Make Cars Beautiful Again

Congress quietly axed the fuel-economy standards that help drive the ugliness

By Andy Kessler. Excerpt:

"Fuel-economy standards were enacted in 1975 after the oil embargo. The auto industry immediately complained that future fuel-efficient trucks and buses would be underpowered and never make it up hills. So in June 1976, Congress provided exemptions by defining “a non-passenger automobile” via Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

What exactly is a “non-passenger automobile”? The first test is if it can “transport more than 10 persons.” Yes, only our government can classify buses and vans as “non-passenger.” In addition to RVs, cargo vans and trucks, an exemption was also provided for vehicles “capable of off-highway operation”—a loophole big enough to drive through.

To be considered “off-highway,” a vehicle must have four-wheel drive or weigh more than 6,000 pounds. Other characteristics include an approach angle of more than 28 degrees. Approach angle? Think of it as the steepest angle you can drive up (there’s a 20% descent angle) without scraping your bumper. It’s measured as the angle from the ground at the bottom of the tire to the lowest part of the bumper. Clearance requirements to avoid scraping were also included.

Check out compact SUVs and crossovers on the streets today. You don’t need a protractor to see these bumper-to-tire angles and clearances—all to avoid fuel economy and safety standards. No wonder every auto company loves to sell suburban assault vehicles (to paraphrase Bill Murray in “Stripes”). But complying with off-road rules to get a CAFE exemption leaves almost no room for design creativity. Hence the sameness. And most of these “off-road” vehicles probably never leave pavement."