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Probably the coolest feature of any car back in the day, but in retrospect, it seems much more like a gimmick that overstayed its welcome.

Like all major industries, the auto world has experienced its fair share of seemingly random inventions that ultimately turn into fads. For example, think about those weird automatic seatbelts used in many cars in the 1990s. You get in the car, and the seat belts would move into place once you start the car. We all thought this was the way of the future, but it was short-lived.

However, before, and technically after, automatic seatbelts, there were pop-up headlights. Though these lights that were hidden when not in use became popular in the '80s, they have a pretty extensive history that most would be surprised by. The pop-up lights became popular because they were seen as cool and because of the times. In the '80s, gimmicks were popular. Not that they aren’t today to an extent, but inventions like pop-up lights felt new to people at the time. Not only that, there was a strong sense that these lights would become the standard.

However, over time pop-up headlights would begin to fall out of favor with consumers and automakers alike, albeit for different reasons. Nowadays, pop-ups are hardly ever discussed concerning new cars. Of course, many older vehicles on the road feature them, but pop-ups are mostly a relic of the past.

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Most people assume that pop-up headlights were first used in the 1980s. This misconception is due to their explosion in popularity at the time and because pop-up headlights seem like an ultra-80s idea. However, the first use of pop-up headlights on a production car is the 1936 Cord 8/10.

Of course, the technology wasn’t as far along at the time, but this car ushered in one of the biggest car fads of all time. Shortly after, these lights were also used on the Alfa Romeo 8C. The overall popularity of popups ramped up in the '70s, but the '80s was when it really caught steam. This level of popularity lasted until the early 1990s when new regulations made it less efficient to produce cars with pop-up lights.

What many people don’t know about pop-ups is that they served a purpose for the automaker. The use of pop-ups allowed car companies to reach height regulations for headlight height. This is why specific cars could be sold in the US. One example is the Toyota Sprinter Trueno. Many companies may have been unwilling to make as many vehicles with pop-ups without this advantage.

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The beginning of the end for pop-up headlights came due to the above-mentioned regulations. The main issue was that these lights were sharp and could pose extenuating dangers to pedestrians in case of an accident, according to The Back Roads. After this, some automakers continued to make pop-ups, and the last production car to feature pop-up headlights came in 2004. It was the Corvette C4.

Beyond the safety regulations, a big reason for the demise of pop-up headlights is a decline in popularity. People loved them in the '80s and '90s, but these lights were uncool for a modern world. Cars had enough features not to need to impress buyers with pop-up lights, and it was becoming more apparent that this was not the way of the future.

Another issue is the importance of headlights themselves. We need our lights to work to avoid accidents in the dark and navigate safely. Unfortunately, there were many cases of pop-up lights failing to open and causing real problems for people. After a while, the risk associated with these lights was no longer worth it.

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The last production car to sport pop-up headlights may have been in 2004, but this doesn’t mean that they’re banned or that other automakers couldn't find modern ways to do it. However, for the most part, there doesn’t seem to be enough interest for a company to invest In this technology when the times are calling for them to put their money towards electrification. Also, there is the question concerning making something like pop-up lights cool for these days.

However, there are a handful of examples of companies that are doing something similar. One example is Hyundai’s hidden headlights. While not full-on pop-ups, many say that this style of headlights is essentially a modern take on this relic of the past. Luckily, this iteration doesn’t pose a safety risk to pedestrians. The interesting thing about the rise and fall of pop-up headlights as they were known is that their demise signals that this was never a feature people really needed. It was a remarkable aspect of cars that had them, but in retrospect seems much more like a gimmick that overstayed its welcome.

Barnell Anderson is a writer from Louisiana, USA with a real passion for cars and motorcycles. His biggest areas of expertise are car history and concept cars. Barnell's favorite car is the Ford Mustang. He also wants to one day own a Tesla!