Round or rectangular? Single or double?
04/11/2018
In the past, round twin headlights were considered sporty, while rectangular headlights were considered modern and efficient.
Accordingly, the two round lights were mainly installed in the faster and more expensive models, as Audi did in the 100 S Coupé, for example, while the normal Audi 100 saloon was equipped with simpler and presumably cheaper to manufacture broadband lights.
It was similar with the VW Scirocco, which had the rectangular lights in the L version, but twice as many round lights in the GT/GTI version.
BMW, on the other hand, simply varied the number of lights on the 3-series E21, with two on the 316/318 and four on the 320/323i.
Today, everything is different in headlight construction, thanks to LEDs, xenon and lasers. Size and shape are no longer relevant. However, two round headlights per side are still popular when it comes to signaling sportiness.
Incidentally, contemporary tests at the time did not always agree on whether the large rectangular headlamp really produced better light than the twin headlamps, but it probably depended on the design and the exact installation location.
