The title of this post is cryptic because I couldn't find a brief way to describe the fender design in question.
The Mecum auction photo above of a 1949 Buick should tell the tale visually. What we see is a front fender that sweeps towards the rear where it is met by a separate rear fender. And the upper profile lines merge, making the rear fender slightly less distinct than would have been the case had the profiles not merged.
This concept appeared on mass-production cars in America starting with the postwar-redesigned General Motors C-bodies used on most Cadillacs and Oldsmobile's 98 line. The design spread to all GM brands for 1949. A few years later Packards and senior Chrysler brands featured such fenders. By the 1957 model year, it was no longer used.
The advantage of that fender design on the relatively tall cars of the time was that the distinct rear fenders reduced the visual bulk of what otherwise would likely be slab fender sides.
More information is provided in the image captions below. Unless noted, photos are from the manufacturer or are of cars listed for direct sale.
Only a few of these Phil Wright designed Silver Arrows were made. This might be the first use of a fender design similar to the subject of this post. GM stylists were surely aware of this car.
Very close to the GM design was the fender treatment on postwar Studebakers. As with the Silver Arrow, the upper fender profiles do not quite merge.
Here is an early example of the GM design.
A Cadillac with those fenders and the first Caddy tail fins.
Sixty Specials received a unique, more squared-off frontal profile of the aft fender.
Chevy's used GM's new A-bodies. The rear fender was removable, as emphasized by the narrow chrome strip surrounding most of it.
But A-bodied Pontiacs had integral rear fenders. Chevrolets got these for the 1951 model year.
New A-bodies appeared for 1953-54, retaining the fender treatment.
Pontiac Star Chiefs using the A-body were long cars, the extra length found on the trunk area. Compare this rear fender with that of the Chevy in the previous image. This was the final model year for General Motors cars having that fender design.
Chrysler Corporation used the design on its 1953-54 Chrysler and DeSoto brands.
By 1954 the fender design seemed out-of-date to many potential car buyers.
Restyled 1951 Packards also featured the design.
1955 Packards were heavily facelifted. Rear fenders received vertical fronts somewhat like the Cadillac Sixty Special shown above. Note the side chrome swath, chrome strips and the fake fender airintake. All of these served to disguise the now-dated fender design.
Packard's entry-level (for the brand) Clipper line had more visible rear fenders that featured a revised front profile. 1956 was the last year for this body design.
7 comments:
I rarely, actually never, disagree with your judgment, but here I do. I think 1949 was the pinnacle of U.S. auto design. After 1954, most cars relied on chrome zigzag two-toned slab sides. Think 1957-59 cars with all that, what? Side Art? In retrospect, to me, the 1949 cars hit it right on the nose with those "crouching power" rear haunches. Just my taste and as they say, "Your mileage may vary".
I've noticed the postwar rear fender (or sort of fender) thing too. Many car stylists just couldn't get quite past the idea for a long time. The first postwar design Chrysler products, being the most traditional, also blended the front fender shape into the body instead of continuing it to the rear. And even on the 1947 Studebakers the part of the fender shape on the rear door wasn't separate like on two door models.
Ford showed 'em how to do a no-fenders pontoon body with the top of the fender/body line almost right up to the windows, and without looking like a blimp. GM and Chrysler resisted until 1954 and '55. But the biggest body GM cars (big Buicks and Cadillacs) still had that line dropped a few inches below the windows, and all the GM's had rounded bump-up to still suggest the rear fender.
Look at the 1949 Mercury with its fenders blended into the body up to the doors then goes down and almost disappeared to the rear.
That's a 1949 Fleetwood Sixty Special, not a 1948.
Presently have one, and also had a 1948 Fleetwood Sixty Special. Difference (mainly) are grille, foglights, dash, and engine). As super trivia, the Goddess hood ornament is mounted 1" closer to the front on the '49, in order to make the hood appear longer. Currell Pattie
Currell -- Thanks for the correction. I should have caught that because I am well aware of Caddy grille changes 48 to 49. I checked Mecum's page and they had the correct year, so it's clearly my mistake.
I notice that I have the same mistake (due to my image filing system) in another post.
The 1955 Mercury also has vestiges of the rear fenders
Oh, by the way, the 1955 Mercury has vestiges of rear fenders.
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