Pontiac Aztek and Buick Rendezvous Revisited

The Pontiac Aztek SUV is often the butt of criticism regarding its styling.   Back in 2013, I posted "Aztek Rendezvous" about the Aztek and the Buick Rendezvous that shared its basic body.

Now that more, and often better, images are available on the Internet, I thought we should revisit those designs.  What is interesting is that the Rendezvous' styling suffered less criticism, even though its design also had some quirky features.  Plus, its sales were much better than Aztek's: 198,000+ (data seem to be incomplete) versus 119,000.  This was despite that its base price (around $25,500) was greater than Aztek's (around $22,000).

Those designs were developed while Wayne Cherry was Design Vice President at General Motors.

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2001 Pontiac Aztek - BaT Auctions photos
Aztek's grille was a split-level version of Pontiac's signature vertically split grille theme.

2002 Buick Rendezvous - factory photo
Rendezvous's grille was similar to those on other recent Buick models -- ovaloid with vertical bars.

The gray side scheme adds visual bulk due to its shaping.  The horizontal character folds are an echo of Pontiac's Silver Streak theme of the mid 1930s to mid-'50s.

2003 Pontiac Aztek - car-for-sale photo
It is not found on this later Aztek.  Sales probably weren't helped much, because the memory of the earlier theme might have lingered in the minds of potential buyers.  The rear quarter window's shape is logical, but it seems too large.  Chrome trim linking window tops and bottoms across the C-pillar might have reduced the effect by creating a unified window profile.

2003 Buick Rendezvous - car-for-sale photos
The C-pillar zone differs here, though the swath from the roof through the tail light assemblies with the dark window overlay is as quirky as some of the Aztek's details.  Side sculpting is fussy, but less so than the original Aztek's.

Not beautiful, but logical.  The relationship to the unfortunate quarter window and the "D" post degrades the theme.

The scoop cutline and how it ties to the rear is interesting, but not attractive.  Too large, too bold on this relatively small vehicle.

1952 Dodge Hardtop: Its Competition and a Walkaround

Chrysler Corporation's postwar designs were announced during the 1949 model year and the basic bodies remained in production through 1952 -- a four-year run.

In those days, a three-year run probably would have been considered more ideal, but material shortages in the USA due to the Korean War seem to have disrupted normal Detroit practices.  Besides Chrysler, General Motors' high-production A-body Chevrolets and Pontiacs remained unchanged for model year 1949-52.  And its B and C bodies had four-year runs 1950-1953.  Studebaker's new 1947 body set continued through 1952.  Hudson kept its 1948 body in production through 1954.  Kaiser was redesigned for 1951, and Nash for 1952.  But Ford Motor Company's 1949 designs were all replaced for the 1952 model year.

So there was some new-design competition for Chrysler's 1952 offerings, but not a lot.  That said, how did the Corporation's styling stack up against its 1952 rivals?  Today's post features the '52 Dodge hardtop and competing hardtops in its general price range.

Let's pretend we're in 1952 and shopping for a lower-medium price range hardtop.  A possible set of choices follows:

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1952 Dodge Coronet Diplomat - car-for-sale photo set
First, a brief walkaround of a Dodge hardtop.

The basic shape is not sleek.  But the intent of the 1949 Chrysler Corporation packaging was a car smaller on the outside, larger on the inside, presumably tall enough for a passenger to wear a hat while traveling.

Rear fender could be detached if repairs were needed.

The window design is essentially that first found on 1949 Oldsmobiles, Buick and Cadillacs.

Windshields are two-pane, flat glass.  Outdated.

Grille design is distinctive, but those segment above the main chrome bar seem odd.  Well, they seemed odd to me back in those days.

1952 Pontiac Chieftain 8 Catalina - car-for-sale photo
Passenger compartment greenhouse follows the '49 Olds-Buick-Cadillac theme that the Dodge borrowed.  The windshield is two-piece, but the glass is curved.  Lower body is not boxy, like Dodge's.

1952 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday - Barrett-Jackson Auctions photo
GM's B-body hardtop design.  The rear fender is not distinct, only indicated by the flowing fenderline.

1952 Buick Special Riviera - car-for-sale photo
Another B-body GM hardtop.  Much more rounded than the Dodge.  Also more side chrome in the form of Buick's trademark Sweepspear.  Plus the "portholes."

1952 Mercury Monterey - car-for-sale photo
A new design for 1952.  Boxy, but not as boxy as the Dodge.  Enlivened by fake air intakes on the hood and flanks.  Windshield is curved, one-piece glass.  Altogether a more modern design in early 1950s American context.

1952 Studebaker Champion Starliner - car-for-sale photo
The lower body is a facelifted version of a 1947 design.  But that design was advanced for its time.  The greenhouse is new for 1952.
The Dodge's styling is less attractive, less interesting than its competition.   A little old-fashioned compared to the rivals shown here.  However, Dodges had a reputation for reliability, which was important for many potential buyers.  Plus, a V-8 motor was available, unlike the Pontiacs and Buicks.

Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta Walkaround

Model 166 MM (Mille Miglia) was Ferrari's earliest car to see more than token production.  Some background is here, though slightly buried.

What is noteworthy from a styling perspective is the Barchetta version by Carrozzeria Touring, a design that set the image of Ferraris for years to come.  This was largely in the form of the grille -- a modified oval frame with eggcrate bars over the opening.

Images below are of a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta by Touring.  Those showing a blue-dark green car are via Ferrari unless noted otherwise.   Photos of a red car are via Bonhams Auctions.  The black and white racing photo is via RM Sotheby's Auctions.

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The dark paint colors and shiny surfaces show off the design's form in stronger fashion than in the images of the red car below.  The grille on this car is eggcrate, but with chromed horizontal bars dominating.

The main body rises above the fenderline, front and rear.

A side character line drapes across wheel openings, fading away at the rear.

Photo via supercars.net.  The interior seems rather fancy for a car capable of Mille Miglia competition: something more industrial might be expected.

Dashboard and cockpit.  The Barchetta is a roadster, but I see no sign of side curtains for weather protection.

Now for a set a walkaround images.  This car has the classic Ferrari grille.

No front bumper to interfere with body-shape purity.

The fenderline is not far above the wheel openings.

No rear bumper, either.

The plaque above the trunk handle is Touring's logotype.

Tail lights are mounted on the trunk lid, not the fenders or other rear-end sheet metal.

Nice, pleasingly trim design on a 95-inch (2420 mm) wheelbase.

Not a classic, standout design, but one that strikes me as being very appropriate for its time.

The men in the car provide a sense of scale -- those Barchettas were small cars.  Photo taken at the Coppa della Toscana race, 1951.

More on Hudson's 1936 to 1947 Basic Body Evolution

Nowadays, a car body can remain in production for many years -- decades, even.  For example, the Chrysler 300 sedan was offered model years 2005-2023.  And the Volkswagen Beetle's postwar production run was 1946-2003.  But American carmakers from the 1930s into the 1960s tended to keep a basic design in production for two to four model years.

An exception was Hudson.  A new design was launched for 1936 and that body remained in production through the 1947 model year.  Due to World War 2, there were no 1943-45 models, but that body was retained for a net nine model years.  I posted about that here.

The present post is a footnote to the previous one.  It displays side views of Hudson sedans revealing the retention of the expensive-to-modify passenger compartment, while other parts were cleverly facelifted over the years.  Side views of Hudsons were sometimes hard to find.  Also, Hudson had a variety of models over those years that had different wheelbases.  Some models had wheelbase variations from year to year.  So to help gauge effects of facelifts and model differences, I'm supplying wheelbase data in the captions below.

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1936 Hudson Custom Eight - car-for-sale photo
The new design.  Its wheelbase is 120 inches (3048 mm).  The previous design also had large, tall windows.  That might have been fine for passengers, but impeded stylists from creating sleek appearance.  In contrast, the windshield is short.

1937 Hudson Custom Six Touring Sedan - Daniel Schmitt photo
The wheelbase is 122 inches (3099 mm).  This photo was taken using a somewhat wide-angle lens (note distortion of tires), so the car looks a bit longer than it should.  I couldn't find another suitable side view.  Manufacturer's model names did not consistently follow this, but a "town sedan" in those days had a small, internal trunk, whereas a "touring sedan" featured an "attached" trunk visible at the rear.  Note that the front door is hinged on the A-pillar, unlike in 1936.

1938 Hudson Terraplane - Wikimedia Commons photo
This model's wheelbase was 117 inches (2972 mm), the shortest shown here.  Most of the 1938 facelifting had to do with the grille and front end.

1939 Hudson Country Club Eight Touring Sedan - Worldwide Auctioneers photo
Another 122 inch wheelbase.  This was Hudson's most expensive model.  Some were built on a longer wheelbase.  Again, the front was facelifted.  Fender design is also changed, along with the aft end (wider "D-pillar" zone).

1940 Hudson Super Six - car-for-sale photo
Its wheelbase is 118 inches (2997 mm).  Town sedan style aft end.  Another front end facelift, including the forward part of the front fenders.  Compare the hood to, say, the 1937 version.

1941 Hudson Commodore Eight - car-for-sale photo
Wheelbase is 121 inches (3073 mm), and is the same for the cars shown below.  Visible here are reshaped fenders and a revised rear quarter window profile.  More important, the trunk has been blended to the body as a bustle-back; that was an important step to make Hudsons look as contemporary as possible, given the 1936 body structure.  Due to the war, changes were minimal after this.

1942 Hudson Commodore Eight - car-for-sale photo
The after part of the front fender is reshaped, and the rear fender looks like that from 1940.  Doors are reshaped at the bottom to cover the running board (General Motors was doing this as early as the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special).

1946 Hudson Super Eight - car-for-sale photo
Until around 1949, it was a "seller's market" in postwar America.  Absence of 1943-45 cars created strong demand for new cars, so prewar designs were continued by all carmakers for a while.  Hudsons for 1946 and 1947 were essentially the same as '42s aside from a new (in '46) grille design.  Postwar redesigned Hudsons appeared for 1948.

1955 Ghia ST Special Chrysler

The period 1951-1955 saw four generations of Chrysler Special coupes built by Carrozzeria Ghia.  The 1952 car was designed by Virgil Exner as a concept car.  In 1953 the original design was adapted for a longer wheelbase and a limited number were made by Ghia for sale in Europe.  This design was modified for 1954 and also built in a small quantity.  I dealt with all those here.

Today's subject is the final version, based on 1955 Chryler New Yorker components (some background here).  Only four of these cars were built.

In the post linked above, I speculated that the facelift of the 1954 GS-1 was the work of Ghia, not a design sent to Italy from Chrysler.  Internet information on the 1955 ST Special is scanty.  So once again, I'll speculate, asserting that its design was entirely by Ghia, not counting some exterior items from '55 New Yorkers.

The design is attractive in the classic 1950s Italian coachbuilding idiom for coupes.  Some gestures toward contemporary Chrysler production styling were included to help justify that the cars were more than new designs atop Chrysler chassis' and running gear.

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1952 Chrysler Styling Special - factory photo
The original Styling Special by Exner.

1953 Chrysler Special (production version) - Hyman, Ltd. photo
The longer wheelbase version.

1954 Chrysler GS-1 (Ghia Special) - Hyman
And its facelift.

1955 Ghia ST Special Chrysler - RM Sotheby's Auctions photo
Although the design is in the 1950s Italian coupe idiom, the car is larger than normal for Italy, being based on production '55 Chrysler New Yorkers.

1955 Chrysler New Yorker St Regis Coupe - Mecum Auctions photo
Carryover items from production Chryslers such as seen here include the bumper and its attachments that include a grille bar.  The headlight assemblies are also from Chrysler, as is (probably) the windshield.

1955 Ghia ST Special Chrysler - Mecum Auction photo
Besides echoing the production 1955 fender sculpting, the 1954 GS-1 sculpting is essentially retained.

1955 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe Nassau Coupe - Mecum
Sides of ST Special seem slightly narrower than production Chryslers.  The letter's fenders and side sculpting being shapely, rather than sketched as on the ST here.

1955 Ghia ST Special Chrysler - Mecum
Rear quarter view.  Most of the body, along with the passenger compartment greenhouse, strikes me as being on the austere side.  I chalk that up as a consequence of the larger-than-normal-for-Italy body package.  That is, the design would have been more pleasing on the smaller car.

1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe Newport Coupe - car-for-sale photo
Borrowed features include the tail light assemblies and the bumper.  The Chrysler crest above the trunk keyhole has different "wings."

Peugeot 601 Coach Profilé: "Airline" Type Body

Around the mid-1930s there was a styling fashion related to increasing interest in streamlining car shapes.   This "streamlining" was done on the cheap.  Since it wasn't practical or economically feasible to quickly redesign car bodies for most carmakers, the solution was to round off rear-ends.  This improved aerodynamic efficiency only a little -- what was actually needed were rounded front ends such as on the new 1934 Chrysler Airflow line.  But those "streamlined" afts had the sales virtue of at least seeming streamlined.

I posted "Gallery of English 'Airline' Designs" here, British carmakers being the fashion leaders for that style.  "Airline" was the term used for it.  Some examples I posted about were the "Airline Bodied Triumph Gloria" here, and "1935 Clément-Talbot 105 Airline Saloon" here.

Other countries got into the act, too.   A French example was in the Peugeot 601 line.  It was the 1935 Peugeot 601 D Longue Coach Sport Profilé, this post's featured car.

Longe (Long) refers to wheelbase.  The 601 was Peugeot's short-lasting mid-30s upscale line whose wheelbases were 2,980 mm (117 inches) for the 601 Normale, and 3,200 mm (126 inches) for the Longue.  The Coach Sport was Longue, allowing for a more graceful profile than found on stubbier British Airline examples.

Most photos below are from original sources that I cannot determine.

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The front is conventional Peugeot 601.  The only whiff of streamlining is the slanted, slightly "shovel nose" grille.

The windshield is sloped back somewhat.  The beltline falls off to the rear abaft of the B-pillar -- falling beltlines also being found on Peugeot's new 402 "Fuseau Sochaux" line, many Renaults, and the Citroën Traction-Avant models.

The backlight window is placed fairly high, perhaps to allow for more trunk room.

Overhead frontal view.  The body widens from front to rear.

Overhead rear view.  Interesting how the rear fender is blended towards the back edge of the body.

Another example.  From images found on Web searches, it looks like at least three of these cars survive.

A graceful production design for its time.  Peugeot's new (as of 1932) styling chief Henri Thomas' previous experience included working for coachbuilding firms, which might be why this car has a custom-car appearance.