I usually place the endpoint of this evolution in terms of the 1949 Ford, an attractive design where all elements were essentially integrated into the car body.
As for the 1940 model year, the redesigned cars from General Motors and Chrysler Corporation were smooth, not awkward like earlier designs produced during the evolution. Today's post presents some sedan designs along with a few examples from 1939, the previous model year, to illustrate this step in the styling transition.
I previously posted on this subject here and here regarding 1940 General Motors designs.
Unless noted, images below are of cars listed for sale on the Internet.
Chrysler's 1939 line was given major facelifts, mostly from the windshield forward, an expensive means of transitioning to the redesigned 1940 cars.
This basic body was used from 1940 to partway into the 1949 model year, aside from wartime years when production was curtailed.
Brand distinction was mostly from the cowling forwards. Here is the DeSoto version.
The heavily facelifted '39 Chrysler Royal, the entry-level Chrysler brand model.
The 1939 Royal looks awkward compared to this tidier, smoother design. By the 1940 model year, Detroit stylists and body engineers had finally learned how to use 1930s glass and metal-forming technology advances to create pleasing designs.
This was a new design for that model year, but still somewhat awkward. The front fenders are not well blended into the main body, and the headlight assemblies are not integrated at all.
General Motors' C-body for 1940 marks the culmination of 1930s lessons-learned.
A nicely integrated design aside from the fussy grille and not-quite-integrated headlight assemblies (that transition would be completed for 1941).
Now for a few views of Buick's Super, its entry-level C-body. Again, the grille and headlamps are still needing refinement.
2 comments:
Since I didn't grow up in that period I sort of overlooked it, but the 1930's horseless carriage to almost modern cars was indeed a whole lot of change in one decade. And yes, really nothing in sedan body design changed much from the 1949 Ford until now, 70+ years later.
Interesting how GM was supposed to be the style leader yet dragged their feet on getting the headlights integrated and to the edges of the body. And how Chrysler was definitely looking at the Lincoln Zephyr when they did the '40 DeSoto grille. Then at Cord for the '42 headlights. Have to admit the steering wheel hub capable of handing you cigarettes was original though.
I agree with the earlier comment. Change from even almost mid 1930s to the 1936, Say Buick was, to me, astounding. What I have seen very little online, and I would love to see you do something (unless I missed it) on the wood based construction of the earlier cars. I believe that Dodge and maybe other Chrysler products went to all steel earlier than GM, But I am not sure.
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