"I'm not speeding, I'm just flying low" The Automotive Aviation Easter Egg thread.

Blind_Io

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Sometimes it specific styling details or maybe just a general aesthetic; car design has echoed aviation since man first took to the air. Here'a a thread to explore some of the design elements linking driving and flying.

From the post that started it:

Detail of the 1960 Cadillac Eldorado tail light and fin:
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English Electric Lightning, introduced in 1959 (First flight 1954)
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While I don't think there's a connection to a specific aircraft, Fords from the 60's also had awesome jet-inspired tail lights.

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The styling may not be 50s jet aircraft/rocket inspired but I would say this qualifies...

 
It most assuredly does.

The whole "Let's make a plane for the road" thing has it's origins in streamlining and aerodynamics. the "Let's do it and fuck aerodynamics" thing came from GM and Harley Earl, who added his first fins to a production vehicle on the 1948 Cadillacs, as inspired by the P-38 Lightning.

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I've watched many a YouTube video where they mentioned how US car design was influenced by the space age era. Man (read: the US) went to the moon and suddenly everything was a turbo-jet-something-or-other, including cars. I totally understand it.

This was also the era where Detroit was lightyears ahead of everyone else except maybe Citroën.
 
I fucked up earlier in this space. To atone for it, here's Harley Earl's idea of a family car for the jet age. The Firebird II concept.

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Meanwhile, over at Italy Franco Scaglione was doing his own interpretation with the Alfa Romeo BAT cars. Of particular note is the BAT 9, which had a plane/ flying saucer look to it depending on angle

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Not sure how that's an automotive easter egg of the aviation industry.

The '55 Chevy Bellaire and Nomad hood ornament is reminiscent of an aircraft and the hood peak (and chrome trim for some years) evokes a contrail.

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Not sure how that's an automotive easter egg of the aviation industry.

An example of why I should only have one tab open, I have fixed accordingly
 
What took you so long to post the first Saab easter egg? :p

Series Land Rovers have the same thing, as in you actually have to turn on the panel lights separately to the headlights. I tried it once but for some reason driving without any feedback of anything was terrifying, it felt like I was just on a runaway train despite still being in control.
 
The Saab one is actually quite clever, if for example the fuel gets low, that gauge comes to life and show the level. The same for other gauges. When everything is normal it is only the speedo.
 
The gauge cluster does not only turn off the bulbs, it actually cuts power to the entire needle, which returns to zero position (temp, fuel, boost, rpm) - while the speed illuminates in two steps. The second half (above 140 kph) only comes on when necessary. All other needles come back to life when necessary (high temp, low fuel, high boost, revs close to redline).
The radio and AC controls are also dimmed and their displays are partially turned off and come on dimly when needed.
It's one of those things that made me have to own a Saab once. And it works well! Your eyes and your mind are less stressed (both from information input and from the light sources themselves) and you can put more focus on the road.

Sent from my MAR-LX1B using Tapatalk
 
It has only just occurred to me as I'm going through some photos I have saved that the lack of Spyker in this thread is an abhorrent travesty.
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I cannot unsee the Audi steering wheel!
 
Yeah, unfortunately the safety nuts decided they couldn't use their original and vastly superior steering wheel, which is also topical.

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