Re: Synopsis of forces and events leading to '48-'50 styling

Posted by bkazmer On 2020/3/17 14:02:50

Nice summary. The Chrysler Thunderbolt and Newport prewar show cars were also influential, it would seem to me. While styling is as you say subjective, the requirement to reuse the Clipper tooling while having a flow-through side is what drove the doors being wider than the greenhouse. The closed cars' proportions are made a bit odd by this. The convertible won a styling prize.

I don't agree on GM having handled the styling era well - their financial muscle carried them through. The post-war Cadillac design still had rear fenders, as did Chevrolet through 54. The Independents led the way out of pre-war styling.