CW stopped by to respond to our story, “1959 Cadillac epitomized what was wrong with U.S. car styling.”
Yes I get all this but it was [Virgil] Exner the visionary who put style in cars back then (not Cadillac), and it was Ralph Nader (1966) who destroyed style forever with the book Unsafe at any Speed. Now we all have all the same rubbish cars to drive in.
The 1959 Cadillac was a parts bin car hastily thrown together using other GM car components. The 1959 Imperial was virtually hand built and better engineered by a mile. I know — I own both of them and restored both of them. The Imperial is way in front of both Cadillac and Lincoln for this year. I can clearly see why GM and Ford did not like Exner’s visionary concepts, which were ahead of their time and now revered.
— CW
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BROCHURES & ADVERTISING:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Imperial (1959)
PHOTOGRAPHY:
- Ralph Nader; 1975. Source: Library of Congress; photographer Thomas J. O’Halloran via Wikipedia Commons.
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It’s been over 50 years since I read Nader’s book. Unless he was the reason we got 5 mph bumpers, he didn’t destroy style. The gas crisis, inflation and high insurance rates made automobiles less interesting. Big bumpers made handling worse and fascias ugly. Emission controls and early electronics made cars cantankerous and less reliable. Japanese cars were dominating and they went four or five years between restylings. If they could do that and sell, then Detroit was foolish not to put their money toward the problems and not a new grille.
I like Imperials. I like the Forward Look. Personally, I would not put up the 1959 Imperial against the 1959 Cadillac or any other 1959 GM automobile in a contest of style. It may have been better built and engineered, and the Cadillac may have also been over the top, but I’m taking the Caddy. Now if we’re talking 1956, then it’s the Imperial. Or more preferably, a New Yorker.
I’m not an Exner fan so take wnat I say with a grain of salt. His later designs drifted into the bizarre. Also, I think there was a backlash against the overchromed baroque of the 50s an d 60s. Unfortunately this led to the Age of Brougham where everything from the Mercjry Bobcat up had a Rolls Royce grille on it and acres of velour and Coreenthian lather. This was the bell bottom slacks and leisure suit of auto styling. Then for some reason it seems car companies lost interest in styling.
Every attractive car offered until the present day disagrees.