The most boring design strategy since when? This week's Auto Express
shows the new Fiesta. Its rear looks identical to the rear of the
Focus, C-Max and Mondeo estate. It wears the same lights as on the new
Focus and the C-Max. Are Ford deliverately making all their cars look
the same?

If so, couldn't they have made them all look nice instead of
blandorama?

Ian

"Ian Bailey" <a690houghtoncut (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote

Haven't they always done that? Indeed, don't most manufacturers like their
cars to display a family resemblance?

The last shape Escort was certainly remarkably bland, as was the Fiesta of
the same era (early 90s?) but I think Ford redeems itself now and again by
doing bold things stylistically that everyone else eventually copies. The
Sierra springs to mind, as does that Granada with the popeye headlights.
Actually, making the Mk3 Escort a hatch was pretty off the wall IIRC.

The flipside to the occasional leading edge stuff is that roughly as often
they come up with, well, blandorama.

In article <d7stdj$b2p$1 (AT) newsg3 (DOT) svr.pol.co.uk>, John Redman says...
Nope. Capri looked different from a Fiesta which looked different from
a MK2 Essie.



--
Conor


"Be incomprehensible. If they can't understand, they can't disagree"

"Conor" <conor.turton (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

People increasingly buy their cars by NCAP rating and in order to get high
NCAP ratings more and more cars will adopt the same look/criteria.

Take a brief look at a Nova Saloon, Mk2 Astra Belmont, Mk3 Cavalier Saloon,
a Mk3 Carlton Saloon and a late shape Senator saloon then.

Peter

"Conor" <conor.turton (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

Yebbut if you look at a late-80s Mk3 Escort, Sierra-shape Granada, and
Fiesta, they all had the same front end (lights, bonnet, bumpers). Eg:

The front of this Fiesta:
http://www.306gti6.co.uk/gallery/myc...20xr2%2002.jpg
looks like an Escort:
http://www.306gti6.co.uk/gallery/myc...20xr2%2002.jpg
looks like a Granada: http://www.ukcar.com/bigpics/26534.jpg

And substantially the same was true of Capris versus Granadas previously
too.

"John Redman" <johnphilipredman (AT) hotmailREMOVETHEBLEEDINOBVIOUS (DOT) com> wrote in
message news:d7stdj$b2p$1 (AT) newsg3 (DOT) svr.pol.co.uk...
Yea, but as he said, Ford's company 'look' is bland bland bland bland bland


--
Dan

Ian Bailey wrote:
Does it really matter that much.
Basically ALL cars are the same, a tin box with a wheel at
each corner, that transport humans from 'A' to 'B'

DJ Crazy Frog

Apparently on date Sun, 05 Jun 2005 07:46:50 GMT, DJ_Crazy_Frog
<croak (AT) the_pond (DOT) aup> said:

Hop it...

Steve Firth wrote:
Yes they have. And still managed to churn out innofensive designs that
don't all look the same. Its the new models coming out now that are all
off the same design - they took the C-Max design and stretched/squished
it for the Fiesta/Mondeo/Focus. As others have pointed out,
manufacturers have a design look which they apply. They do vary the
design to some extent though - look at a C-Max/Focus/New Fiesta from
the back and try and tell the difference.

Ford have occasionaly have flashes of brilliance - the Sierra and the
Focus were distinctive and established design principles copied by
other manufacturers. I can't see people queueing up to copy the *ahem*
radical new Focus, can you?

No. The GT is a mass-market car is it? Nor is it new - been out a
little while for the dozen or so people stupid enough to buy a 9mpg
car.

Ian