To some degree, that can be seen in aspects of automobile styling. One set of extremes is: (1) very squared-off, angular designs such as could be found on late-1920s cars, and (2) highly-rounded designs such as those seen in America around 1936 or 1937.
Today's post features senior-level models of the Chrysler brand such as the New Yorker over the four-decade period 1965-2005. The designs are not as extreme as those just noted, yet nevertheless document the brand's design swings. To some degree these shifts were simply a need perceived by senior styling and marketing executives that it was Time For A Change. However, in the 1990s aerodynamic efficiency requirements were likely an additional factor.
Images below are of cars for sale or factory-sourced unless otherwise noted.
First, an example of 1920s square styling.
And the 1930s rounded style.
Chryslers were redesigned for 1965 in an angular form.
This is especially evident in his side view of the same car.
The general feeling, enhanced by the chrome strip atop the fender, is Elwood Engel's carryover theme from his classic 1961 Lincoln Continental design.
Then the pendulum swung towards roundedness in the form of Chrysler Corporation's "fuselage" styling.
Retained was the large front and rear overhang.
The fuselage look was due to curved sides and strong passenger compartment greenhouse tumblehome.
The next redesign moved away from a rounded look.
And the one after that was quite angular.
Extreme angularity is seen on the brand's K-car derived line.
Then the pendulum moved back towards curves in the form of the "cabover" format.
A variation was the Jaguar-style tucked-down shaping the the aft end of the passenger greenhouse.
Redesigned Concordes for 1998 and derivatives were quite rounded.
Then an abrupt return to angularity with the new 300C design that remains in production in facelifted form.
Rear quarter view. The German license plate is due to Chrysler being owned by Daimler-Benz at the time.
Side view. Much less overhang than in the late '60s and early 1970s.
2 comments:
A few things:
I bet those six window 65-66 Chryslers are a special collector thing now. Dodge did them too but not Plymouth. Too limo-like for the plebes I guess. They were fairly rare then and obviously more so now. The extra window cut into the wide T-Bird style C pillar adds tension to the already squarish body, and it's a real window that would ad to the already airy interior for the rear seat passengers. I walked by a perfect looking 67 Plymouth 4 dr hardtop (in the NE!) the other day (facelift of the same body). Seemed kinda normal at the time, but you really got a whole lot of car for your low price class dollar in those days, and the Engel fill-out-the-box style makes them look even bigger. That thing was vast.
The fuselage Chryslers continue the Engel edge at the top of the fenders while the greenhouse in between blends in, adding some sharpness to the shape and making it look even wider (but the windows are too small for the mass of the body). But look at the last Chrysler: edges still there at least in front. The original 61 Lincoln was basically two flat square chrome (well, stainless) edged walls with a fuselage (body only, not greenhouse) in between. It even ends with a wide low flattened jet exhaust grille at the back.
A very nice Concorde just like the one pictured was parked right on my Brooklyn block last week. Without knowing the future of cars I didn't realize how really awesome that design was at the time. Cars were still pretty low then, and it still looks like a concept car 30+ years later in part because of that.
Minor correction - the 1983 Chrysler Fifth Avenue was an M-platform model, not a K-car derivative.
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