In some ways I feel that we're in the golden-era of car design, but in some ways it's getting too crazy. IDK
It's weird that you mention this. Personally I disagree, I think function trumps form nowadays (how do we get the best mileage at x price point?)... anyway, I was reading a book and came across this:
"...would you say that American rock music and American cars have their classic periods in strange synchronization, and that the two hottest periods were around 1955 and 1969? Is it far to say that there has not been a good American car since 1969 and that rock 'n' roll was petering out hard after that?"
"If you had a loud 400 hp 1969 GTO with a Hurst three-speed on the floor and the Allman Brothers' 'One Way Out' playing as loud inside the car, would you not be unstoppable not only in all the serious adolescent ways but even now in nearly all of the serious postadolescent pre-senile ways?"
I think it's an interesting observation, although completely tangential to what you were saying, that cars and music peak at similar times. Considering today's music, cars must be terrible.