At one time tail lights were round, plain, utilitarian components, mounted to the back of cars and trucks merely so they could be seen in the darkness. Then long about the late 1940s and early 1950s automakers began integrating tail lights into the shape of the body and since that time tail light styling has been an important part of vehicle design. Many tail light shapes are so iconic that a photo of the lights alone are all that is necessary to identify the year, make and model of the vehicle.