It's all a matter of fashion, of course. But since the early 1970s, women's fashions are more eclectic, and harder to pin down by date -- though there are some exceptions. Fortunately for this blog, automobile styling fashions have been fairly easy to identify by period. Again, in more recent times, that task has become more difficult. That's because car body designs remain in production far longer than they did in, say, 1934-1980 America.
Today's post presents some upper-middle priced cars from the period 1974-1978 or so. They are of the so-called "three-box" variety common in the years leading up to wind tunnel influenced shaping. The cars shown are four-door sedans or hardtop (pillarless) sedans from each of America's Big Three automakers. Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation examples are surprisingly similar.
This Marquis generation was launched for the 1973 model year. Headlights were rectangular-shape, here hidden behind retractible doors when not in use. The hood is sculpted to blend into the rectangular grille frame.
Exactly the same things could be said about this Dodge. Monacos were redesigned for 1974, but develop[ment was probably largely set when the '73 Marquis appeared.
Introduced for model year 1977 as a down-sized car -- shorter, with flatter sides. That makes it less comparable to the larger cars shown above. That said, its general appearance is similar to the others.
Compare passenger compartment greenhouse, fenderline, door cut-lines, etc. to those of the Dodge below.
Monaco's Wheelbase is 121.5 inches (3086 mm), the Marquis' is 124 inches (3150 mm). The difference can be seen in the relationships of C-pillar zones to rear wheel openings.
Wheelbase is 119 inches (3023 mm), down from 127 (3226 mm). It resembles the other cars most closely in side-view from the B-pillar forwards.
Rear-quarter views.
I couldn't find a closer perspective view, but note the tail light placement is below the trunk lid on both cars.
Backlight window is more vertical than on the other designs. Rear-end detailing has a more delicate look.
The previous, much-longer Olds 98. Backlight is slanted like those on the Dodge and Mercury above. Note the tail end detail carryover to the 1977 redesign shown in the previous image.
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