Forward look

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The forward look is a feature of automotive design . It stands for Chrysler's trademark design from 1955–1961. Virgil Exner was responsible for the forward look . Characteristic of this styling were the front sloping front as well as the tail fins and curved windows.

history

When Exner started at Chrysler, automobile bodies were still designed by engineers rather than designers, which led to the often-considered dated look of Chrysler vehicles of the 1940s and early 1950s. Like his predecessor, Raymond Dietrich , Exner also opposed this approach. He managed to get the design process under his control, including the clay models and the models for planning the tools. Harley Earl at GM was inspired by the Lockheed P-38 Lightning to add small tail fins to Cadillac's 1948 models. Exner believed in the aerodynamic qualities of the fins and even tried the University of Michigan wind tunnel, but he also liked the visual effects they achieved on the car. In 1955, Chrysler introduced the Hundred Million Dollar Look . Exner flattened the roofline and made the cars leaner, softer and more aggressive. With the 300 series and long-hood, short-boot models redesigned in 1957, Chrysler suddenly led the way in styling, and Ford and GM were busy catching up. Advertising campaigns for the 1957 model sounded: "And suddenly it's 1960". In June of this year, Exner and his team received the gold medal from the Industrial Designers' Institute. Exner's competitor at Studebaker Raymond Loewy is said to have once written a clay model with huge tail fins along with an insulting letter. The year 1961 was the last year in which vehicles with the forward look came onto the market. This year, the tail fins were taken back a little in order to transition to the new, more functional design.

gallery

  • Chrysler 300C (1957)

  • Plymouth Belvedere (1957)

  • Dodge Coronet (1958)

  • Chrysler Windsor (Canadian model) from 1958

  • Plymouth Fury (1959)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Forward Look. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
  2. ^ Virgil Exner's 'Forward Look' changed Chrysler's design philosophy. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Forward Look. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Moparwiki: Virgil Exner. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Moparwiki: Virgil Exner. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .