Detroit vs. the Customizers

Below is a great article from the June 1956 issue of Rod & Custom where the question was put forward, “Who’s Copying Whom?” Were Detroit designers getting all of their forward thinking ideas lifted from customizers, or were the lead slingers merely ‘mix and matching’ the various auto designers latest models into one car? The magazine went about answering the question in a very responsible way; Allowing both the Detroit Stylist and Car Customizer (in this case George Barris) to share their unique opinions on the matter and then let the reader decide. In the end, they each come to the conclusion that both groups need each other, as stock automobiles are the palette for a Customizer’s vision, and that creation could inspire Detroit to keep pushing their future production designs as well.

At the end of the article, I love the photographic evidence of custom features that were seen on production cars a few years later!