Cadillac's Sharpened Front Fenders, 1934-1935

General Motors' top-of-the-line Cadillacs and LaSalles were redesigned for the 1934 model year.  LaSalle styling was more memorable than Cadillac's, if the attention automobile historians give it is any indication.  Even I wrote about it here.

But what about Cadillac?  It was only recently that I finally noticed an unusual and distinctive styling feature -- the shape of the front part of front fenders on V8 and V12 Caddies.  This feature was carried over in the 1935 model year and abandoned for 1936.

The feature is hard to describe, so it's best to jump straight into Gallery photos.

Gallery

1934 Cadillac Coupe, Hyman auction photo.  Note the profile of the car's right front fender.  There's a horizontal fold line at the most forward part of that fender.

This is a 1934 LaSalle, RM Sotheby's photo.  Front fenders are the same as Cadillac's, except the forward profile is a single curve.

Move actress Jean Harlow posing by a 1934 Cadillac V12 that has the sharpened front fender design.

But the 1934 Cadillac V16 Formal Sedan in this RM Sotheby's photo has rounded fender fronts.  Only V8s and V12s got the sharpened ones, it seems.

Frontal view of a 1935 Cadillac Coupe.  This image shows the sculpting more clearly.  A major difference between 1934 and 1935 Cadillacs and LaSalles is the replacement of the delicate '34 "biplane" style bumpers with solid, one-piece items.

Another Mecum auction photo of the same car, again clearly showing how the front fenders were sculpted.

Frontal view of a 1935 LaSalle, "for sale" photo.

1935 Cadillac V12 Fleetwood Town Cabriolet, Bonhams photo.  Again, V12s got those sharpened fenders.

Finally, a 1935 Cadillac V16 with its conventional-looking front fenders.  This time the actress is Marlene Dietrich.