Early 1980s High-End Style Pilfering

Stylists steal designs and design details.  My relationship to the American auto industry was as a consultant and data supplier -- not, alas, as a stylist.  For that reason, I have no first-hand knowledge whether it's the stylists themselves who pilfer from other firms or if management directed them to make use of this or that theme or detail.  Either way, management signs off on the results, so my inclination is to place praise or blame there.

The present post deals with a minor instance of this, small details creating a theme found on upscale American cars during the early 1980s.  Those cars were models of the Cadillac Seville, the Continental and Chrysler Imperial.  Some background can be found here.  According the the first link above, the somewhat retro theme expressed by the designs did not hold up well in terms of sales.

I dealt with Seville styling in this post, so won't go into detail here.

Gallery

1980 Cadillac Seville
What concerns us is the sweep of the sharp fold at the aft end of the C-pillar.  On the Seville it continues down to the rear bumper, with the trunk lid being inset slightly, creating a distinct tacked-on collection of surface facets.

1982 Continental
There were several Continental models at this time.  The one shown here has a C-pillar trailing edge that also continues down the side of the car, but only a short way.

1982 Chrysler Imperial
The same can be said for this Imperial, though the edge continues down a bit more than half way to the bumper.  Like the Seville (but to a much lesser extent), it helps set the trunk off as a distinct element.

1983 Continental
Because it's a Continental, a false spare tire shape was placed it the rear of the trunk.  This view shows the Seville influence in the area of the C-pillar, rear window and upper part of the trunk.

1982 Chrysler Imperial - sales photo
No faux spare tire here, but the shaping of the rear has a similar feel to the Continental and Seville.

The Packard Predictor That (Sadly) Didn't Predict

Packard was a dying brand in 1956.  The last "true" Packards were still being built, but 1957 models would be based on Studebakers.  Still, a flicker of hope appeared in the form of the Predictor show car.  There are several Web sites that have posted about the Predictor (just Google on Packard Predictor), and this is one of those containing useful background information.

For me, the most frustrating aspect of the Predictor is that something like it might have revived the Packard brand in the luxury market.  That's because it was an example of a restrained 1950s style, unlike the direction Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial took over the next few years.

The Packard Predictor still exists.  You can find it in the Studebaker museum in South Bend, Indiana.

Gallery

It's a little hard to make it out, but the top of the vertical bar at the front is shaped in the form of the traditional Packard radiator grille.  Since this protrusion is susceptible to damage, a production version would probably have to be modified in some manner.  The horizontal swaths are a Richard Teague motif introduced on 1955 Packards.  This grooved version works well.

Tail fins were becoming a styling fad, especially after the introduction of the 1957 Chrysler Corporation line.  The Predictor's are fairly tastefully done.  The tail lights are exaggerated versions of those on 1955 and 1956 Packards.

Side views showing the theme of angled continuation lines.  Note in the lower image that the C-pillar edges converge (by extension) to the lower endpoint of the horizontal side grooved strip.  The character line along the side begins at the front bumper and terminates in the rear bumper ensemble.

The Predictor has a wrap-around / wrap-over windshield, something that would appear on all General Motors cars for 1959.  But by 1960-1961, panoramic windshields were on the way out.  This might have caused Packard some trouble had something like the Predictor entered production.  But perhaps not a great amount of trouble, because reversion to a conventional windshield design would not have destroyed the appearance of the car.

Studebaker Lark: Chop Off the Ends to Make it Compact

Studebaker suffered a long, slow death.  The post- World War 2 American automobile market was dominated by the so-called Big Three: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.  Then there were the so-called "Independents" which were Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, Willys, Kaiser-Frazer and Packard -- plus a few minor brands such as Crosley.  All but the Big Three eventually went out of business, though Willys' Jeep remains as a Fiat-Chrysler brand.

Studebaker was the strongest Independent during the late 1940s, but its 1953 redesign was its last before the company left the auto business in 1966.  All that followed the '53s were facelifts.

The most successful facelift of sedans was the creation of the Studebaker Lark line for the 1959 model year (Wikipedia entry here). It resulted in increased sales that helped Studebaker last longer than it might have otherwise.

What Studebaker did was create a "compact" car (in American size terms) by chopping off the ends of its existing sedans and hardtop convertibles (the Hawk line excepted).  This in response to a growing sales trend towards smaller cars, exemplified by American Motors' Rambler (formerly a Nash product) and imported cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle.  So Studebaker caught the trend for a few years and prolonged its existence.

Besides hopping on the trend, Lark sales were helped because it was nicely designed.  Not all facelifts are bad.

Gallery

1953 Studebaker Champion
This is an example of Studebaker's redesigned sedans for 1953.

1958 Studebaker Commander
Several facelifts later, we find this awkward pre-Lark sedan.

1959 Studebaker Lark sedan ad card
The large grille recalls Studebaker's Hawk, itself a facelifted version of the classic 1953 Starliner.

1959 Studebaker Lark hardtop ad card
The Lark was a clean design, quite unlike the 1958 Studebaker and other American brands that suffered from the 1950s disease of over-decoration.  This hardtop convertible was especially attractive.

1959 Studebaker Lark publicity photo
Four door sedan Larks were stubby, but that was what buyers of compacts expected.

1959 Studebaker Lark hardtop - rear 3/4 view - sales photo
Lark rear ends were cleanly styled too.  My only complaint is that the wheels and tires are a little smaller than I prefer -- perhaps halfway between what we see here and what the 1953 Champion had.

Citroën DS Critique

For many years, Citroën had the reputation of being an advanced-technology automobile maker.  This was certainly apt regarding its Traction Avant (front-wheel drive) model,  produced 1934-1957.

However, by the late 1940s, the most advanced feature of the Traction Avant was its front-wheel drive, the rest of the car looking distinctly old-fashioned.  Citroën and its Michelin owner were not about to rest on their laurels, setting out to create another technological sensation if they could.

The result was the DS series that entered production in 1955.  Styling was by Flaminio Bertoni, who I wrote about here.  The first of the series was the DS19, the 19 referring to its 1,911 cc motor.  The first link in this paragraph mentions the DS19s major technical innovations: I will focus on its styling.

Gallery

Here is a DS19 on display at a British auto show, not the 1955 Paris show where it made its debut.  Note that this example has right-hand drive.  The light colored car at the upper-right is a Rover.

Publicity photo of a 1956 DS19.  There is no grille to speak of, radiator cooling air entering from the lower part of the front end, a feature common today, but rare then.  DSs had a long 3,124 mm (123.0 in) wheelbase and short front and rear overhang.

Possibly the same car seen in the previous photo, this time apparently at an auto show.  The windshield has tight curve radiuses, so I wonder how much distortion drivers and front-seat passengers experienced.  Bertoni was a sculptural artist, so it is interesting how he treated the lower body, blending the hood with the sides.  I suspect that the high front fenders were dictated by legal requirements in some countries regarding headlight height above the ground, and wonder if Bertoni might have preferred a different treatment.

Rear three-quarter view.  Note the extremely short rear overhang, the rear wheels being placed nearly at the car's corners.  An odd touch is the lights placed at the ends of those tube-like chromed rain gutter formers at the edges of the top.  This seems like a weak copy of space ship and jet aircraft styling features found on many 1950s American cars.

The most striking interior feature was its steering wheel with only one attachment arm.

A publicity photo featuring pretty girls.  The DS had a tall greenhouse with plenty of glass area.  Making this visually even taller was the fact that the doors lacked window frames (though there was a slender B-pillar); see the top image for more detail.  The thin roof, the flat window glass (a technological limitation of the time), the tall greenhouse, the fairly upright windshield and the flat C-pillars combine to create a comparatively rigid form that contrasts with the curvy lower body.  Result: the Citroën DS19 is not a well-integrated design that seemed odd to me when first announced and still does not please me.

What Were They Thinking?: Jaguar XK150

The "What Were They Thinking?" post category here does not refer to Jaguar planners (essentially William Lyons himself) regarding the XK150, produced 1957-1962.  I'm thinking of the reaction of potential buyers and the public at large.

And at the time it was announced I was shocked, thinking it a bloated travesty of the classic XK120.  Road & Track magazine, the automotive bible of my youth, road tested the 150 Roadster in its September 1958 issue.  Its only comment regarding styling was: "Externally the 150 is still unmistakably an XK, but the general lines and appearance have been softened and refined.  More importantly perhaps, the seating position has been tremendously improved, the cockpit is roomier, controls are easier to operate and visibility is better."  I wonder if the fact that Jaguar had been placing ads on the back covers of R&T had anything to do with this mild reaction.

The November 1957 R&T (also with a Jaguar ad on the back cover) had a road test of a XK150 coupe, having this to say regarding styling: "Although observations on a test car's looks sometimes do not sit well with readers, here goes: The front end, a close examination of which discloses that every component has changed, retains its classic beauty.  The 'cab' has an appearance of lightness, correctly symbolizing the improved vision through the wider windshield and rear window.  Its 4-inch gain at shoulder height is too evident, reminding one more of a mature mother cat than a lithe young huntress.  The rear, heaven help us, needs customizing!  Its collection of chrome clutters the excellent basic shape.  (Letters will be answered as time permits.)"  Slightly more critical, but "nuanced" as political thinkers are wont to say these days.  The parenthetical "letters" comment suggests that R&T readers were letting the editors know that the 150s styling was controversial.

The August 1957 issue (Jaguar ad on the back cover) had a story announcing the XK150 coupe.  Its treatment was clinical, no judgment being placed on the styling.

The XK150 was essentially a new body on a slightly modified XK120/140 base.  Wheelbase and width were the same as the 120s dimensions or nearly so, the 150 being 4 inches (20 cm) longer, largely due to heftier bumpers.

Gallery

Jaguar XK120
The initial example of the XK sports car line.  A classic design.  I even approve of the spatted rear wheel openings.

Jaguar XK140 advertisement - 1956
XK140s got heavier bumpers and more chromed trim.  The spats disappeared for good, and the coupe's top was bulkier.  Altogether a slight, yet tolerable, degradation.

Jaguar XK150 Drop-Head Coupe
Fatter hood and curved windshield make the central body ponderous.  The raised fender line is more in line with mid-1950s styling fashions. But note the awkward curve of the front fender -- a lift over the wheel opening that reverses slightly to become a straighter path to the rear fender up-kick.

Jaguar XK150 Fixed Head Coupe
Even though the there is plenty of glass, the overall shape of the top seems a bit too heavy-looking.

1960 Jaguar XK150 Fixed Head Coupe - Barrett-Jackson photo
R&T was right regarding the rear-end ornamentation.  For example, the tail light assemblies could have been trimmed to align with the profile of the trunk and the vertical chromed strip should have been eliminated.  I think the rear window should have been a little less wide; the top's appearance would have been improved without significant degrading of outward visibility.

From the perspective of nearly 60 after its announcement, the XK150 doesn't irk me as much as it did when new.  Much of that has to do with the fact that the 120 has also receded from view (they're seldom seen on streets and roads these days) dulling my sense of comparison.  That said, the 150 is not a good design.  Bulky, with awkward detailing.  William Lyons surely abandoned his good taste with this one.

Side Trim Variations: 1956 Ford Line

Back in what some consider the glory days of the American automobile industry -- the 1950s -- there was for a few years a fad for two and even three colors for the same car.  Moreover, it seemed to be required that those different colors be splashed along the sides, separated by chromed strips of various sizes and shapes.

Two-tone paint jobs were around long before the 1950s.  Before "streamlining" and envelope bodies came on line, two-toning often took the form of fenders, valances covering the frame, and perhaps some other areas being painted black, the remainder of the body being in another color.  By the 1940s, the two-tone convention was that the "greenhouse" -- the part of the body above the "belt line" (roughly at, or just below, the lower edge of the windows) -- would be one color and the rest of the car another.

As noted, in the mid-1950s this convention had been abandoned and marketers were urging stylists to keep up with the competition by creating increasingly baroque color patterns.  Unlike nowadays, most brands were based on a single "platform" or basic body.  So stylists had what amounted to a single canvas to decorate using various color area patterns.

The present post features 1956 Fords.  The Thunderbird and station wagons aside, Ford offered three lines: the entry-level Mainline, the intermediate Customline and the top-level Fairlane.  Each had its side color/trim design.

Gallery

This shows the gamut of 1956 Fords (click to enlarge slightly).  The various lines are discussed below.

Top-of-the-line Fairlanes (named after Henry Ford's estate) carried over the 1955 checkmark color division pattern.  Proportions were altered and the horizontal segment was made wider with ribbing and other details added.  The white or cream color in this illustration covers the hood, trunk and part of the upper sides.

Customline Fords got a different color division design, though the roof and lower body (like the Fairlanes) received one color and the hood, trunk and upper sides another.  However another, traditional, color split was offered.  The green car at the lower left has a dark green top with the rest of the body painted light green.

Mainline Fords featured a variation of the Customline trim.  The upper part of the side trim on the large image above is part of the Customline package.  A lower horizontal chromed strip has been added to define an area of color matching that on the car's top.  The small images show one-tone paint jobs.  On these cars the secondary chromed strip just mentioned is absent.

This is a 1955 Mainline Ford, a bottom-of-the-line car from the previous model year when the two/three tone fad was less intensely followed.  Here there is no chromed side trim and the car is pained using only one color.

1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt Show Car

What we call "concept cars" were rare birds before around 1940.  This Wikipedia article contends that the 1938 Buick Y-Job was the first of that breed.  I'll have to think about that more deeply, but a case might be made that it was the first show car that publicized styling features planned or under consideration for future production.

Not long later, in 1941, Chrysler Corporation in cooperation with Briggs, the body manufacturing firm, announced its Newport and Thunderbolt show cars.  Aside from its integrated fender line, the Newport did little to predict future styling features.  The Thunderbolt, styled by Alex Tremulis, was a different story.  It incorporated "futuristic" details that were in the styling air at the time it was conceived.  Nevertheless, it was not an explicit effort to preview anticipated Chrysler design features.  So a show car it was.

Five Thunderbolts were built, and four are said to exist.  One was auctioned a few years ago by Southeby's RM Auctions.  Their web site has this detailed background information on Thunderbolts in general and the car being auctioned in particular.  An additional source that is well illustrated can be found here.

Gallery

Here is a photo that could have been used for publicity after the background drapery was airbrushed out.  The Thunderbolt featured through-fenders, vestigal rear fenders being a slight bulge.  No grille, air introduced to the radiator via openings below the front bumper -- this was virtually non-existent in 1941, but common today.  A detail slightly out of keeping with Tremulis' theme is the high, V'd hood.  I read someplace that this was necessary because the car used a tall, standard Chrysler radiator that a hoodline was required to clear.

Perhaps the Thunderbolt's most novel feature is its retractable, one-piece metal top.

A Thunderbolt publicity card, probably handed out at car shows where one was displayed.  Car-of-the-future features common around 1940 included enclosed wheels and those ribbed metal strips (a form of faux-streamlining "speed lines") along the sides.  Headlights are hidden, another futuristic cliché.

RM Auctions photo showing the aft end.  Until the 1950s, American stylists seldom did anything fancy with that part of a car; tail lights, a hood handle and a plaque with the car's name often sufficed.  Tremulis left the Thunderbolt's rear plain aside from the bumper that's actually an upside-down front bumper.