Mankind went from being bent over to being upright. Car windscreens have made the same evolutionary journey, but in reverse. In the first generation of cars, windscreens were completely upright and their only function was to protect drivers from weather and the wind. However, the more developed cars became, the more windscreens started to slope.

The aircraft industry inspired early car manufacturers to start working with streamlining, and a 90-degree angle between the bonnet and the windscreen did not fit in with this. The more the engineers optimised the bodywork, the more cars of different makes started to look like each other and marketers were worried that this would reduce sales. So instead of the engineers deciding the shape, the designers were given the responsibility, resulting in cars becoming less drop-shaped and more distinctive.

It was not until the 1980s that designers and engineers started working together seriously. After the oil crises, fuel use was put into focus and a hunt for reduced air resistance got underway. Windscreens started to slope even more and nowadays the angle between the bonnet and the windscreen is more obtuse than ever.