1 PART I—INTRODUCING THE PACKARD MONTE CARLO Streamlining: A New Style For Postwar Automobiles Few historians focus on the simple, clean styling that was popular in the late 1940s. This new styling evolved from the streamlining principles of the 1930s where side body panels were kept smooth and flat to evoke the appearance and excitement of speed. Longer, lower, wider….these were the dominant characteristics that drove the design of these cars into the early 1950s. This futuristic new “look” was exciting—and in many ways it predicted how styling was going to change in postwar America. This design was first seen by the public just before World War II. One of the first cars to embody this style was the 1937 Phantom Corsair—designed by Rust Heinz and built by Bohman and Schwartz. Next, Chrysler launched two concept cars that also emphasized this new streamlined look - the 1941 Thunderbolt and the 1941 Newport. After World War II, the slab-sided styling continued to be popularized and was adopted by several American postwar manufacturers including: • Kaiser-Frazer (47-50) • Hudson (48-53) • Ford and Mercury (49-51) • Nash (49-51) • Kurtis Sports Cars (49-50) European manufacturers also embraced this style including: • Cisitalia 202 coupe (47-52) • Jaguar with their slab-sided XK120 (48-54) • Porsche 356/1 and 356/2 (48-51)
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