At 12:19 PM 12/3/2012, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>Bulb type headlights were illegal in the US until 1983.  Now I know why! ;-)

Right!

Just a note - at the time sealed-beams were mandated they were a big
improvement on existing lights.  The requirement was dropped when
auto stylists wanted to design custom headlights for every different
car.  Some of them do it better than others, which is why Consumer
Reports now evaluates headlights in their car reviews.

Sub-note - GM argued successfully to allow rectangular sealed-beams,
on the grounds that they would allow a lower hood line than the
existing 7" round and ?6"? four-light round headlamps.  So shortly
after they were approved, GM built a four-light vehicle with the
rectangulars stacked on top of each other.  CU took sardonic note.

Yrs,
d