Design Detail: Tail Lights... Stop, Turn, Go!

Tail lights are all around us when we drive. They let us know what the car in front of us is doing, bet it stopping, forging ahead, or turning. For a car nuts like us, they have so much more meaning.  Beyond their basic functions, tail lights can help us identify a car, right down to the year.On a deeper level, they are an expression of the designer and often a reflection of the hopes and dreams of society at large, be it though early streamlined modernity or through details that echo our eagerness in the race to space.  Great tail lights can really make a car, while lousy ones can be a nail in the coffin for an unpleasant model. Above you will find some of our tail light finds over time, from Cadillacs, to Citröens, to Mustangs - and a few customs too.