Art & Inspiration Fastbacks and other swoopy roofs

Don't forget the Kaiser Henry J Corsair!

 

Thanks very much. Are you referring to the shoebox, the '56, or the '40 project?

 

Oh yeah sorry, the '56...

 

I'm going to take a little time out here and elaborate on these two cars. They have both been favorites of mine for many years, but I had never considered them together until I wrote post #5 of this thread and posted the two pictures together. My focus has been further sharpened by Ryan's blog about the Litton Ford, and the discussion that followed it.

The object of my ruminations is the similarity in the window shapes, and the stainless surrounds, on these two cars. Despite their being very different body styles, done by two different customizers perhaps a decade apart, the beautiful side windows are scarily similar on the two cars. The shapes are very, very similar (no vent windows on the Chevy, though), and the stainless detailing is almost exactly alike.

I didn't know this before Ryan's article, but the Litton chop was apparently done by Sam Barris in the very early '50s. The Olsen Chevy was done by Butch Hurlhey, and I don't know when, but certainly much later.

Is it possible that Hurlhey was a fan of the Litton car, and consciously copied the side window design, even though the subject car was entirely different in style? Or is it just a remarkable coincidence?

I'm not usually passionate about construction history, but this one really intrigues me. Maybe it's because I think the two cars, and especially the side windows, are among the best radical customs of all time. Does anybody know more about the Hurley/Olsen collaboration, who could shed more light on the subject? Rikster, perhaps, or Weez, or maybe Rod Powell, who was Hurlhey's boss for a time and occasionally reads stuff on the HAMB?