What’s The Worst Car With Pop-Up Headlights?

There’s no arguing that pop-up headlights are cool, but what cars do they look dumb on?

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A photo of a Volvo 480 with pop-up headlamps.
Should hidden headlamps pop up or pop off?
Photo: Volvo

In yesterday’s QOTD, we asked what the ugliest supercar of all time was. It got some pretty good responses across big name brands and fledgling car makers. But, one of the more divisive answers was the Ferrari F40. That response came with a major caveat, it was only ugly with the headlights popped up.

According to this poster, who presumably came to Jalopnik calling for chaos, the Ferrari F40 with its headlights on is “literally uglier than a stanced Aztek on 23-inch dubs with a brown and pink ‘90s street racer styled wrap on it.”

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Strong words there, and quite the vision to put into your head. But it did get us wondering, what really is the worst car to ever have pop-up headlamps fitted?

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You’ve got a lot to choose from, as we think there are more than 150 production cars fitted with hidden headlamps, ranging from the imposing Aston Martin Lagonda through to the humble Volvo 480.

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And that means that you’ve got supercars to pick from, luxury cars to choose between, hatchbacks, sedans and sports cars all waiting for you to call them out for their bad use of an incredible lighting innovation.

If you want to go way back into the history books, the Cord 810 was actually the first car to use any form of hidden headlamp. Produced in 1936, this American luxury car added hidden headlamps to its front fenders.

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In the ensuing 86 years, a lot has changed in headlight and car design, but the hidden headlamps have remained. So, what do you think is the worst car to be fitted these nifty illuminators?

Let us know your pick in the comments section below. We’ll round up some of the best responses later on today.