Why did European cars once have to change headlights for the US market?

[Syndrome]

Just a few examples. Mostly noticed on cars from the 1970s and 1980s.

W116



W126



Jaguar XJ-S

[DJR David]

Something to do with the low beam and high beam being separated?
(just a guess from the ones shown and the others I can think of)

[blackf6]

Lights are set up so that they mostly point to the offside edges of the roadway, or the fog line. If an English vehicle was used in America, the headlight would be blinding oncoming drivers.

[DJM83]

Also still happens now, the MKII Ford Focus ST/RS and MKIII ST have LHD and RHD Xenons.

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by teak81

Lights are set up so that they mostly point to the offside edges of the roadway, or the fog line. If an English vehicle was used in America, the headlight would be blinding oncoming drivers.

You'll notice that some of the photos are of left hand drive vehicles with Aust delivered style headlights so that can't be the reason

[GasoLane]

A good bit of it is explained here...http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature...n_Lights.shtml

As for the the LH and RH drive cars, car makers have always made headlights for both sides of the road.

[jpd80]

Before 1983, the USA head lamp regulation limited the size of headlamps to a maximum of 2 x 7" head lamps per side.
A lot of european imports had large square, rectangle or ovoid lights that did not comply, they were forced to comply.

[xxx000]

always loved the different fronts on US delivered Mercs with their impact absorbing bumpers etc

looks like posts 6 and 7 have provided the answers to the orig q

[DJR David]

Ah so I was right, but without knowing the reason!!
Cool, one more bit of info to bury away for trivia night!!

thanks!!

[malazn mafia]

Hmm so that's where ford Aus got the idea for the round XR6/XR8 headlights in the 90s lol

[blackf6]

Originally Posted by xxx000

You'll notice that some of the photos are of left hand drive vehicles with Aust delivered style headlights so that can't be the reason

Really? Well refer to Gasolanes link.
That cutoff used to be horizontal all the way across the top of the beam, but in 1952 European manufacturers altered the shape of the cutoff to extend the low beams' distance reach: the cutoff stayed horizontal on the side of the beam facing oncoming traffic, but the cutoff on the curb side of the beam was angled or stepped upwards to throw light well down the road, illuminating road signs and pedestrians without glaring oncoming drivers. In addition to keeping glare to a rigidly controlled low level, the cutoff allows the headlights to be accurately aimed visually. The beams can be shone at a wall and set to the correct vertical and horizontal angles by judging the height of the cutoff and placement of the upstep. Traditional American beams don't have a cutoff, so they can't be aimed properly without the use of special aiming machinery.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by teak81

Lights are set up so that they mostly point to the offside edges of the roadway, or the fog line. If an English vehicle was used in America, the headlight would be blinding oncoming drivers.

Loads of cars are lhd/rhd and have the same headlight format but if you look carefully the focal point in the refletor is different for rhd/lhd.

When I took my RHD BMW from the UK across to France I had to put little stickers on the headlights which changed the focus. My old Alfa had levers behind the lights to flip the alignment for trips to the continent.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Spammy

When I took my RHD BMW from the UK across to France I had to put little stickers on the headlights which changed the focus.

Like the Blue XJS above.

[kempy311]

Pretty much they will dip the wrong way on low beam.

[Bourbon Ute]

Jesus those bumpers look hideous!

[outback_ute]

The fundamental thing is the US required sealed headlights until the early 80s, the beam pattern is secondary and could have been achieved with replaceable-bulb type lights

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Like the Blue XJS above.

the blue xjs is RHD, you can see he's added a dimmer strip to the headlights (black tape)

i wonder if UK will ever change to LHD? it'd make sense since they're the only european country to be rhd.

[Jallopy]

The real reason is if a headlight is broken, a replacement could be purchased any where or scavenged from any wreck and you could continue your trip.

It saved the spare parts department from stocking many different shape lights so you always had them "in stock"

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Like the Blue XJS above.

No -- they are just blanking stickers. I had stickers that acted like mini freshnel lenses and redirected the beam the other way.

[Spammy]

These are the deflector stickers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HEADLAMP-...p2054897.l4276

[imugli]

Off topic - Am I the only one that thinks those last-of-the-breed XJSs (the blue one) are a great looking car? Ford really had Jag clean those things up nice with the last update.

[imugli]

Off topic again - not often you see a Delorean in a photo where it's not the subject... (again the blue XJS)...

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by imugli

Off topic again - not often you see a Delorean in a photo where it's not the subject... (again the blue XJS)...

That parking lot must slope away towards the Delorean otherwise the stream of leaked sump oil from both cars would be in shot.