Comments on: More Marvels In 1937 Cars (Jan, 1937) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/18/more-marvels-in-1937-cars/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:12:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: nlpnt http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/18/more-marvels-in-1937-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-617096 nlpnt Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:19:11 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/18/more-marvels-in-1937-cars/#comment-617096 That Peugeot wasn't a production model (I wonder how they planned to seal those frameless windows). The teardrop headlights had spread from Ford to Chrysler products by 1939, and then.... Nothing. Sealed beams (the whole hadlight being basically one big bulb) came in for 1940 and were quickly mandated on post-1940 cars by many states, leading to total uniformity of headlights on American cars until the mid-80s (quad round ones appeared starting in 1957 and universally on '58s, quad squares in the mid '70s and single square sealed beams were the last variations to appear, for the 1978 model year. Composite headlights (permanent lens, permanent reflector, replaceable bulb) were officially allowed by Federal law beginning with 1984 models, although it took a few years to completely replace sealed beams, which are still used on base-model commercial trucks due to low field-replacement costs. That Peugeot wasn’t a production model (I wonder how they planned to seal those frameless windows).

The teardrop headlights had spread from Ford to Chrysler products by 1939, and then….

Nothing. Sealed beams (the whole hadlight being basically one big bulb) came in for 1940 and were quickly mandated on post-1940 cars by many states, leading to total uniformity of headlights on American cars until the mid-80s (quad round ones appeared starting in 1957 and universally on ’58s, quad squares in the mid ’70s and single square sealed beams were the last variations to appear, for the 1978 model year.

Composite headlights (permanent lens, permanent reflector, replaceable bulb) were officially allowed by Federal law beginning with 1984 models, although it took a few years to completely replace sealed beams, which are still used on base-model commercial trucks due to low field-replacement costs.

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