From hippie vans to CEO sedans: Nostalgia powers the EV era
Volkswagen, Renault, and Hyundai show how heritage fuels innovation in electric mobility.
In the 1980s, Hyundai first decided to enter the luxury car market in South Korea, which had until then been dominated by Daewoo. It took advantage of the momentum leading up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, of which it was an official sponsor, to promote a new model launched two years earlier. That model was the Grandeur, characterized by a distinctive boxy design with sharp angular lines, a square silhouette, and a straight front that created a solid and imposing presence in the best tradition of 1980s aesthetics. Hyundai used Mitsubishi technology to develop the Grandeur, which was nicknamed “gak-Grandeur” (angular Grandeur in Korean) due to its appearance. The car became a hit among CEOs and businessmen, and later a symbol of success, political power, and social status in Korea. It has frequently appeared in films and television when creators wanted to evoke status or reference Korea’s cultural and economic rise in the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2021, on the 35th anniversary of the iconic model, Hyundai unveiled a renewed, fully electric version of the Grandeur, although it is not yet slated for mass production. The new version retains the angular lines and classic design of the first generation, but integrates modern technologies, most notably full electric drive, metallic side mirrors and protective panels, and pixel-style LED headlights. The interior pays homage to 1980s luxury, with leather and velvet seats, a widescreen dashboard, and an advanced multimedia system. The Grandeur revival is part of Hyundai’s Heritage Series, in which the company revisits its most iconic models to inspire future designs.
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The original and new Renault and original and new Grandeur
(Photos: Jeremy Suyker/Bloomberg, from Wikipedia)
Reviving a Folk Icon
Hyundai is not alone in this process. Nostalgia has become a recurring theme in automotive design in recent years, fused with innovation and technological advancement. Designers are reinterpreting vintage cars, vehicles with soul and charisma, through the lens of modern technologies such as electric engines, advanced safety systems, and digital electronics, while preserving what made the originals distinctive.
This is a sophisticated translation of design DNA: taking the proportions, lines, and spirit of the original model and embedding them into a modern platform.
This trend even has a name: Newtro, a blend of “new” and “retro.” Renault and Volkswagen, for example, have incorporated homages to beloved models from the past into new electric vehicles. Unlike Hyundai’s one-off concept car, the French and German automakers have already put retro-inspired designs into full production.
Renault has taken the lead by reviving iconic models with modern electric drive systems. The Renault 4 and 5, both reimagined with electric engines, entered series production. The electric Renault 5, launched last year, was named “2025 Car of the Year” in Europe. It retains design hallmarks such as its distinctive headlights and flared wheel arches, but has been enlarged for today’s safety and comfort standards, expanded to five doors, and fitted with cutting-edge technologies. In an interview with French media, designer Gilles Vidal explained the revival.
“We felt it was time to bring back the popular icons of the automotive world, not just luxury brands, but the cars that belonged to everyone. It connects with the spirit of today. We are at the threshold of the electric age, but EVs remain more expensive than conventional cars. Renault’s challenge is to make electric mobility accessible to all. There’s a fascinating parallel to 1972, when the first Renault 5 was launched during the oil crisis. Then, as now, the goal was affordability and efficiency. Reviving the Renault 5 today is not just nostalgia, it’s a continuation of its original social mission: to be everyone’s car.”
Vidal describes this approach as retro-futurism: “The idea is to reference the past and project it into the future. It’s not about clinging to nostalgia, but neither is it pure futurism without roots. We start from a model with a strong identity and reinterpret it with advanced technologies while preserving an emotional connection.”
The Renault 4 has also undergone this treatment. Its electric version debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 2024 and is expected to hit the market in late 2025. Another Renault icon, the 17 coupe, was recently reinterpreted by designer Ora Ito. Famous for its four round headlights, the model symbolized 1970s style and produced about 100,000 units in its decade. The new concept features a lightweight carbon body, a retro-futuristic interior, and a 270-horsepower electric motor, though there are no current plans for mass production.
Volkswagen has also pursued this strategy. After experimenting with electric Beetle prototypes, it revived the iconic microbus, the 1960s and 70s Transporter beloved by hippies, as the ID.Buzz, in production from 2022. The new electric version captures the nostalgia of freedom, counterculture, and nomadic living, while retaining features of the original, such as a rear-mounted engine, moderate power output, and spacious seating for six.
“With all the changes, cars still communicate many of the same ideas,” says Alex Padua, one of Israel’s leading designers, known for his work across industries, from automobiles and medical systems to coffee machines and robotics. “Most car designers like to align with trends and express belonging.” Padua, who earned his master’s in car design at London’s Royal College of Art and interned at Citroën, sees things differently.
Einstein Covers His Tracks
Does nostalgia inevitably shape design? Not necessarily, Padua argues. “Of course, we’re all influenced by art, architecture, music, and history. But my work isn’t about embracing the past, I embrace the future,” he says. “Ideas from the past can inspire or trigger something, but unless the brief specifically calls for retro, I’m more interested in what lies ahead.”
Quoting Albert Einstein, “the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources”, Padua stresses that creativity is always contextual. “We’re all influenced by countless things, consciously or not. I’m nostalgic, but I try to keep my design sharp and fresh. My goal is to bring the future closer, not dwell on the past.”
When asked to design a Harley-Davidson concept motorcycle for an international competition, Padua balanced the brand’s heritage with forward-looking innovation. Similarly, in designing an espresso machine for Avalon, he blended the sensory richness of 1950s café culture with a novel, sustainable water-heating technology. “Technology shouldn’t dominate for its own sake,” he says. “Our role as designers is to adapt technology to human needs, habits, and abilities, not the other way around.”
