Once upon a time ... the small radiator grille
02/14/2024
We all remember the early days of the automobile, when cars almost all looked the same or very similar and had an upright, rather large radiator in front of them.
Over the decades, aerodynamics became more important and the demands on aesthetics also changed. The designers came up with flat front sections that offered only limited space for large cooling air intakes. The result was pleasing and still is today, if we look at the Maserati Mistral or the Apollo, for example.
But what is in fashion today? Huge "radiators" are back in fashion, and not because they are necessary. In fact, radiators can now be built much more compactly and they are almost unnecessary in electric cars (the picture above shows an electric Ford Transit). Accordingly, these modern "radiators" hardly let any cooling air through, they are a design statement. Whether you like it or not.
In any case, we like to look back at the cars of the sixties and seventies, e.g. the Maserati Khamsin.
Back then, designers also came up with creative ideas on how to give the mighty eight-cylinder engines enough air ...
