Even though it seems like less of the event it once was, the press days Los Angeles Auto Show happened last week, and it’s still one of the best places to see many, many new cars, trucks, SUVs, and other horse-free carriages all in one place. As I have done for about a decade, I asked our photographer Griffin to get as many pictures of new cars, SUVs, and trucks, head-on, so I can average them and see what the average car face looks like here in this glorious year of 2024. As always, the results are fascinating, and oddly red.
Yes, red. Every time I’ve averaged a bunch of cars, whatever color they seem to be, they always end up a sort of dusky pinkish-maroonish color, and I’m really not sure why. The way I average these images is by layering all of the pictures upon each other, aligning and scaling the cars so they match one another as close as possible, and then combining them based on the median average of the images or the mean.
If you’re unfamiliar with mean and median like I am every time other than when I look this up for stories like this one, here’s what I mean: The mean face (not to be confused with a mean face, like the kind you can buy for your Jeep if your mother didn’t love you) is what we think of when we think of an average, generally: take everything together, divide it by how many everythings you put together, and the result is the mean. The median is where the algorithm looks for values that end up in the middle of the set of data. This data, in the case of these images, are pixel color values, essentially.
I’ve been doing this at The Old Site off and on since 2014, and the last time I did it here was in 2022. Here’s the results of the average car face from 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2022:
You can see that things have been changing a bit, with front profiles actually getting a bit lower, at least in the case of cars. Grilles are actually a bit less prominent, too, it seems, I think due to the increasing number of EVs in the mix. Let’s look at where we are this year. First, the mean:
Look at that! Wide lamps set at the corners seems to be the norm, a lot of under-bumper-line air intake areas, and I think a generally cleaner look, overall. Let’s see if the median differs much:
You can see ghosts of the Alfa grille in there, and I think more evidence of highly varied headlamp shapes. The center grille area displays some large grille patterning, but still quite body colored for much of it above the bumper line, too. Overall, front ends are a bit taller and blunter, part of pedestrian safety regulations, I’d think.
Let’s see what trucks and SUVs are like, on average. We’ll start again with the mean:
I think the ghostly big VW logo must be from the ID.Buzz and a few other ID cars that have a prominent badge. Overall, we have a very large and tall front end with a pretty huge grille area, something that shouldn’t surprise anyone who has seen modern trucks. How does the median differ?
Pretty consistent: big, tall grilles with a slight taper as they get lower on the body, with large light units at the corners and blended into the overall shape of the truck or SUV.
This isn’t quite as comprehensive as I’d like, necessarily, but it does give a good general sense for what is going on in the mainstream of car design. I think that these averages are getting a little blurrier and less coherent than in past years, and I think that’s a good thing, because I believe we are seeing more variety and novelty in automotive design, especially in car-face-significant stuff like lighting and air intake designs.
I mean, these are three cars that are all available on the US market right now, for example:
All very different approaches to the same basic design problems, and each feeling significantly different. I should also note that the averaged images did not include real outliers like the Tesla Cybertruck or any BMWs with their huge nostrils; so these averages really are quite middle-of-the-road average.
I think we’re in an interesting era for car design; I think we’re on a precipice where we could see even more divergent and unique designs, and, frankly, I’m all for it.
What do you think? Do these averages feel familiar? Is my optimism for more differing designs founded or not? Let’s discuss the crap out of this!
“BMWs with their huge nostrils”
Everytime I see a black one of these I think Darth Vader’s pet pig escaped again.
I’ve been staring at the images for an hour now and so far, I can’t find the hidden word or have anything pop out in 3D.
Anyone else have better luck?
It’s a sailboat.
Thank you!
Schooner
If you want to see a real average car face, just look for the sour expression on my puss when one of these mediocre moderns goes by.
I’ve been working from home recently which means CHiPs reruns from 8-11am every day. (It’s just background noise, I’m still working, who are you anyways? My Boss?? GET BACK TO WORK!!!) Anyways, one of the surprisingly depressing realizations I’ve come to watching those reruns is how interesting and varied cars used to be back in the late 70s to early 80s. So many different colors and shapes and sizes that are just lost today. Not to mention several episodes where characters just casually daily cars that today would be a 1-vehicle parade. Bad guys riding 3 deep in a Meyers Manx or officers Steve McLeish and Jon Baker just tootling around in their Jaguar SS100 like it’s a perfectly reasonable and everyday thing to do.
Average new face looks strikingly like a red Peugeot 306
https://images.app.goo.gl/WBiN1DVh2zCY9wPy5
Came here to say exactly that.
These are really interesting ways of viewing auto design. I would very much read articles where you took a random year, say 1957, and tried to do the same (i realize finding head on pics may be somewhat difficult), or you took everything from one manufacturer (like GM) for 5 years and built one. Its an interesting perspective.
these images are always surprisingly relaxing to look at for me. I don’t know if that should be worrying or not.
Not pictured on the Truck average: The blue/white highbeams blinding you via rearview mirror
Those are 3 very different-looking front ends you posted and yet they are ALL glaring at me. The Fiat has major Yappy Dog Energy.
I want to kick its bitey face away from my ankles just looking a it.
What I really noticed in the 4 year comparison is the transition from a bi-level grill where a small upper element is used for styling, and larger hole opening is for air, to a much larger, and aggressive main grille element with a much smaller lower element.
Also I think of note is the secondary lower headlight assemblies spreading are making a noticeable impact on the average, while the 2017/18 images show a much more traditional larger headlamp assembly in line with the top of the main upper grille. It’s not there in a super clean/clear way since every model has a different interpretation, but there seems to be a trend of either headlamps/fog-lamps or air channels in that outer/lower section of bumpers these days.
Since almost everything is needlessly overstylized, angry-looking, drag-inducing, and chonky, interesting would be to do the opposite. To do something no one else is doing.
I like what Aptera is doing with the 2e.
They’re not calling it the 2e anymore are they? The website doesn’t mention that as a model name, just calling their car “The Aptera” and articles about it from 2009/10 all show a similar concept but an ultimately different car. Their current model is an awfully compelling product from a cost, efficiency, styling, and packaging perspective.
I think you intended to say meme and tedium.