It is known to all Petrolhead shared obsession with retractable headlights. In the 1980s and 1990s they were tremendously popular, but today, aerodynamics, cost and anti-run-over regulations have ended their existence in the motor world. Fortunately, there are still thousands and thousands of cars with retractable headlights at full capacity, and the video that we present to you today is a true homage in ASMR code to these peculiar lighthousess. Buckle up, because this video is loaded with nostalgia.
The list of cars that star in this video is very long, and in it we can find cars like the Corvette C4 and C5, several Porsche 924 and 944, a Ferrari Testarossa, several Honda Prelude, Mazda RX-7, Mazda MX-5 or even an Acura NSX, known as the Honda NSX on this side of the pond. They all have pop-up headlights, and the video includes some additional clips of each unit, some of them in simply superb condition. However, the different types of retractable headlights on all these vehicles are very striking.
They were outlawed, fundamentally, because of the pedestrian protection regulations. Its cost and complexity didn’t help either.
Some of them seek to go unnoticed when turned off, while others are integral part of car design. Surprisingly, the headlights on the C4 Corvettes have been my favorites: they rotate 180 degrees in a gimmicky fashion, as you’d expect on a car with such a striking design. Retractable headlamps are an inseparable part of automotive culture, and this video helps celebrate this passionate niche. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in Milanuncios looking for a first generation Mazda MX-5.