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Function defines form?

I took a little time out last night (because I'm feeling pretty crook right now) to watch some TV (actually a streamed video over the Net).

It was a UK drama from the 1980s and one thing which became immediately apparent to me was the way vehicle design has changed over the past 30 years or so.

Despite the relatively inferior SD quality of the video, I found myself having no problems in recognising the exact make and model of vehicles in the blink of an eye.

An original VW Golf is as distinctive as an XJ6 Jag. An HA Viva van also stood out like a sore thumb and could never be confused with a Bedford panel van from around the same era.

My, how things have changed!

These days I defy anyone to tell, from more than very close range, the latest Toyota from the latest Honda, Hyundai, Kia Mazda, Ford or whatever.

The quirky distinctiveness that made vehicles so easy to identify 30-40 years ago is gone and these days, most brands and models of vehicles are pretty much indistinguishable from each other until you get close enough to read the badge on the boot or tailgate.

Even SUVs all look very much the same.

What's behind this harmonisation of design?

Well I suspect it's the humble computer.

With all car manufacturers setting out to achieve the same goals (low coefficient of drag, minimum weight, lowest cost of manufacture) it's only to be expected that one company's computers will spit out something that looks identical to the output of their competitors' computers.

The "stylists" are pretty much then stuck with re-arranging the chrome trim and headlight shapes to try and create (at best) some minor points of difference.

Although it's great for the planet and manufacturing efficiencies -- the resultant bland and consistent fleets of vehicles we now see on our roads reminds me of this song (YouTube video).

Even the much ground-breaking Tesla Model S is "just another box on wheels" with very little to externally differentiate it from its polluting peers.

To me, the art and creativity that went into cars from last century was a never-ending source of pleasure. The sublime elegance of the E-type jag is something that will forever be timeless and a testament to the freedoms that car-makers had in those days.

Perhaps the only area where car designers still have the ability to create shock and awe with their designs is in the area of supercars. The Bugatti Veyron is a perfect example of this. Love it or hate it, the Veyron is incredibly distinctive in a way that no modern Toyota or Honda could ever hope to be.

However, even in the supercar world, "blandisation" (Shakespeare, you're not the only one who can invent new words mate!) is becoming rife. Who would have thought that Porsche could have made the 911 into "just another car" -- but they are getting damned close to it with the body styling of the latest models. Gone are the incredibly polarising looks of the early models -- replaced with a more generic design that is far less likely to invoke emotions of extreme lust or revulsion.

Will the ever-faster rise of technology and designs based on solid science and logic, devoid of passion and emotion mean that increasingly, our world will become filled with things that increasingly all look and perform the same?

Might museums become the only place were we can still see the real creativity of mankind where technology blends with art to create truly magnificent and awe-inspiring bits of kit?

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