I normally find it difficult to claim this or that is my favorite in response to questions such as "What is your favorite thing in Paris?" Maybe I spent too much time in grad school or perhaps it's simply the way I've been for many years, but I nearly always need to qualify my answer. Or not have an answer at all. I cannot say what my favorite Paris thing is, for example.
But when it comes to American automobile designs, I actually do have a favorite, and I've had that favorite for decades. It's the 1936-37 Cord 810-812. As early as age 13 or so, photos of Cords fascinated me. And once, around that time, I saw a pale yellow Cord sedan rolling along the street, the driver going about his business (never saw that again, by the way). I was thrilled.
Just in case,
here is some background on those Cords.
The images below are of 1936 Cord 810 Westchester sedans, Gordon Buehrig's core design: click on them to enlarge.
Gallery
Front and rear quarter views of Cords auctioned by Hyman, Ltd.
Side view via RM Auctions.
Cord patent drawings. The positions of the retractable headlights are those found on the prototype car.
Overhead view of the prototype. I think that the key to the the design is the area forward of the passenger compartment -- specifically the shapes of the hood, fenders, catwalks and those cooling-related slats. Any variation of those details would have ruined the effect Buehrig created.
These final images are photos I took a few years ago in Reno. First, there is the visual tension between the rounded fenders and the more angular hood. Then there is the placement of those fenders and the sheet metal between them (covering part of the front-wheel-drive mechanism) that's well forward of the front of the hood. Again, a contrast creating a kind of visual tension. The grille/vent slat design is far different from mid-1930s American styling fashions. Very simple, while enhancing the relatively angular theme of the hood. Besides that, there is the subtlety of the front of the hood assembly -- it isn't vertical, but leans sightly forward. This makes it seem vertical, analogous to the slightly bulged columns of the Parthenon.
As can be seen in the overhead view of the prototype, the fenders are separated from the body by a narrow catwalk. This separation is another subtle yet essential detail so far as Buehrig's theme is concerned. Merging the fenders and the body would have destroyed the contrast theme. Helping this is the lack of running boards. The 1934 LaSalle had similar fenders and a catwalk, but the aft part of the fenders were connected to running boards, thus reducing their visual separation from the rest of the car.
I do agree that the styling of the Cord 810 was revolutionary, although the majority of what makes it revolutionary is all forward of the A pillar. In terms of streamlining, it probably owed a lot to the Chrysler Airflow, but in keeping the separate fenders and hood it still had an air familiarity about the layout. I do think more effort could have been put into the passenger compartment to make it more exciting. Then again, the main feature of the Cord being it's front wheel drive layout, maybe showcasing the front end was the whole point.
ReplyDeleteYup. To me the 1961 Lincoln Continental is a postwar contender. A runner up is maybe the car that looks like the spawn of the Cord and the Lincoln, the 1966 Toronado.
ReplyDeleteWho ever wrote the first posting has obviously not been too close to any Cords.
ReplyDeleteThe whole car was revolutionary. The interiors were designed to be pretty sumptuous with contrasting colours to the body colour. Wollen boradcloth was used in the basic Westchester sedans however pleated leather was optional.
The dash board was based on aircraft of the day which were ICONS of progress.
Most Cords were fitted with a radio which you could hear simply because the rest of the car was so quiet. Sitting in the back seat of a Cord is an unforgettable experience compared to most other makes from the same time frame.
If that was not enough the company offered a Custom Series Cord which was more of a limousine with more comfort and facilities for the passengers.
They are wonderful cars to look at and more importantly .............. drive.