How markets around the world have influenced automotive design

How do different markets, cultures and periods influence automotive design?

Not all cars are built the same – and thank goodness for that.

When designing their latest models, manufacturers often need to tailor vehicles to the specific markets they're targeting, a process known in business as product localisation.

Some differences are as obvious as a bright yellow MINI on a rainy day – left-hand drive cars aren't exactly flying off forecourts here in the UK, and British exports face the same challenge in countries that drive on the right.

But other differences are more subtle, hiding under the bonnet of cultural preferences and regional needs.

Sometimes it comes down to climate. Convertibles sell like hot cakes in sun-drenched countries, but hit the brakes in places where it’s a tad chilly.

After all, frostbite isn't such a cool look.

Buyer taste also has a say, obviously. Different countries favour different styles, whether that's in their clothes, their home décor, or what they want parked on their driveway.

This can be as simple as the colour palette offered or something more substantial. Just look at the UK's Ford Aeroford (1920 – 1925), which was essentially a Ford Model T with a different bonnet and radiator grille designed specifically to tempt us Brits.

And sometimes, the differences are historic, with different trends accelerating in and out of fashion over the decades.

Let's take a drive through automotive history and see how different corners of the globe have influenced the cars we lease today.

Why is car design different between countries?

When it comes to automotive design, geography isn't just about where cars are built – it's about where they'll be driven.

A lot of it boils down to the difference in roads, which creates different driving styles and priorities.

For example, a vehicle designed for tight European roads, cobbled streets, and high-speed German autobahns has to prioritise high-speed stability and nimble handling – you need to be able to parallel park in a space barely bigger than the car itself one minute, then cruise at 130mph the next!

While in the US, the focus tends to be on spacious interiors and comfortable suspension systems. American roads are wider and straighter, and there's often bumper-to-bumper traffic in major cities, making comfort during long, slow journeys the priority.

But while local road conditions influence the mechanical DNA of the car, the overall style often draws inspiration from local culture and preferences.

Western and Eastern countries, broadly speaking, approach vehicle design completely differently.

Japanese manufacturer Lexus, for example, has been working on bringing elements of traditional Japanese craftsmanship into its products, with Japanese tea ceremonies, origami, and other traditional practices influencing the design and finish.

The high-end Lexus LS saloon offers hand-pleated cloth door trim that takes a dedicated artisan three days to fold, while the ultra-exclusive Toyota Century uses traditional lacquering techniques to hand-paint and wet-sand each saloon to perfection.

In China, where chauffeur services are common among the affluent, the emphasis and investment tend to be focused on the rear seats, as many prefer to sit behind their driver.

But look across the pond, and premium American cars from manufacturers like Cadillac and Lincoln tend to rev up the flamboyance, with big, brash and bold designs that make a statement.

Car design in the twentieth century

The twentieth century wasn't just a period of change for automotive design – it was a full-throttle revolution.

The iconic VW Beetle serves as perhaps the perfect case study of a car that adjusted its design for different markets, rising and falling in popularity over more than five decades on the road.

Beetles weren't just built differently around the world – they were called different things too.

Brazilian models kept the original European style (small windows, classic headlights) until the late '60s, while Mexican-built Beetles sported larger windows and different mechanical parts.

Head over to France and they know it as the Coccinelle (ladybug), while Italians knew it as the Maggiolino (May beetle).

Different countries haven't just adapted to designs, they've been the driving force behind them. Italy was particularly influential in European automotive design throughout the twentieth century – and continues to be a powerhouse today – with designs emerging from the country beginning to gain global traction in the late '50s.

By the late 1960s, almost all Italian coachbuilders had transformed into design studios catering to automakers worldwide. This trend continued into the 1990s when Japanese and Korean manufacturers frequently sourced designs from these styling studios to add a dash of Italian flair to their offerings.

Now-iconic brands like Fiat and Alfa Romeo grew in popularity during this creative surge, while Italian presence in motorsports fuelled the birth of several legendary sports car manufacturers, including Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini, and Maserati.

The Italian influence has left its fingerprints on other countries too – even those with their own distinct design philosophies.

Few designers exemplify this cross-cultural influence better than Giovanni Michelotti, an Italian maestro whose pencil shaped some of the most beloved sports cars of the 1960s and 70s.

After apprenticing at Stabilimenti Farina (the precursor to Pininfarina), Michelotti became the father of freelance car design, penning everything from elegant Ferraris and Maseratis to the iconic Triumph TR4, Spitfire, and GT6.

His work for British manufacturer Standard Triumph brought Italian flair to British sports cars, creating designs that still turn heads today. He even influenced BMW's design language with the BMW 700 and the now highly-collectable 2002 model.

German automotive design began gaining momentum in the 1980s, with Audi and Volkswagen helping to shape what a late twentieth-century German car should look like: precise, engineered, and quietly confident.

But even here, Italian designers like Michelotti, Ercole Spada, Bruno Sacco, and Giorgetto Giugiaro had a hand on the steering wheel, creating a fascinating German-Italian design fusion that continues to influence European cars today.

The history of British car design

Across the Channel from the mainland, Britain has enjoyed a long and influential journey in automotive design history.

Until the late 1960s, Britain was Europe's leading manufacturer of automobiles, with more car makers based in the UK than in any other European country – an impressive lap record by any standard.

British design success wasn't limited to just one segment. From nimble city runarounds to sporty saloons, all the way to the most luxurious marques in the world, British designers have left tread marks across the entire automotive landscape.

While European designers were influenced by continental art movements and philosophies, British designers took a different route. Less concerned with following artistic trends, they focused on combining practicality with distinctive character.

The result? Iconic vehicles that are undeniably British: the cheerful Morris Minor, the revolutionary Mini, the timelessly elegant Aston Martin DB series, Jaguar’s graceful lineup of sports cars, and the quintessentially British Land Rover.

These weren't just cars, they were rolling ambassadors of British ingenuity and character, each with their own personality and purpose.

Many continue to influence modern design, with the current MINI and Land Rover ranges clearly showing their heritage while shifting into the future.

How Asia has affected car design

Asia's impact on global automotive design has been profound, with three key players each making distinctive contributions:

• Japan (1980s): Pioneered reliable, fuel-efficient cars that challenged Western markets. The Mazda MX-5 reimagined European sports cars with Japanese reliability.
• South Korea (2000s): Transformed from budget brands to style leaders after hiring European designers. Kia's 'tiger nose' grille became as iconic as BMW's kidney grilles.
• China (2010s): Embraced electric vehicles early, becoming the world's largest EV market. Brands like BYD and NIO feature tech-focused interiors dominated by screens.

Cultural preferences continue to shape these designs in fascinating ways.

Chinese luxury models often feature exceptional rear seating for chauffeur-driven executives, while Japanese manufacturers incorporate traditional craftsmanship elements like hand-pleated door panels and meticulous lacquer work.

The result is a global automotive landscape that's more diverse and innovative than ever before – with Asian manufacturers increasingly in the driver's seat.

Car design in North America

Rounding up the pack is the USA.

You simply can't talk about automotive design without America pulling up in the conversation. The cars that were popular in the States stood in stark contrast to those zipping around European streets.

The Ford Model T (1908 - 1927) was such an iconic vehicle. It's practically the blueprint for the car world as we know it today.

It marked the first affordable car available to the mass market, making cars accessible to middle-class Americans who previously could only dream of owning a set of wheels.

The lower price wasn't just clever marketing – it was made possible by Ford's innovation in production. The Model T was the first car to roll off an assembly line rather than being individually handcrafted. Until 1972, it held the crown as the most sold car in history, before the VW Beetle finally overtook it.

Tracking design changes in America throughout the twentieth century reveals some fascinating twists and turns in the road of automotive evolution:

• 1930s: Chrysler began experimenting with aerodynamics, launching the streamlined Chrysler Airflow in 1934 – quite the departure from the boxy cars of the era. Though initially stalling in sales and forcing Chrysler back to the drawing board, it wouldn't be the last time American manufacturers would put pedal to the metal with streamlined design.
• 1940s: Designer Henry Earl shifted American car design into high gear, introducing aeronautical features like tailfins that would become synonymous with American automotive style.
• 1950s-1970s: The American love for substantial, commanding vehicles continued in full force. Nearly every car from this period featured hard, sharp edges and very few curves – essentially three boxes welded together and fitted with an engine that could outmuscle almost anything on the road.

Cadillacs with their distinctive fins, Chevrolet's muscular Corvettes, and the Ford Thunderbird all embodied this distinctly American approach to automotive design – big, bold, and unashamedly attention-grabbing.

But as the 1970s gave way to the oil crisis and changing consumer priorities, this love affair with gas-guzzling giants would face some serious speed bumps.

Meanwhile in Europe, where fuel was historically more expensive, manufacturers were already focused on efficiency – not just aesthetics.

Luxury brands like Porsche, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz were among the first to reintroduce curved exteriors. Since these sleek designs reappeared on premium vehicles, aerodynamic styling quickly became associated with luxury.

The 1983 Ford Thunderbird marked this turning point for American design. Ford put their iconic model through extensive wind tunnel testing, prioritising smooth, flowing lines over the boxy, hard-edged shape that had dominated for decades.

This evolution accelerated with the 1986 Ford Taurus – a mass-market vehicle with European-inspired aerodynamic styling that took America by storm.

The timing wasn't coincidental; manufacturers were grappling with Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards introduced in 1978, which required increasingly better fuel efficiency. By 1990, these standards had plateaued at 27.5 miles per gallon.

While engineers had improved engines and other mechanical components, the curved aesthetic made reaching these targets easier and cheaper.

The science was simple: curved surfaces and steep windscreens created less wind resistance, meaning less fuel burned.

The transformation happened at record pace. Within just a few years, nearly every American car had adopted the Taurus's smooth, rounded profile.

Look at cars today, whether American, European, or Asian, and you'll see this legacy living on. Curved, sweeping lines with carefully angled mirrors and windows, all designed to slice through the air with minimal resistance.

Same model, different name

It’s not always the design that changes.

Like with the VW Beetle, car manufacturers will sometimes change the name of a model instead of the design to appeal to consumers in a different market.

The Toyota Corolla is a good example of this.

For a long time, it was one of the most popular small cars around – but it ended up at a point where people were beginning to see it as old fashioned.

In 2006, Toyota changed its name from the old-school Corolla to the new-school Toyota Auris to establish the car as modern and high-class in a bid to attract a new set of buyers.

But interestingly, after 13 years of using the Auris name, the 2019 model reverted to the Corolla badge to give the car a singular identity.

Name changes can happen for other reasons: the Renault Clio, for example, is sold in Japan under the name Lutecia, because Honda owns the Clio name in that market.

Even the iconic VW Golf hasn’t always been known as the Volkswagen Golf in some countries.

In the US, the Golf Mk1 to the Golf Mk5 was marketed as the VW Rabbit, while the first Golf in Mexico was called the VW Caribe, and in South Africa it was named the Volkswagen Citi Golf until 2009.

And sometimes, words in another language can have different meanings – which doesn’t always work out well for the manufacturer.

The classic example is the Mitsubishi Pajero, which had to be renamed Montero in Spanish-speaking countries because "pajero" has a rather rude meaning in Spanish slang.

Driving into the future

The automotive world never stands still – it's constantly accelerating into new territory.

In terms of human history, cars have only been with us for a brief moment – yet they've undergone remarkable transformations in that time.

Something like the Tesla Model Y with its electric motor and minimalist design would seem like science fiction to someone used to the very first Ford Model T, despite the similarities in name.

And car design continues to evolve at breakneck speed. Though most modern vehicles share similar sleek lines – thanks to the need to be streamlined and aerodynamic – manufacturers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

And with EVs becoming increasingly mainstream, designers have even more freedom to experiment. Without the need to accommodate bulky engines and traditional drivetrains, we're seeing some of the most innovative car designs in history.

We're excited to see where this road takes us next. Whatever your taste in cars, one thing's for sure – the future of automotive design promises to be anything but boring.