Some cars barely change in terms of design from one iteration to another, but others seem completely different
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by Chris Chilton
March 9, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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The conceptions of certain models evolve so slowly, you have barely noticed that they have changed until you park a current model against an original. But even if you did this with two Porsche 911 built 60 years apart, you could always see the connection.
And then there are the other models; Those who change so radically from generation to generation in an effort to stay fashionable that family ties would be almost invisible if you hide the badges.
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I am not talking about car manufacturers that slap the same model name on completely different cars at different moments in history, but unique model lines and how they change over time. It made me ask me what cars have undergone the greatest visual transformation from one generation to another.
Here are some that we have offered, but you can throw your own suggestions by adding a comment under the post.
1948 vs Ford 1949
The car factories became military plants during the Second World War, so when the war finally ended Ford and other car manufacturers heated models from 1942 and served them as 46s while they worked on truly new conceptions. Studebaker beat the three big ones to bring the European style “pontoon” body to the United States with its champion and commander of 1947, but it was the 1949 Ford cars that have really established the model for the next years of Strait Design.
Basse roof lines, integrated wings, smooth sides and the absence of boards on board have made the cars new in a spectacular manner more modern. And they were radically different from the ’48 models under the skin, also adopting a ladder chassis with a new type of transmission shaft, and by exchanging the front and rear transverse suspension for a coil and a longitudinal sheet configuration.
1993 vs 1994 Chrysler New Yorker
Talk about shock from the new. One minute, the Chrysler New Yorker seemed to have been designed by a six -year -old child, just a bunch of blocks stuck together and garnished with false Chintzy thread, and the next one is an aerodynamic sedan swoopy with a modern cabin position.
The new Chrysler LH platform which made everything possible provided an enormous 8.7 inch (220 mm) of additional wheelbase for the benefit of the passenger room. The LH family family (New Yorker, Chrysler LHS and Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision) do not receive much coverage these days, which seems unfair because they always look great.
2023 V 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
Let us update this list with the Hyundai Santa Fe which, in 2024, exchanged curves for folds, a decision that most people consider a successful change, even if the back-end looks a little annoying. When car manufacturers undertake this type of radical design reshuffles, they often give the model a new name to emphasize how different it is (think of Ford Cortina in Sierra and LTD in Taurus), but on this occasion, Santa Fe was able to remain.
We have distinguished three pairs of cars here, but there is so much to choose, including the switch of the inflated 58s of Cadillac to its 59 slimline, and passed it from the BMW of the E28 to the E34 5 series. What models do you think have undergone the greatest visual transformation from one generation to the other, and which have remained closest to their original design during time? Place a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
