My recent trip to the auto
show got me thinking about automotive trends, most specifically in the hot rod
arena. I notice that everything has black or dark gray wheels this year. Not
exactly a new fad but has it reached crescendo? I think so. A lot of vehicles
look cool with the dark wheels. They are menacing on a new Durango and I’ve
seen a lot of street machines use the look successfully. At least everyone quit
spraying their wheels with neon paint for a while.
But, as with any trend, when
I start seeing rusted Cherokees with the wheels spray bombed flat black in the
Wall-Mart parking lot, I figure it’s near the end .Of course I said the same
thing about big diameter wheel years ago
so what do I know. Donks? I did not see that coming.
That makes me think back to my own youth and the automotive
trends of that time. The eighties will be remembered for pro-street and
pastels; mini-trucks and Cal-Bugs: monster street trucks and V8 Vegas. Does
anyone remember wink mirrors? Heart beat graphics? Cal Custom interior handles?
Tru-Spokes on muscle cars? I was guilty of most of these over the years. Some
with good results, some decidedly not. How about those dual blade wipers? Tres’
cool.
It’s funny how things come back around. I knew Gassers would
be cool again someday (they were just too bad assed not to) but who would have
thought vintage Japanese tin would be as hot as it is? Or Vans? The more
outlandish the trend the better the chance it will come back. Could directional
wheels or Turbo mirrors be far behind? How about hood pins and tube grills?
As I’ve grown older my cars have become more timeless. It
would be hard to look at the Mustang and say exactly when it was built. I tried
to avoid trends, to stick to basic hot rodding and good taste. No more building vehicles that are forever
locked in a “trend-frame”, just classic understated good looks.
Now back to the garage, I need to work on the chassis for
the dune buggy.
What trends do you remember fondly from your youth? Which
ones not so much? Comment below.
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