The car of the future runs on nostalgia
DecodingsAt the same time that urban centers are increasingly blacklisting – and rightly so – combustion engines in low emission zones, and leading German companies are being outpaced by their Chinese rivals, and Michelin is planning to close two factories, a renewed interest in cars is rooted in vintage esthetics. Vincent Grégoire, NellyRodi’s Consumer Trends and Insights Director, tells us about the newstalgia that celebrates legendary cars while adapting them to the restrictions and aspirations of the future.
An industry in crisis, but a collective memory intact
Despite accelerated modernization to meet environmental challenges, nostalgia for the golden age of the auto – the 1950s to the 1970s – persists and still symbolizes freedom.
Far from today’s sober codes (that make us hesitate an entire month between a slate gray or black auto body), those metallic steeds with iconic designs represent a world of carefree possibilities, where there was no choice to be made between drinking and driving (without seat belts). Produced in limited editions (meaning rare), they were colorful, personalized and a true extension of ourselves and our lives. Cars held a central role in families and left impressions on the lives of many children who settled more or less obediently into the backseat for trips to the beach, family dinners or church.
That childhood is less and less familiar to the planet’s new citizens; the blame lies with oil price shocks, wars, increasingly rare fossil materials, constantly higher prices … and environmental concerns.
And though electric cars seem to represent the future, they are not completely exempt from criticism. Seen as politically correct, they don’t always inspire the same enthusiasm as cars from the past. On the contrary, they are mocked for their cube-like design and unrelenting uniformity.
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To ease this cocktail of melancholy and guilt, many manufacturers are reinterpreting their fabled designs in electric versions. Renault has reintroduced the R5 and Alpine, both emblematic models from the 70s, while Twingo made a comeback with an electric neo-retro alternative in 2024. It’s great news for nostalgic boomers, Gen Xers and millennials, all delighted to get back the cars that marked their childhoods, and for the new generation who can experience IRL the cars they’ve fantasized about in movies and series.
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Today’s excitement for cars is also seen in the rampant interest in model cars and automobile races, as seen at the GP Explorer organized by Squeezie. The event broke the French Twitch record with 1.16 million simultaneous viewers for its second edition. Even prestigious events like the Monaco Grand Prix are adapting by showcasing electric car races while still maintaining the imagery associated with automobile history.
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Automobile newstalgia is not simply looking to the past. It expresses an identity quest (if not an identity crisis) in a standardized world that’s subjected to climate change and societal restraints. While driverless cars are positioned as the real vehicles of the future (a far cry from the flying taxis we dreamed so much about), our attachment to vintage cars reflects a desire to celebrate an era with limitless possibilities and a prosperity marked by a carefree attitude, speed and escape.
