[Magdalen] Four for the Road.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I completed my collection of 1:18 models of the "Forward" look of
the Chrysler Corporation cars of the late 1950's and the early  1960's.
Virgil Exner was the designer responsible for these cars which began
in 1955 with some of the Chryslers, and by 1957, all the Company
cars (Chryslers, DeSotos, Dodges, and Plymouths had the  characteristic
 wedge shape and tail fins.  My models are 12" long.
 
Two of our family cars were from this lineup, including a maroon
Chrysler, and a two tone fawn brown and tan DeSoto.
 
I can recall coming home from church one Sunday in the late summer
of 1957 (Saint Andrew's, Madison) and encountering an unusual 
clustering of students in the lounge of my dormitory at UW-Madison
(I was a junior/3rd year student) around the Sunday papers.  It  was
because Chrysler had taken a double page add in the papers to  announce
these new models, and the reaction was very enthusiastic.  I fell in  love
with the designs right off.
 
I will admit that their front grillwork is a bit overly fussy, but overall  
the
cars were very handsome.  After all, there aren't many cars  featured
in classical films ("Christine" was a red Forward Look Plymouth).
 
Apparently, Exner got his idea from the tail lights of one of the post  war
Cadillacs, and developed the striking wedge designs with functional
fins with lights.  However, GM and Ford scrambled to get into  the
fin business as quickly as possible, but, IMHO, were never able to 
integrate them into their desgns.  
 
As a result, many USA automobiles overdid the fins which became
non-functional.  After 1961, Chrysler moved on, and the Forward  Look
was gone.  This ushered in an era of especially ugly American cars  that
has only been salvaged in the past decade.  
 
YMMV.  Car design is a very personal matter.
 
 
David Strang.