October 13, 1995. Copyright, 1995, Graphic News. All rights reserved

EUROPEAN CARS - THE UNBEARABLE LIKENESS OF BEING
By Nicholas Booth

LONDON, October 13, Graphic News Ñ The next time you are in a supermarket car park, take a good look at the design of cars around you. YouÕll be forgiven for thinking that they all appear the same, because they do. Strict safety restrictions, rising costs and the inability of manufacturers to take risks have contributed to what might be described as the identikit Eurocar. And, warn critics of the industry, it is this singularly uninspiring design which has stopped people from wanting to buy cars. 

Sales within the European car industry have stagnated following a slump in 1993. This year only 12 million cars are expected to be sold in western Europe, compared to the 13.5 million in 1991. What is needed, many outside the industry argue, are radical and imaginative designs which will attract consumers.  The elegant styles of the past Ð characterised by one designer as 'the Italian imagination, French flair and British beauty' Ð might make all the difference. Car magazine recently had four European cars on its cover with their logos removed: as they were so similar, readers were invited to try to identify each!

But financial concerns are at the root of these similar designs. Manufacturers are reluctant to take risks because retooling car plants can cost as much as $1 billion. Identikit cars, with easily replaceable panels and components, keep costs down to the consumer, they argue. Strict European-wide safety standards also add to the sameness of appearance. For example, Ôcrumple zonesÕ at the front and rear restrict the overall shape, as do the need for prominent bumpers on the outside.

Interior styling is increasingly limited by rigid steel cells which form the carÕs structure as does the need for air bags carried in bulbous steering wheels. Similarities probably also stem from the fact manufacturers use the same sort of systems for Computer-Aided Design, and many senior designers move between companies.

The laws of aerodynamics are immutable and todayÕs familiar ÔwedgeÕ-shapes limit the friction encountered by the cars on the road.  Enhancing performance became important after the hike in petroleum prices in the 1970s. Yet when Ford introduced its Sierra in 1982, initial sales were slow because the public did not take to its elegant designs. Recently, Ford has added ÔdistinctiveÕ front and rear lights, as well as a new radiator grille, to its Scorpio. Such ÔtweaksÕ to the main design are all that can be expected to distinguish todayÕs cars. At next weekÕs London Motor Show, Vauxhall will introduce its new Vectra, a replacement for the Cavalier. Though slightly larger, it retains the same design, proof, if needed that, for the moment, many manufacturers are unwilling to take risks.

Sources: Financial Times, The London Motor Show.