Agree with Todd, it's a beauty. Does anyone know why 58's were a one year only body style? 59's and 60's were dramatically different. GM usually went with a three year body more or less back then didn't they?
The postwar automobile industry became enamoured with the concept of "planned obsolescence", implemented by both technical and styling innovations with a typical 3-year product cycle. In this cycle, a new basic body shell is introduced and then modified for the next two years with minor styling changes. GM, Ford, and Chrysler competed vigorously in this new restyling environment.
1960 Pontiac Strato Chief Safari 1960 Laurentian Safari 1960 Laurentian 4door(scrapped) 2001 Grand Am Traded on a '96 Suburban 2WD 2002 Hyundai Accent(SOLD) 1968 Grand Parisienne Scrapped and SOLD
yeah, ive seen the car too, i think i posted pics of it here from a cruise night at Steve Plunketts. You guys should see it in person,i thought i was gonna drool on it!! I also thought that was weird with the 58,59,and 60 body styles being all different. beautifull car.
Agree with Todd, it's a beauty. Does anyone know why 58's were a one year only body style? 59's and 60's were dramatically different. GM usually went with a three year body more or less back then didn't they?
There was an article about this in Collectible Automobile a while back (there may be a few inaccuracies here, cuz I'm doing this from memory, but this is the basic gist of the story):
The story goes that back in the fall of 1956 some GM stylists were driving by the back lot of the Chrysler factory and saw the new '57 Mopars with their long, low styling and fins reaching to the sky ready to be shipped out to the dealers. They brought the news back to GM styling and one thing led to another. The '58s were already locked in and the '59s were due to be restyled '58s, which were taller and rounder than the sleek Mopars.
Back to the drawing board it was... the restyled '58s designs were scrapped and and all-new longer-lower-wider '59s were created.
That's the Coles Notes version. Of course the story is much longer and much more interesting than I've laid out...
Agree with Todd, it's a beauty. Does anyone know why 58's were a one year only body style? 59's and 60's were dramatically different. GM usually went with a three year body more or less back then didn't they?
There was an article about this in Collectible Automobile a while back (there may be a few inaccuracies here, cuz I'm doing this from memory, but this is the basic gist of the story):
The story goes that back in the fall of 1956 some GM stylists were driving by the back lot of the Chrysler factory and saw the new '57 Mopars with their long, low styling and fins reaching to the sky ready to be shipped out to the dealers. They brought the news back to GM styling and one thing led to another. The '58s were already locked in and the '59s were due to be restyled '58s, which were taller and rounder than the sleek Mopars.
Back to the drawing board it was... the restyled '58s designs were scrapped and and all-new longer-lower-wider '59s were created.
That's the Coles Notes version. Of course the story is much longer and much more interesting than I've laid out...
I read the same article. Basically sylist Mitchell's big break i believe.
I got some pics that i posted from a car show at the Tillsonburg airport. Believe me the pics just can't do enough justice to seeing this car close up. You know Bob, being in Tillsonburg that makes you eligible for the radio station tour
