Let there be light ...
11/25/2017
Turning night into day has long been the wish of frequent drivers and people who are constantly on the move by car.
While this was hardly possible in the early days of the automobile for technical reasons and even two reasonably evenly lit lamps were a relief, the sixties saw the real start of upgrades. Both car manufacturers and the accessories industry offered many solutions to conjure up more light in front of the car, initially through better lighting technology, then also through more light sources.
There were additional headlights that could be screwed onto the bumper, but also those that could be integrated into the radiator grille.
They could be mounted in different places, above or below the bumper, depending on the desired effect.
In any case, additional high beams or fog lamps were an important item on the surcharge list and this was not only the case for rally drivers.
And today, some 40 years later? Auxiliary headlights have not been available from the factory for a long time; today you can choose between LED and xenon lights and the extent of computer-based control. Bumpers as they were known back then have long since ceased to exist and screw-on auxiliary headlights would not be conducive to aerodynamics.
But of course we don't find these additional lights on the classic cars of the sixties and seventies and they evoke a lot of nostalgia.
If you would like to be reminded of this time yourself, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the past at Retro Classics Cologne until Sunday, for example at the BMW Club stand where the photos shown here were taken. And of course there is much more to see at the trade fair, which visitors are clearly enjoying.
