Projects When "Ugly" Becomes "Quaint"

VERY true, that. Some good hot rod history there, there was a ton of "buzz" about them in Hot Rod and Car Life at the time.

 

More dead-nuts TRUTH there, Chrysler was light years ahead of GM and FoMoCo in the late fifties and early sixties.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder/beer holder.

Don,your old enough to remember back as recent as the 70's when most hot rodder thought the 1937 Fords were ugly ducklings but some ingenious hot rodder dropped one down and it was a home run. HRP

 

Danny, I STILL think the 37 Ford is ugly. But just like my ugly ex wife, I can still love ugly...

 

You nailed it brother, 37-8 (all) and 39 Standard. I thought they were the ugliest Ford ever penciled. Now I own a 39 Std and think it's beautiful, actually prefer it over the Deluxe and even the 40 (both). In my youth I used to tel dear ol Dad that Henry's guys could see into the future and designed the 37 to be a hot rod in it's later life, thinking it was butt ugly in stock condition.

 

I heard the reason they made those cars so ugly was to make the 1961 Darts and Polara's look like a normal car while sitting on the lot.

 

Guess I've had bad taste in car designs.

My '37

 

Ugly by any other name is still ugly.

 

Beauty is subjective, and they sold enough Lancers to people who liked space age design that there are at least a few that survive today. People have different taste. Some people even think vinyl siding and granite countertops are beautiful.

 

Quaint is a nice way of putting it. As a young guy still running peddle power when these came out, I can honestly say I never once heard the word 'quaint' when referring these when new. I do believe the word 'fugly' was coined right around the same time though...

 

Au Contraire, Doc! Great taste in car designs, but obvious gag reflex in wheels.

 

THESE are the cars that the word "fugly" was coined for... It was almost like Chrysler KNEW that their engineering was so superior at the time, that they were daring people to buy their products in SPITE of the looks!

 

It was a cluster fugly...

 

My lovely young wife, Joey, had a Valiant she drove while attending City College.
She was 'sheepish' in showing me some pictures of it, thought I'd laugh. I didn't, just told her she looked 'out of place' in a car like that. (she should have 'dressed down'!)
A month later, I had a '61 Valiant in the shop for a complete engine rebuild! (original owner car, high mileage. 200K+!)
Note here: my old drag racing friend produced a picture of my old 330 Dodge w/426 Short Ram and TorqFlite...High in front, NOT pretty! She gave me the 'look'. (much laughter...the 'style' was killin' me.)

 

Heres another one that just totally blew my juvenile mind. Jan. 1970 Isky car of the month, get this. 383 with dual afb's, and an Isky 310 (BIG cam) 4 speed, 3.91s and Blue Streak slicks.


If the phrase "fugly" was coined for those '61 Polaras, the phrase "bad-ass" was coined for this car. Is it becoming more clear why this child of the sixties has ALWAYS dug Lancers?

 

Saw a same year Dodge Seneca a little east, last year while out driving. 2 door sedan, faded red, with the 413 push button. Had an amazing dash, with its chevron shaped steering wheel. Big ole' boat really ... odd rounded rear fins/scallops/dunno' what you'd call 'em, painted rims and caps, current Texas inspection sticker sitting on the windshield waiting to be driven away. Ugly maybe but pretty damned cool to see it in all its glory .... I've always liked those years.

Nice Lancer !!! Looks fun. Hope I'm right.

 

Stoplight cameras won't even take their picture.

 

I have been driving my wagon as a daily all summer. I constantly get comments on how cool that car is. I have heard several times " I thought they were ugly when they came out but now I see one 40 years later its kinda cool."

 

Just to clarify, ugly & cool sometimes go together like the proverbial pea's & carrots. There definitely is a cool factor involved, no matter the look.

 

I think the '37 Ford front end is one of the best ever designed. The low hood line, sexy headlights, grille shape - I think it is better looking than the '40!!!! Kind of wish I'd never sold it!

 

Sorry, but I think those Chrysler's are some of the ugliest cars ever "designed" , if you can call it that. Even worse in the "crew cab" (more door) versions.
They have become Acceptable fodder, but are still Ugly.

 

There was one put in a Lotus 11 in place of the original 1100cc Coventry Climax that I remember running with us at an airport race in Grayling, Michigan in the early 60's. Always wondered how long that light Lotus chassis lived with that strong slant 6.

 

More pics of that wagon, please

 

While my nippers were young, I was doing my Fatherly duty explaining the automotive world to them - by inflicting my warped sense of style on them. I tried showing them things on a car which made it different from the rest- Chrome, round headlights, stainless strips on the side, fins, chrome hubcaps, etc. Then one saw an Australian "S" series Valiant- (U.S. Lancer) and said - How cool is that car? - It has fins on the front AND fins on the back!

 

I like the wagons. I remember seeing one in a mag many years ago that made an impression.
It was, I think, a dedicated drag car...and I'm fairly sure the name was "Prince Valiant".
I believe anyway...but it WAS a while back!

 

Then there's Slant Six vs Hellcat

 

Doc - Never could comprehend what the continuity was supposed t be with so many ideas going on there. But, damn, that paint! The chrome! Black dresses it up, I like it. A lot. Nice work! So acceleration is measured with an hourglass.. Webster's includes ''strange'' as a synonym for quaint. Now the dude who whipped the Hellcat can afford to have that ugly green paint on the other hand.

 

Ha! Thanks, but regarding the paint it's a 20 footer. Painted in the early 80's, sat outside under a car cover (not waterproof) for the last 10 years.

Hardly anyone has any idea what it is.

 

Here's a couple shots of mine. I've got some work to do on her but she's still the coolest car I've owned.

 

Binger, If you want the chrome spears for your front fenders I"m pretty sure I have them