What Cars Have Hidden Headlights?
- The hidden headlight feature began with the 1936 Cord 810.Vintage roadster close-up against a blue sky image by Roman Sigaev from Fotolia.com
Hidden headlights have been featured on over 160 cars since the late 1930's. According to Automotive Mileposts, the popularity of this accessory peaked and began to decline with the 1965 Buick Riviera when the assembly pieces needed to flip, rotate or slide the covers to expose the headlamps began to malfunction. - The 1936 Cord 810 was the first car to have hidden headlights. Drivers used a crank system on the side of the car's dashboard to move the otherwise hidden headlights into position. The 1938 Buick Y-Job also utilized this method, but eventually abandoned it for fixed lighting that didn't require any extra manual labor.
- The first powered hidden headlights were used in General Motor's 1938 Buick Y-Job design, noted by Car Of The Century as "the world's first concept car." Chrysler adapted this into its 1942 DeSoto model, praised by The New Yorker's "Motors and Motoring" as a "solid well-knit look."
- Hidden headlamps peaked again during the late 1960s, beginning with the 1965 Buick Riviera. It only took a year, though, for the Department of Transportation to find issue with the failure of the headlight cover or assembly to properly move and expose the headlights as needed.
Commercial cars that utilized hidden headlights throughout the next three decades included the Chevrolet Corvette (1963-2004), Buick Riviera (the 1965-1969), Dodge Charger (1966-1972), Oldsmobile Toronado (1966-1969), Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado (1967-1968), Chevrolet Camaro (1967-1969), Ford Thunderbird (1967-1969), Mercury Cougar (1967-1970), Pontiac Grand Prix (1967-1968), Chevrolet Caprice (1968-1969), Chrysler 300 (1968-1971), Ford Galaxie 500 XL (1968-1970), Ford LTD and Country Squire (1968-1970), Pontiac GTO (1968-1969), Chrysler Imperial (1969-1975), Continental Mark III (1969-1971), Mercury Marquis and Colony Park (1969-1978), Ford Ranchero (1970), Ford Torino (1970), Lincoln Continental (1970-1979), Mercury Montego MX Brougham, Spoiler (1970), Plymouth Fury (1970-1971), Plymouth Superbird (1970), Continental Mark IV (1972-1976), Dodge Monaco (1972-1973), Plymouth Fury III (1972), Bricklin SV-1 (1974-1976), Ford LTD Landau and Country Squire (1975-1978), Chrysler New Yorker (1976-1981), Dodge Royal Monaco (1976-1978), Continental Mark V (1977-1979), Ford Thunderbird (1977-1983), Chrysler Imperial (1981-1983), Continental Mark VI (1980-1984), Oldsmobile Toronado (1986-1992), Chrysler LeBaron (1987-1992), Buick Reatta (1988-1991), Chrysler New Yorker (1988-1993), Chrysler Fifth Avenue (1990-1993), and the Chrysler Imperial (1990-1993). - In 2004 manufacturers used hidden headlights on the C5 Corvette and Lotus Esprit. Each had flip up headlights that were not utilized in follow-up models.
