Pop Up Headlights and The C6 Corvette

There are plenty of amazing things that remind us of yesteryear. Drive in movie theaters, dance clubs, and cars that are retro and perfect. One of these retro ideas includes pop up headlights, which have been on all sorts of cars including several Corvettes… until they mysteriously vanished.
 
So where did they go and why were they not on the C6 Corvette? That’s the question that we need to answer with this article! First, what are pop up headlights?

What Are Pop Up Headlights?

The pop up headlights were first introduced in the 1936 Cord 810, and they were headlights that were hidden until they needed to be used. Then they were popped up and used at night when they were needed. While these headlights were used a bit in the early years, they were really able to hit their stride in the 60s and the 70s whenever the regulations around headlights were really enforced.
 
At this point, the round and rectangular sealed beam headlights were dictated by U.S. regulations, and each choice was not looked at favorably by car designers. So they began using garage door like devices to hide the car lights, and then the lights would rise out of the hood when needed.
 
While these pop up headlights worked, eventually the mechanisms and motors inside of these issues would utterly fail and soon you would have ‘winking cars’ with one headlight open and one closed. After a while the regulations passed and then more traditional headlights were used as a significant design element.

How The Pop Up Headlights Worked With The Corvette

The C5 Corvette was the last vehicle that used pop up headlights, and many people think that these lights were removed because they were illegal. However, these lights were removed mostly because of safety reasons due to pedestrian safety regulations. Additionally, the pop up headlights on the Corvette were also very sharp and that was another major issue with many regulations and rules. If the car were to hit a pedestrian, then these pop up headlights could be very dangerous.
 
For the most part, these pop up headlights aren’t used simply because it is easier for car makers to make other lights than maneuver their car pop up lights to follow these constant safety standards. While pop up headlights can be very interesting and are certainly a relic of a bygone era, they will remain in the past for the most part.
 
While you might not be able to make your Corvette look amazing with the pop up headlights, you can use the C6 engine bay accessories to make your car look amazing! Such as the polished stainless steel Radiator Cover, the Polished - Stainless Steel, Component Throttle Body Cover, and the polished stainless steel Air Tube Cover. All of these items are going to make the Corvette look amazing and will ensure that your ride continues to make people stop and stare at you and your vehicle!



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