Re: 56 concept
Posted by Mahoning63 On 2018/11/17 15:00:33
It belongs right here until BigKev says otherwise, as do our etiquette norms.
Yes, there is a clash of two body sections that is not apparent in side view but you guys know the 3D surfacing better than anyone. The radius from body to rear fender crown is tighter than body to front fender crown, the two surfaces intersecting at forward edge of the fender bulge creating a shelf with a slight trough. With straight-through sides this clash would have needed resolved, probably just forward of windshield if rear fenders had been carried over. This is how the 57 Program handled the same issue. Alternatively, if rear fenders were to have been reshaped, the disconnect could have been resolved aft of backlight like on the Panther show car.
Putting the handles on the top part of side trim certainly could have been explored, bringing its own plus & minus to appearance and also a potential customer reach issue for tall folks.
As for the bulges on body, yes that would have been the case, not unlike any car with broad shoulders, 58 and later Lincolns coming to mind. And a bulge at bottom of door had rear fender shape been carried all the way forward. Whether all this would have looked good/bad is a matter of personal preference. I do think that had Packard decided to invest more money in the 55 major refresh to get to straight-through sides, they might as well have widened the front track since they were already tearing everything up underhood and installing new suspension. This would have widened the body in forward half of car and put the body surface on same same plane as rear fender bulge. Without it the body might have bowed out at center of vehicle.
From an appearance perspective my feeling is that first priority was tooling a longer hardtop roof for the 127 sedan, sorely needed by 56. Also helpful would have been shaving 1.5 inches off the sills - Reinhart's high pockets - which would have forced the handles to the body, which would have all but forced reverse opening rear doors else rear handles would stick out and look odd. Also on the list would have been a cleaned up Request grill and straight-through sides. The first two were really needed in 54, imho, at least as a high end offer to help Packard take on Cadillac's best.
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Yes, there is a clash of two body sections that is not apparent in side view but you guys know the 3D surfacing better than anyone. The radius from body to rear fender crown is tighter than body to front fender crown, the two surfaces intersecting at forward edge of the fender bulge creating a shelf with a slight trough. With straight-through sides this clash would have needed resolved, probably just forward of windshield if rear fenders had been carried over. This is how the 57 Program handled the same issue. Alternatively, if rear fenders were to have been reshaped, the disconnect could have been resolved aft of backlight like on the Panther show car.
Putting the handles on the top part of side trim certainly could have been explored, bringing its own plus & minus to appearance and also a potential customer reach issue for tall folks.
As for the bulges on body, yes that would have been the case, not unlike any car with broad shoulders, 58 and later Lincolns coming to mind. And a bulge at bottom of door had rear fender shape been carried all the way forward. Whether all this would have looked good/bad is a matter of personal preference. I do think that had Packard decided to invest more money in the 55 major refresh to get to straight-through sides, they might as well have widened the front track since they were already tearing everything up underhood and installing new suspension. This would have widened the body in forward half of car and put the body surface on same same plane as rear fender bulge. Without it the body might have bowed out at center of vehicle.
From an appearance perspective my feeling is that first priority was tooling a longer hardtop roof for the 127 sedan, sorely needed by 56. Also helpful would have been shaving 1.5 inches off the sills - Reinhart's high pockets - which would have forced the handles to the body, which would have all but forced reverse opening rear doors else rear handles would stick out and look odd. Also on the list would have been a cleaned up Request grill and straight-through sides. The first two were really needed in 54, imho, at least as a high end offer to help Packard take on Cadillac's best.
Attach file:
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