Art & Inspiration Top-5 American Automotive Designs

Cord roadster with the sexy EX out of hood into fenders ,Studebaker 53/54 hardtop V8 coupes,Vett 53/54,Ford T-bird 55/57,Avanti 63/64*****.
Factory Supercharger*****

 

48/49 Cadillac Sedanette
Cobra Daytona Coupe
59 Cadillac Coupe Deville
40 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe
51/52/53 Hudson Hornet Coupe

 

No particular order
58 vette. Such a beautiful behind
36 Pierce arrow 1601 convertible coupe. I grew up in the greater Buffalo area
64 nova. Perfectly plain and utilitarian.
32 ford coupe. The most beautiful fenders of the time, perhaps ever....
55 apache step side. They turned a beautiful car into a beautiful truck... no easy feat.
Chappy

 

Deuce roadster
Model 40 5 passenger roadster (aussie, 19? made)
'38 Buick sloper (aussie)
'57 Eldorado Brougham
'51 Merc coupe

 

Round 2

 

Hello,

Well, having seen quite a few classic designs since the good old young hot rod days, it is all in the mind as to American automotive designs. Some of the top designs did not make it to the showroom floor, but back then, too racy, too fast or too nice and not stodgy like in the showrooms. Safety and family seemed like that was what was pushing the designs to the factory lines.


1. The 1940 Ford is the top of my list. All models exemplified the great smooth windswept styling in all models, even in the trucks and panel deliveries. The abundance of the 40 Ford everywhere is evidence to the fact that it is a true hot rod from those early years to today.


2. The next is the Model A over any of the boxy designs before and after for overall good design in all sections, Truck, RPU, Coupe, Sedan and Sedan Delivery, but, not a Woody…


3. The 1961 Chevy Impala two door hardtop was the classic two door hardtop design started early on that catered to the hot rod folks. But, were given less time than the 4 door models for family purchases. Finally, someone in the massive design team got everything together. It is too bad they did not continue the stylish design even with the high performance engine combinations that were available. More sales of family sedans took over the high performance quotas for more money in the factory coffers.


4. 1962 Corvette was the upgraded model that came from the under powered 1953 introduction model and became a step in the right direction. A real American sports car that could be something. It was a little small in the interior, but it was supposed to be a small sporty car, not a big sedan. With all of the accessories, it is/was a world challenger and local favorite.


5. Finally, since our dad drove into our driveway in a dark green 1963 Buick Riviera, my brother and I had big eyes for “borrowing” dad’s car for the weekend jaunts. Not a beach cruiser or desert trailblazer, but just a cool design that no one had seen before and it actually stayed around until the last sleek model, a 65. In 66 to 73, Buick lost its way with a gargantuan design. The later models were just labels only nothing special about it, it looked like all of the other Detroit big barges.

Our dad knew his every 4 year Buick purchase was coming up and in the fall of 67, he bought what we thought was the largest, widest road hog ever built by Buick or Detroit., another bigger Riviera. There was no comparison to the 1963-65 model in any way shape or form... But, it was inline with his Buick purchase rotation.

My wife and I drove the big 1968 Buick down the Coast Highway to Laguna Beach, but had a difficult time enjoying the always fabulous view, environment and the overall feeling of getting outside for a great pick me up from the coastline and ocean. We had a difficult time centering the big, wide Buick in the narrow or what we felt was a narrow lane. Parking in curbside stalls? Forget it, it was so big and wide that a normal marked curb side parking with meters stall was just not big enough for a safe parallel parking place.

We had to park in an unmarked street with no specific parking places. So, for us, the Riviera as nice as it was in 63 introduction up to 65 with the smooth design, then, went downhill from that point on into oblivion. Even our dad did not like the big Rivieras in the later years as they were too big for his tastes. He sold it in 3 years and got a smaller sportier Buick.

Jnaki

So, simple tastes for old classic hot rods and cruisers. No need to own low sporty cars that are hard to see out of for safety or crash protection. We have had our share of classic sporty cars and they fit in their own category. We would include one last category, an open convertible for So Cal cruising and coastal cruising.

This is class cruising, not the low, sloped front window sporty cars with rock hard seats, cramped quarters and loud noises while driving. It was/has always been in our minds since seeing it in a Long Beach Buick dealer's showroom. The only noise in the Buick Skylark convertible would be the wind blowing in your hair… HA!

 

I have many more (some of which have been mentioned by others) but those are the finalists. I am in Europe and weird, yes.

 

I didn't change a lot since I played before, but I have to move some of the icons around since there's only room for 5, and I've developed or rekindled a fondness for some:

1. Still here since 06, the 34 Packards, especially the Dietrichs

2 Also still here, 36 Ford 3W.

3 And still here too, 57 Eldorado Brougham.

4 New to my 5, and the rekindled admiration, 36-7 Cord. With or without outside pipes, so low, modern, no running boards, a 289 flathead, what's not to like. Mine would be the base Westchester sedan NA or supercharged. Although I would give a titty twister to the ACD faithful because the poor thing needs drip rails. The Hollywoods and Skylarks had em, but not the Cord.

5 All the GM 61 bubbletops. That sport coupe variant just gets it done. Invicta, 88, Ventura, Belair/Impala. I need to win the lottery and add that roof to a 61 Cpe Deville.

I still give an all time honorable mention to the GT40. We are talking design, and it still hits as fresh today as its winning variant in the mid 60s. Make mine 427 Mk III.

 

1933-34 Ford
1953 Buick Skylark convertible
1956 Continental
1956-57 Corvette
1960 Ford Starliner

 

1940 Lincoln Continental Convertible
1956/57 Continental Mk II
1961 Lincoln Continental convertible
1962 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
1963 Chevrolet "Split-Window" Corvette
1965 Buick Riviera
1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible
1967 Cadillac Eldorado
1967 Mercury Cougar
I can't pick just 5

 

agree here whole heartedly

 

5 off the top of my head, a few less obvious ones maybe.
'53 Stude
Continental Mark II
'60 Buick 2dr ht or flat top
'36 Ford 3 window
'60 FordStarliner

 

Cars by this man,

1. » Gordon M. Buehrig | Automotive Hall of Fame
   www.automotivehalloffame.org/.../gordon-m-buehrig
   Created some of the finest car designs the industry has ever produced including the regal Duesenberg Model J and the legendary Cord 810. Contributed his design talents to Duesenberg, Inc. (1929-1933), Auburn Automobile Company (1933-1936), Raymond Loewy’s industrial design firm (1944-1948), and Ford Motor Company (1951-1965). Influenced a new generation of top designers as a teacher at Art Center College of Design from 1965 through 1970.
   

 

In no particular order:
1963 Studebaker Avanti
1953 Studebaker
1964 1/2 Ford Mustangs (any model)
Ford F1 pickup truck
1963 split window Corvette

Honorable mention list:
55-56-57 T-birds
1957 Chevy hardtop
1932 3-window Deuce coupe
Any bubble top GM 2-door
Bug-eye Sprite (okay not US made, but still...)

And all of them need an engine swap to a 327 with a T10 transmission.

 

What a fun list! I will add my 5.
#1, the 1960 Edsel Ranger 2 dr hrdtp. Built on the same platform as the Ford Starliner, I think the Edsel wins style-wise.


#2 The 1937 Studebaker President Coupe. The streamlined Art-Deco themes on this car are just beautiful.
#3 The 1957 Buick Caballero Station Wagon. From the waterfall grille, the clean side moulding that dips then follows the arch of the rear wheel well. To the angled taillights and a very clean roofline. Plus, it's a hardtop wagon!!
#4 The 1950 Chevrolet Fleetline 4 dr sedan.
Look, at All American Classics, we joke that 4 doors are factory parts cars produced to restore 2 door or convertible cars. But, this sedan has a style of its own and flows very well.
#5 The 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 2 door hardtop. From front to rear, that gorgeous hardtop roofline and the tasteful fins. This is a "someday" car for me for certain!!

 

1939 Buick Coupe