Classic cars become classic cars for a reason. Technology moves on, whether it's engineering improvements or guided by legislation. In the case of cars with pop-up (hidden until needed) headlights, they are a thing of the past due to pedestrian safety. Still, some of those cars are still out there, and pop-up headlights are cool. They allow the car's front end to be as characterful and aerodynamic as the designers wanted, and making headlights go up and down satisfies everyone's inner child. Despite pop-up headlight's heyday being the 1980s and 1990s, they've been around since the 1930s. The first car with pop-up headlights was the 1936 Cord 810, using the system to hide its big gawky headlights when not in use. They became fashionable due to being futuristic, and by the 1970s and 1980s, pop-up headlights were mostly found on sports cars, including a few legendary Japanese ones. Unfortunately, there is no mainstream car with headlights that go up and down being sold today. They aren't banned outright, but safety legislation on how the front of vehicles reacts to impacts has made designing and building them into a car an engineering nightmare in most major car markets. While there are a lot of old cars with pop-up headlights, we're going to concentrate on the most popular vehicles that achieved legendary status. These are the best cars with pop-up headlights. All specs have been pulled directly from the manufacturers. This list is organized in chronological order by the earliest production year. Opel GT Production Years: 1968 - 1973 1969 Opel GT front, three-quarter Opel GT Specs Engines 1.1L four-cylinder, 1.9L four-cylinder Horsepower 102 hp (1.9L) Opel-branded cars are not sold in America, but the GT did make it to America, where it was sold via Buick dealers. With sporty styling and rear-wheel drive, the GT was an image-building exercise for the German marque when it arrived in the second half of the 1960s. The more powerful and popular of the two four-cylinder engine options was the 1.9-liter, which made over 100 hp initially, but it still didn't turn the GT into a tire-shredder. It was a looker, though, and those quirky headlights deserve a special mention. Unlike traditional pop-up headlights, the GT's headlights perform a weird rotation when you need them, before rotating back into the car's body. Lotus Esprit Production Years: 1976 - 2004 2000 lotus esprit v8 Lotus Esprit Specs Engines 2.0L four-cylinder, 2.2L four-cylinder, 2.2L four-cylinder turbo, 3.5L V8 Horsepower 350 hp (V8) One of Lotus's longest-running models, the Esprit had a remarkable 28-year production run from 1976 to 2004. Penned by Automotive Hall of Fame inductee Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Esprit featured the distinctive wedge-like body style that was typical of many cars in the 1970s and 1980s, although later models had slightly softer lines. Various incarnations of the Esprit were available, including the Esprit Turbo that produced around 210 hp and had a top speed of over 150 mph; it was introduced in 1981. The Esprit wasn't the fastest or most outrageous supercar of its time, and it doesn't have the best reliability reputation, but it still looks the part and endured for long enough to be James Bond's choice of ride not once, but twice. BMW M1 Production Years: 1978 - 1981 The M Collection. Collecting Cars. BMW M1-12 BMW M1 Specs Engines 3.5L six-cylinder Horsepower 273 hp There are two BMWs with pop-up headlights. The BMW 8 Series that appeared in 1981 is one, and the crazy BMW M1 is the other. It's a crazy car because it was plagued by disaster, most notably because Lamborghini promised to build it but was too broke to follow through on its promise. It's also BMW's only supercar and ended up as the flagship in one-car race series that ran as a warm-up during Formula 1 weekend. It eventually made it onto the road but is an incredibly rare bird to see. If one does come up for sale, it usually fetches six figures. Porsche 944 Production Years: 1982 - 1991 Blue 1985 Porsche 944 Porsche 944 Specs Engines 2.5L four-cylinder, 2.5L four-cylinder turbo, 2.7L four-cylinder, 3.0L four-cylinder Horsepower 143 - 247 hp Weirdly, the Porsche 944 is one of the cheap cars with pop-up headlights on this list. That's because it's a long way down the list of best Porsches, hasn't aged well in design, and isn't popular with tuners as it's expensive to maintain and the aftermarket is weak. However, if you want a Porsche with pop-up headlights, this is it, and it's an underrated sports car if you can stomach the cost of ownership. It's also hip with the Radwood crowd as a piece of vintage 1980s automobilia. It is easier to work on than a rear- or mid-engined Porsche, as the four-cylinder engine is in the front. Toyota AE86 Corolla Production Years: 1983 - 1987 1983 Toyota Corolla AE86 Toyota Corolla Specs (AE86) Engines 1.6-liter four-cylinder Horsepower 112 hp (GT-S) While Honda embraced the pop-up headlight on other types of vehicles, Toyota mostly stuck to sports cars. The MK III generation of Supra had its headlights hidden until needed, as did both generations of the mid-engined MR2. Still, the most legendary Toyota with pop-up headlights is the AE86 Corolla. Its worldwide popularity comes from being the hero car in the iconic Japanese drifting anime, Initial D. It made it onto the screen because it was a low-key yet beautifully balanced rear-wheel-drive, lightweight, compact car driven by Japan's most prominent drifters. Toyota moved entirely away from the Corolla having a rear-wheel-drive configuration, leaving the AE86 model as one of the most desirable JDM cars with pop-up headlights despite being a Toyota Corolla. The idea of a modern Corolla being a car with closing and opening headlights is bizarre. Nissan 300ZX Production Years: 1983 - 1989 1988_nissan_300zx_shiro_front Nissan 300ZX Specs (Z31) Engines 3.0L V6, 3.0L turbocharged V6 Horsepower 160 - 205 hp One Nissan with pop-up headlights is desirable the first-generation 300ZX. It was sold in the US from 1983 to 1989 and was considered slightly more upmarket than the 240/260/280 Z cars. The 300ZX's pop-up headlights were a little different from other cars in that when they were down, the lamps weren't completely hidden. However, it allowed them to sit lower in the sloping front of the car. If you're wondering about the GT-R, there's a reason Nissan avoids the technology. As far as JDM cars with pop up headlights go, the 300ZX is one of the coolest models. Ferrari F40 Production Years: 1987 - 1992 1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto Three Quarters Ferrari F40 Specs Engines 2.9L twin-turbo V8 Horsepower 471 hp One of the quintessential '80s cars with pop-up headlights is Ferrari's iconic F40. A total of 1,315 cars were produced from 1987 to 1992. Its rarity and prestige make it the most expensive car on this list. Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell sold his in 1990 for a million dollars, and later models now sell for twice that. It was a technological marvel in the 1980s that leaned into Formula 1 technology. The F40 is also widely known as the last car Enzo Ferrari signed off on before his death in 1988. Mazda RX-7 Production Years: 1987 - 2002 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD front, three-quarter Mazda RX-7 Specs Engines 1.1L and 1.3L Rotary Horsepower 252 hp (Series 6) *1995 was the final model year for the RX-7 in America, even though it continued to be produced in other markets. Our next car with flip-up lights is also known for its rare engine configuration. The first generation 1978 RX-7 was introduced with retractable headlights, but the third generation RX7 pop-up headlights cemented themselves in pop culture. Its sleek styling holds up on the road today and is the cherry on top of its sequential twin-turbocharged rotary engine and agile handling. Mazda and its customers paid the price for the FD generation as its dimensions didn't fit Japanese regulations, which moved it into the luxury sports car bracket. It was produced between 1992 and 1995, and with only 1,152 official examples sold in Europe and a limited number coming to the US, it's a rarer car than you would think. Buick Reatta Production Years: 1988 - 1991 Buick Reatta front 3/4 Buick Reatta Engines 3.8-Liter V6 Horsepower 165 hp While all cars with pop up headlights are now discontinued, we can still fondly remember retro models like the Buick Reatta. It was only produced for a few model years starting in 1988 and ending after the 1992 model year, so they're relatively rare today. At the time, the Reatta represented a higher-end, more expensive, and less fuel efficient coupe than the market was trending toward, so buyers simply didn't choose it. While they were fairly expensive when new — with MSRPs reaching over $70k when accounting for inflation in 2026 — buyers can find the Reatta coupe or convertible for under $10 grand today. Mazda MX-5 Miata Production Years: 1989 - 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata NA Mazda MX-5 Specs (NA) Engines 1.6-liter four-cylinder, 1.8L four-cylinder Horsepower 128 - 133 hp (1.8L), 116 hp (1.6L) A Mazda Miata with pop-up headlights is still a wonderful sight on the road. The term iconic gets thrown around a lot in car circles, but the first-generation MX-5 is a legitimate icon. When down, the retractable lights allow the pointed nose to improve aerodynamics; when up, they add a clear pair of eyes to the Miata's face. It launched as a 1990 model in 1989 and lasted until it was phased out in 1997. The second generation car didn't feature pop-up headlights, as laws had changed in enough countries to make them unsustainable. The first-generation Miata is where cars with pop up headlights peaked, according to some enthusiasts. It's partly popular because fans see it as a car with blinking headlights, as in drivers can raise and lower one headlight at a time to "blink." Honda/Acura NSX Production Years: 1990 - 2005 Honda/Acura NSX Specs (First Gen) Production Years 1990 - 2005 Engines 3.0L V6, 3.2L V6 Horsepower 290 hp (3.2L, Acura NSX USA Spec) Because the brand is keen for people to know it injects sporty driving dynamics into all of its cars, you can find quite a few Hondas with pop-up headlights. The best Honda with pop up headlights, though, is the first-generation NSX. That's not all the NSX has in common with the Ferrari F40. It was also a supercar with technology usually found in Formula 1 cars, its production years overlapped, and race car drivers owned them. However, the NSX was, by design, a lot cheaper yet still aimed to compete with supercars. And it succeeded. Honda had the Ferrari 328 and then 428 in mind and built a quicker equivalent with a smaller engine - a V6 versus a V8. In 2001, the NSX got a facelift and dropped the pop-up headlights. If you've wondered what the second-generation NSX would look like with pop-up headlights, someone has had a crack at it. The first-gen NSX lost its pop-up headlights after a refresh for the 2002 model year. Chevrolet Corvette (C5 Generation) Production Years: 1996 - 2004 2000 - 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 - front 3/4 angle Chevrolet Corvette C5 Specs Engines 5.7-liter V8 Horsepower 345 - 350 hp 385 - 405 hp (Z06) Both the Mazda's above are now subject to the collector, tuner, and drifting tax — meaning, they're expensive if you want to buy one in good condition. The C5 generation Corvette will get there, but for now, it's reasonably priced in the used market and has been an underrated Corvette for so long. But people are finally realizing how good the sports car produced between 1997 and 2004 is. However, it's not the only Corvette with pop-up headlights. The second generation (C2: 1963-1967) and third generation (C3: 1968-1982) also have retractable lights. While both older generations are highly collectible, the C5 is streets ahead of both in performance. The list of new cars with pop-up headlights sadly came to an end with this Corvette, alongside the Lotus Esprit V8 which we cover lower down in this list. Sources: Mazda, Chevrolet, Nissan, Honda, Lotus, Ferrari, Porshce, BMW FAQ Q: What kind of car has pop-up headlights? Many types of cars can have pop-up headlights, but they're usually found on sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Q: Are popup headlights illegal? While pop-up headlights technically aren't illegal to build on new cars, automakers avoid them in order to accommodate pedestrian safety regulations. Q: What is the cheapest car with pop-up headlights? Used car values vary depending on mileage, condition, and other factors, but the first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Pontiac Fiero are among some of the least-expensive models with pop-up headlights. Q: What was the last car with pop-up headlights? The fifth-generation (1997 - 2004) Chevrolet Corvette was the last car to feature pop-up headlights in the United States.
Liked by Annabelle Bouchard, Evan WilsonLiked by Annabelle Bouchard, Evan Wilson
Liked by Annabelle Bouchard, Evan Wilson
