mean that in a good way. In a sea of boxy cars her cam a car with not a single flat surface on it. This might be the answer.

So is there a car that earlier than 90 that shed all of it’s straight lines? And and risked full 90s fashion?

I guess you could say Porsche was ahead of the game because it never gave into the 80s trends. If you’re never trendy you’ll always be fashionable.

interstate366, now In The Industry > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:20

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dogisbadob > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:20

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the first-gen Taurass? 86

PanchoVilleneuve ST > interstate366, now In The Industry 10/11/2017 at 21:20

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ONE DAY I WILL HAVE ONE

not for canada - australian in disguise > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:21

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Me.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > interstate366, now In The Industry 10/11/2017 at 21:21

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Still pretty flat and boxy. On the same middle found as my car. It’s boxy with soft edges

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:22

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Um, hello? (Well, for USDM cars at least)

In Europe Ford started getting curvy with the 1982 Sierra

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:28

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Concept was 1988:

Still the most 90's car.

Ash78, voting early and often > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 21:28

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Coming here for Taurus. Totally.

Textured Soy Protein > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 21:29

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Yes, exactly, the 1986 Taurus.

Agrajag > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:30

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I always kind of thought the Ford Taurus sparked a new design trend.

E90M3 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:34

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90s AF.

Steve in Manhattan > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:35

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First gen Taurus/Sable led the way, as far as I can recollect.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:35

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Such a nice change from the rather square and upright E28. Still a good looking design almost 30 (!) years later.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Textured Soy Protein 10/11/2017 at 21:36

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And if you’re talking about full-on 90's bubbliness The first was probably the ‘93 LH platform cars and ‘91 XV10 Camry

Nauraushaun > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:39

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I think they softened up the FC quite a lot, ‘85.

Especially in comparison to the S1 300ZX that debuted the year prior.

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 21:39

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But it’s got that depressing 80s look. What a horrid car

Nauraushaun > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 10/11/2017 at 21:40

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Still pretty square and upright, I’d call this a very 80s car. Same face as the E30 from ‘82 right?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nauraushaun 10/11/2017 at 21:42

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Is this better?:

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 10/11/2017 at 21:43

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But that’s a 95. 91 was boxy as heck

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Agrajag 10/11/2017 at 21:44

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The Taurus was a step on the curvy direction for sure, but it’s not full on round. There’s still a lot of straight lines there

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 10/11/2017 at 21:46

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Nah that’s still more 80s. Even the E36 was still a boxy car. I think generally European brands held on to the sqare look because it’s more looks refined, more restrained.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 21:48

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Those are still very 80s cars tho. the Taurus didn’t go full 90s till 96.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Nauraushaun 10/11/2017 at 21:51

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Yeah, sorta, I guess... A little more rounded and aerodynamically efficient though.

I always thought the curves around the C-pillar were pretty sexy, although they lead to that rather plump rear, a feature that resulted in my dad referring to this car as ‘Bertha’.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 21:54

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It’s a hell of a lot curvier and sexier than this:

Gotta love the big greenhouse though. That’s a feature I really miss these days. I always felt like I was riding on top of something whilst driving the E28, but felt kind of coddled inside of the E34.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 10/11/2017 at 21:57

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A big greenhouse and small pillars is one reason I love my 80s car... that was biult in 91.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:05

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There. 1991 Camry. Are you happy now?

Busslayer > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:14

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The GM10s were pretty 90ish when the debuted in 1988.

Nauraushaun > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 10/11/2017 at 22:15

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Yeah it’s somewhere in between the E30 and the later cars. Far cry from the E39 though.

It’s a very nice C-pillar

Shoop > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:15

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I thought it was the taurus

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:16

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the MR2 and the Miata were both 1989, so they’re pretty good contenders.

but I feel as far as sedans go they were still mostly riffing on Mercedes

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 22:16

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Very much so. But I’ll never understand these American sedans. Nothing quite like those in Australia.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:18

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I don’t know what it started with, but it ended with this

So round that straight lines came back

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nauraushaun 10/11/2017 at 22:22

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Right. Because what you have is so much better:

ranwhenparked > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:23

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From a modern perspective, it can be difficult to put yourself into the mindset of a mid ‘80s consumer. At the time, the Taurus was considered totally revolutionary, to the extent that it made virtually every other mainstream sedan on the market look instantly old fashioned.

It was such a dramatic leap forward that it still looked contemporary enough after five years that Ford didn’t see the need to make a major stylistic change for the second generation in ‘92 and basically just carried the styling over.

The first generation Taurus set the trends for the whole industry, the ovoid third generation simply made a caricature of what others had started.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard 10/11/2017 at 22:28

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How could I forget the SW20

Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:29

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1st gen DSM? S13? The 88+ GM pickups?

The better question could be, what car carried the 80s the furthest in the 90s?

I would vote the GM full size vans, they made tgise until 96 with minor updates from the 70s. The Cherokee would also be a good answer, but those types of vehicles are an easy answer. I dont have any better answers right now though.

404 - User No Longer Available > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 22:41

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I guess you could say Porsche was ahead of the game because it never gave into the 80s trends. If you’re never trendy you’ll always be fashionable.

I think you forgot about the 914 and the subsequent 924. Relative to other Porsches they look like they were drawn with a ruler only.

Although you could argue it’s a VW more than a Porsche.

Butsen Katsun > ranwhenparked 10/11/2017 at 22:45

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I was gonna say this, though not so eloquently haha. The 1g Taurus was very futuristic for its time, in looks especially. Hell, the SHO could do 143 mph. That’s pretty good by modern standards

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition 10/11/2017 at 22:52

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I’d say the E34 was the most 80s car the longest into the 90s. It’s not a full on 80s car, but the overall shape, and headlights done exactly scream 1996.

Than again the Volvo 960 looked more pretty 80s till 97.

Nauraushaun > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 10/11/2017 at 22:56

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THERE’S A REASON THE FALCON DIED A YEAR AGO and the AU is a big part of it

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > 404 - User No Longer Available 10/11/2017 at 23:02

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The 924 is a very round car actually, aside from the tailights. The 944 did square things up a bit though with a it’s box flares.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 23:10

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Not the first but the most!

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/11/2017 at 23:45

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here’s probably a more 90's picture.

That wheel fitment

duurtlang > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 02:38

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Maybe not the very first, but it is extremely bubble 90s: 1992 Mazda 626.

pip bip - choose Corrour > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 04:19

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EA Ford Falcon (Australia) March 1988

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > pip bip - choose Corrour 10/12/2017 at 09:07

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That’s still about as boxy as my Galant, which also debuted in 88. I consider it an in betweener. Not at all full jellybean, but now all boxes, and hard edges either.

pip bip - choose Corrour > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 09:10

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1988 VN Holden Commodore then?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > duurtlang 10/12/2017 at 09:10

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Mmm I wish Mazda had sold the liftback in the US.

RT > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 13:42

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Ford, 1982. It’s the Sierra, Europe’s Taurus - before the Taurus even existed

Also if you look at concept cars from the latter half the 80s, you’ll notice a lot of them are more round than most 90s concepts. All of the cars in the picture below are from 1985-1988.

So there you have it. Since the end of WWII, car design can’t really be split into decades. Cars from 1945-1954 are a lot more similar than cars from 1940-1949 after all. So that means it’s about 1985-1994 when this design trend was born.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 07/23/2020 at 01:44

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That gen of Camry certainly looked more modern than most of its competitors. Even in 2008 when I bought my 1992 Camry I didn’t think of it as an old car, where as my friends 94 Pontiac Grand Prix seemed ancient  

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 07/23/2020 at 01:45

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Dang