Fuselage styling

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The US vehicle manufacturer Chrysler called Fuselage Styling a design concept that it implemented in its full-size automobiles across the Group from 1969 to 1973 . The term refers to an aircraft fuselage ( fuselage ), the shape of which, according to advertising claims, should have influenced the design of the Chrysler models in question. The design concept was not adopted in this form by any other automobile manufacturer.

concept

Chrysler 300 (1971)
Arched car sides, little decoration on the side: Imperial LeBaron (1972)
Aircraft fuselage (Boeing 737-700)

The Fuselage styling appeared in the fall of 1968 on all new upper-class models of the Chrysler Group, which in addition to the Chrysler brand also included Dodge , Imperial and Plymouth . After four years of production, Chrysler had phased out its previous top models. The new generation of the 1969 model year was still technically based on the C platform used throughout the Group , but its exterior was completely redesigned. The Chrysler designers implemented the aircraft theme in their drafts, which - as in the case of the Hundred Million Dollar Look (1955 and 1956) and the Forward Look (1957 to 1960) - is connected with a powerful associative term for the purpose of sales promotion has been. The Fuselage models were larger and heavier than their predecessors; The vehicles from Imperial in particular were the longest standard models of the US post-war era to date.

The Fuselage concept was developed by Elwood Engel , who had been Chrysler's head of design since 1962. An essential feature of the Fuselage design were the slightly convex, i.e. outwardly curved, vehicle flanks. Beadings and kinks in the sheet metal sections ran mainly in a horizontal direction, so that they reinforced the impression of length. The waistline was exceptionally high compared to the previous models and also to the vehicles of other manufacturers; this emphasized the sheet metal parts of the fenders and doors. In comparison, the dimensions of the glass surfaces were reduced. They were in contrast to the predecessor models from the years 1965 to 1968, which were also designed by Engel, whose design was also known as the Glasshouse Look because of the extensively glazed structure and the thin vehicle pillars . The slightly recessed side windows of the Fuselage models were slightly curved, as was the body. As with an aircraft fuselage, the vehicle body should be perceived as an optical unit. With the exception of the rearview mirrors and door handles, there were no components that protruded beyond the body of the vehicle. The front and rear bumpers were integrated into the body; they ran around the entire front of the vehicle in different variations.

While the concept remained unchanged, the different models from the Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and Imperial brands differed in the details of the front and rear design. Some models had round double headlights that were embedded in the radiator cowling. On other models, the headlights were hidden behind covers that flipped up when the lights were switched on (or flipped down on the 1972 and 1973 Dodge Monaco ). In this way the radiator grille was optically widened when the lights were switched off. The Chrysler designers also changed the front masks of each brand annually.

The fuselage design lost its meaning in 1973 with the introduction of heavy safety bumpers, which inevitably had to protrude over the front of the vehicle. With the next generation of full-size models presented in 1974, Chrysler gave up the Fuselage design accordingly.

reception

The fuselage design was received controversially. Some of the Chrysler models of the Fuselage era are seen as the most beautiful production models of the 1960s, others consider them to be senselessly large and bulky cars.

Models

Following the Fuselage design, the following series models from the Chrysler Group were designed:

brand model Model year
Chrysler Newport 1969-1973
Newport Custom 1969-1973
Newport Royal 1971-1972
new Yorker 1969-1973
Town & Country 1969-1973
300 1969-1971
300 hurst 1970
Dodge Polara 1969-1973
Monaco 1969-1973
Imperial Crown 1969-1970
LeBaron 1969-1973
Plymouth Fury 1969-1973
VIP 1969

In addition, Chrysler had Stageway Coaches in Forth Smith , Arkansas , extended some four-door Imperial vehicles into representation vehicles from 1967 to 1974. They were sold through Chrysler's dealer network under the name Crown Imperial Sedan .

gallery

Chrysler

  • Chrysler Newport (1969)

  • Chrysler New Yorker (1970)

  • Chrysler Town & Country (1972)

  • Chrysler New Yorker (1973)

Imperial

  • Imperial Crown (1970)

  • Imperial LeBaron (1971)

  • Imperial LeBaron (1972)

Dodge

  • Dodge Polara Convertible (1970)

  • Dodge Polara (1972)

  • Dodge Monaco (1973)

Plymouth

  • Plymouth Fury (1971)

  • Plymouth Sport Fury (1971)

  • Plymouth Fury Gran Sedan (1972)

literature

Web links

Fuselage.de: Private website for the Chrysler Group's Fuselage models

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Smith: Concept Car of the Week: Chrysler 70X (1969) and Cordoba Del Oro (1970). www.cardesignnews.com, March 31, 2017, accessed April 12, 2017 .
  2. ↑ David G. Briant: 77,980 Imperials: 1969-1973. WPC News, issue 6/2001, p. 7.
  3. ↑ a b Peter Epp: Chrysler's Fuselage Look remains metaphor for era. www.chathamthisweek.com, October 1, 2013, accessed April 11, 2017 .
  4. ^ A b Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980. Beekman House, New York 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 , p. 194.