I think Adam didn't put first Riv in this list because it was influenced itself heavily by European luxury coupes in particular Ferraris) though it doesn't means it wasn't beautiful and don't deny that it outsold probably all European competitors worldwide combined)
I totally agree with you ! What a beauty ! McNamarra was wrong about Lincoln AND the Viet Nam War ! I actually always thought the 1966 Riviera was a far more attractive car than the Toranado. I owned cars 1976 Seville in White w/Red leather. I loved that car !
A friend of mine's grandparents bought a 76 Seville. It is black on black. When they passed he got it. It has been garage kept its entire life. He only drives it on Sundays to church and out to eat after church. Also to local cargoes. It's got 67,000 miles on it and he washes and wages it once a month. It is one beautiful and beautifully kept up car!
I think it's interesting that Adam is showing a pre-production photo at 5:22 where the LC sedan was pillarless. A lot of the car mags at the time of its introduction posted this photo and testers were surprised when only a pillar-ed hardtop came out, seeing that the convertible was of course without a pillar. To my eyes it made no difference to the purity and beauty of the original design. It wasn't until the '64 stretch with the flat windows that it started going downhill. As a child I rode in the '63 LC sedan quite a lot and it was so beautiful. Great video!
I always wondered if Lincoln planned to offer that pillar less hardtop as shown in that pre-production photo. The service manual, when discussing the auto-drop rear windows states that "in models other than the sedan". Of course this only included the convertible but at some point I wonder if they planned on it being an option.
@@jeffsmith846 I have read that they did indeed plan to have the hardtop and pulled it very late into the planning. I read that Lincoln didn't think people would want to pay it's extra cost due it having to have that rear window mechanism. I've also read that four such hardtops were built.
Great selections, Adam. I guessed 4 out of the 5 you picked for this (I had the Riviera instead of the El Dorado). In 1992, I took my late mother shopping for what turned out to be her last vehicle. I tried to influence her to buy a fully loaded Mercury Sable, but she fell in love with and purchased a fully loaded Dodge Dynasty. She liked the angular lines over the “jelly bean”! Cheers. 👍👍👍
@@adamtrombino106 I don't find it odd at all. I rented dozens of these for business trips back then and found all the K-car based cars up to the Imperial to be quiet, very pleasant to drive and a dream in big cities. Their only drawback-maybe-was simply that they didn't have the width of Ford and GM bodies, but for one person of course that wasn't important. I loved driving them.
I succeeded in talking my mom into a 1988 Sable LS.....she special ordered the champagne gold with mocha leather interior and the beautiful "snowflake" aluminum wheels.....the car was absolutely gorgeous. I remember being so impressed by the assembly quality, the quality of materials and especially the incredible ride and driving characteristics. It was a far cry from the utterly hideous 1982 Thunderbird she traded in.
8:01 Thats pretty cool to see that Double/Split clay model and to know it was an actual "practice" to create something like that for closely related models.
My Grandpa bought a 66 Toronado brand new. He was a farmer in mid western Canada. It really blew people’s minds and when I tell people from back home who my Grandpa was some of the older people mention this car.
Hi from the UK. Am a huge fan of 1950's American cars, my favourite is the 58 Chevy Impala. I find your videos very entertaining and informative. Keep 'em coming!!
The 1963 Riviera definitely belongs on this list. Bill Mitchell himself considered it his greatest design. It was arguably the most beautiful domestic car ever built. The 63 Avanti should have also been considered. Raymond Loewy designed it in a record amount of time on a shoestring budget. Only the financial failing of its parent company kept it from being as commercially successful as the others
I agree about both the Riviera and the Avanti. They may have been left of the list because the '63-5 Riviera was really more of a mid-sized (yet still personal luxury) car, and the Avanti was probably even smaller still. The influence of the Avanti can't be overstated - it was what I call the proto-pony car, beating the Mustang to market by over a year. It didn't have the low price of the Mustang, but it reoriented sporty small car styling to a more angular and clean look. I suspect that car designers referred back to it for inspiration over the following decades.
@Kaye NineTwo Yes I agree on the Riviera and the Avanti But I still think that everyone is still overlooking the elephant in the room !, 1963-67 Chevrolet Corvette!!!!.
It's interesting how there's no way you could look at a 76 - 79 Seville and think "wow, it looks like it's based on the Nova", yet, if you take the 75 - 80 Granada and put it next to a Lincoln Versailles, ALL you see is what the former is based upon. Given the success of the Seville, you'd think Ford would have put much more resources behind the Versailles.
I agree. But as they say, time was "of the essence" so not a moment to lose getting a competitor on the market. IMO, tho, I think that the 1979 roofline would have gone a long way in differentiating the Linc from the Merc and Ford, had they started out with it.
To me, Exner's best work was the '55-56 Mopars with the "100 Million Dollar Look". It's such a tragedy that the advanced '57 cars were trashed with poor quality combined with bad execution, particularly rust as a result of bad underlying design. Not Exner's fault.
Something has always been amiss at the Chrysler Corporation, at least for the last 60+years. Somewhere around the time that Virgil Exner downsized the full-sized Dodge and Plymouth cars, it has been difficult for Chrysler to survive. They did some things really well, notably with powertrains and transmissions, the hemi engines, and muscle cars. But they never could compete with GM and Ford large cars due to poor quality control, and subjectively, a noisy and harsh ride as compared to the big Two. This led to their financial troubles in mid to late 70s, and then bankruptcy. Under Lee Iacocca, the two bright spots became minivans and K cars. (Hard to believe the unremarkable at best, K car could help save them). The auto industry during the malaise era was so anemic, that probably helped the reorganized Chrysler achieve some of its gains. Today, as a corporation owned by Stellantis, Chrysler has imo, lost whatever identity they had, except that questionable to poor quality continues, or at least a reputation for same. I loved the Chrysler products of mid to late 60s, the styling was impeccable, and they theoretically were on a good path. Sadly, success has never been realized, except in a couple of niche products, for short time periods.
Nice compilation of some trendsetters. The 67' Eldorado really does exemplify a car that had every possible look, shape, and form possible for a car to demonstrate sportiness with luxury in a modern way. The hidden headlights seal the deal. I would go as far as to say it is timeless. The one you own is also a beautiful color combination. To think the Sergeant Pepper album came out that same year makes this car even more historical. The summer of Love it was I am sure..
Sweet selections, Adam. Haven't owned any of the cars on your list, but I did own a 1979 Caprice Classic sedan (my "winter warrior") and a 1989 Caprice Classic Brougham (my "summer cruiser"). The styling cues sparked by the 1976 Seville are wide and deep.
As a kid, I _LOVED_ the look of the '61 Continental. AND, I loved the '64 Imperial! The Continental (to me) exuded an understated elegance; the Imperial had an "in motion" elegance I liked.
Cannot argue too much with the selections but I will anyway. 😉 The '63-'65 Riv would have been my choice over the Eldo. Both are beautiful but the Riv was stunning in the fall of '62 when it was introduced, while the Eldo had less of an impact because the equally striking '66 Toro and Riv had been out for a year already. Also IMO the '57 Plymouth was the least attractive of the '57 Chrysler line, especially up front. I would have selected the entire '57 Chrysler lineup, as the Dodges and Chryslers were even more striking in their own way..
I can't quibble with any of your choices; all beautiful and certainly trend setting. However, one car that often seems to get overlooked as a style leader is the first generation Corvair. Its "Bauhausian" (to borrow your term) simplicity and horizontality predate the '61 Lincoln by a full year and was radically different than anything else on the American market. Oddly, while you can find plenty of domestic large cars that copied the '61 Continental, the '60-'64 Corvair is a one-off relative to other American compacts. At the same time, the Corvair design was widely copied by the Europeans, particularly the Italians and Germans. I'd love to know more about why this is.
@@mikeweizer3149 The second generation is definitely sexier, but both generations were real style leaders. I don’t think they get enough attention in that regard.
I would argue for a few exceptions.....the Olds Toronado beginning in 1969. The Buick Skylark and the Chevy Nova were ok in coupe form, but the sedan versions made even mid-fifties Studebaker sedans look svelte.
The proportions of front to rear doors is interesting. The rear door of the ’61 Continental almost looks small, as if passengers would have to duck around the C pillar to avoid knocking their heads-but the back seat of the 1976 Seville appears to be so much larger than the front seat. So much legroom! I don’t have measurements for either vehicle, so I don’t know how they really fit around their occupants. After the Seville was well received GM was wise to expand the styling for the larger models of the other divisions.
The rear entry into a 61-63 Lincoln is indeed very tight. Was changed in 64 (and just a little bit in 63) for more room and they added flat door glass in 64 to give more headroom, thus losing the almost sporty appearance of the 61-63 greenhouse. The 61-63 convertibles are even harder to get in and out of in the rear due to the top supports protruding slightly into the rear shoulder area. But once you are in and close that thick rear door, it is a very comfortable place to be.
The only actual body component used on the Seville from 76-79, was the Nova trunk pan. You might already know this. The 15" rims also made this car look much bigger than it was. My neighbor worked for Simmons group in Newport News Va., A fuel injection engineer, Mr. LAURENT, drove the testbed home every day, with its computer set on the transmission hump. State of art in its day.
@@arnepianocanada- I would think so as the a pillar and firewall are the most expensive things re-engineer that’s why so many gm cars and others have that element so visually in common
As a kid working at my dad's garage, the first time I saw the wheels on those Toronados and Eldos, I couldn't _believe_ it! They were like heavy metal TRUCK wheels! I guess that big V8 and big transmission all bearing down on the front wheels required such heavy-duty wheels to support it all.
The 66 Toronado was a stunner when new. I'm always surprised that these cars have never been in the Barrett Jackson auctions. Maybe like the 1937 Cords they will be discovered later.
I wrote a comment before that if the Toronado came out today I would buy one, that IMHO is the greatest of the personal luxury cars. Standing still it looks like its going 200 mph
My father ran a Shell service station for many years and one of the customers stored his 1962 Lincoln Continental on the lot for years. It was black with a black and white interior and was a high mileage car in need of many repairs. As a teenager at the time, I appreciated how clean the design was and remember how unique a luxury car this was with the suicide doors and a hood that opened forward. I also recall that the factory tint was blue-ish. I was too young at the time to pursue the car for a restoration but I wish I did.
I sold Sevilles in 1978 and 1979. The Elegante was in high demand and the owners were meticulous about how they were maintained. I also drove the first 1980 Seville with Len Renick (Renick Cadillac) as we directed the car under cover of darkness to the rotating display for unveiling the following morning. That 1980 had the 368 V8.
I had a 1980 Coupe de Ville with the d'Elegance package.. A fine automobile with the aforementioned 368 cubic inch 6 liter V8.. It was sadly underpowered, but looked great and handled reasonably well for its size.
@@MarinCipollina Last December I bought a 1979 Cadillac Coupe deVille with 54,000 miles from the original owner's family. It is in mint condition as it was garaged since March of 1979. Of course it is the last year for the 425 V8!
@@jeffshadow2407 Of course the 368, 425, 472 and 500 all share the same block.. Want more performance out of the 368? Bore it out and use higher compression cylinders..
I think the 1957 Ford deserves an honorable mention on this list. Like the Chrysler products that year, the Ford was long and low and, unlike the Chryslers, was tastefully restrained. The hardtop coupes, in particular, were quite futuristic looking with their arched rooflines and their 45 degree slanted tailfins.
I am from Germany and remember the Opel Diplomat & Admiral.The designers introduced a purely American design.Unfortunately they did not sell very well.Not only because they were competing with the ultimate luxury status symbol of Mercedes but because Opel itself was a run of the mill car company.Hence Toyota,Honda & Nissan (for example) created their own stand alone luxury brands. But the Diplomat & Admiral were top notch in regards to reliability.Though i am not 100% sure but i believe they have hired one or more American designers.
Agreed with all statements for these 5 cars. The 66-67 Olds Toronado and 67-68 Caddy Edlo are 2 of my favorite GM cars of the 60s in terms of styling. And pretty much nobody had FWD, let alone smooth torquey V8 power. As for the 76 Seville, it still amazes me how many designers copied that car. Every GM B car all the way through the late 80s, the Lincoln Versailles, and several Chrysler products including the 82-89 5th Ave all took styling cues from that original 76 car.
I think the best adaptation of the Seville look was the midsized GM group, including the Cutlass, Regal and Grand Prix. My parents had two Cutlasses, a '78 and an '80.
Very interesting article but truly missing the greatest and longest styling change post WWII: 1963 to 65 Rivieras had the longest styling effect after WWII. The styling concept was born in 1959 via Bill Michelle's visit at the '59 London international Automobile show and a following trip to Milan Italys Ferrari Plant. The American automotive styling had gone from 50s fins to straight lines with all the manufacturers. The Riviera broke the mold with a forward motion look and tapered waistline. It took all the American automotive makers by surprise and by 1967 everyone was basing their design and styling on the trend setting first generation Riveras. Examples are the complete GMs divisions after 1964, Ford after 1966, and most of Chrysler divisions starting in 1968. The basic forward design and slim waist stayed as a styling standard well into the 90s. The drastic styling change only came about with the push to fron wheel drive Automobiles. Marty Matthes Calgary Alberta CANADA
The 61 Lincoln Continental was the used in Limo form for the Presidential Limo (X-100) for John F. Kennedy. It remained in service until 1977, which is kind of disturbing. That car is in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
I'm old enough to remember JFK's murder. Did you ever notice that the back doors don't seem to fit well that day? I've often wondered whether it flexed a lot when none of the tops were on. Problem solved after the killing when H&E put the permanent top on. So grateful to Ford for preserving these presidential vehicles.
I remember as a teenybopper army brat being in lala land after getting off of a plane in Ft. Dix, New Jersey and being back in THE STATES for 5 whole minutes...I saw my first 66 Oldsmobile Tornado. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
I agree....the Eldorado was beautiful but it didn't influence many designs afterwards. The Mark III was the original overstuffed, plumped, padded and fluffed "brougham"-styled vehicle.
Your choices are fantastic for styling until you arrive at your last choice. If you choose 1976 I would have pick The 1976 Cadillac Sedan DeVille d'Elegance. The Kingswood Green being the color of choice. I find your SeVille Highly Compelling!
I would actually argue that the ‘67 deVille was more the influence on Art & Science. If you look at one of those next to the Evoq you can see how they took the forward-canted stacked headlights and lowering spline line from the deVille and turned them upside down for the Evoq. The rear is more Eldo, but (and I might be the only person who thinks this) the line of the rear C pillar continuing onto the slanted part of the upper side taillamps reminds me of the bustle back sevilles.
Adam as usual, a great and informative video. Totally agree with all your picks. Personally, although I love the 56-57 Connie, if the front wheel arches were an inch higher in design. Definitely this stunning car, would be on my list. Though still a very beautiful design from the Lincoln stables. Just love your picks.
I need to respectfully disagree a little here. I see your argument about the 1967 Eldo, but I think of it more as a derivative of the 1966 Toro. Also, are you sticking to full-size? The 1976 Seville was extremely influential but not quite full-size. If "full-size" isn't a criterion, I'd replace the Eldo vote with the original Mustang. (While you mention the Taurus, I trace its style history back to the 1983 Thunderbird.) Thanks for getting my brain thinking about what would be the top five.
I see now that the title includes the words "Full Size". One car that set styling trends world wide was the 60 Corvair. While American companies didn't seem to copy that design, foreign cars all over the world did, including the Hillman/Sunbeam Imp (an almost exact copy). Even cars from India copied it! I wouldn't call the Corvair stylish, it certainly did pave the way for others to copy. I also think the 65-69 Corvairs had an elegantly sporty design that put a dash of Europe into an American car.
Should have added a modifier to the title about this being about lux / full size cars only. I love your work Adam, but this one was a miss based on the title.
He's young. It's all second hand info, unlike us who remember every one of these new. I was floored at the '66 L.A. auto show when I saw the stunning new Toronado in person. Noted the '36 Cord touches at the time. My only thought; it should have been 3/4 scale. It was too big, in my precocious young eyes.
@@loumontcalm3500 I respect Adam and his knowledge regardless of his age. You sound bitter and old. I'm also "young" and in my mid 40s. I hope I don't grow to be as bitter as you seem.
In 64 my parents bought their first new car, a Bel Air, their previous car a 56 of the same model. Though very austere and minimal and without gimmicks I still think it was one of the handsomest cars Chevrolet made.
5:05, those three grills don't line up with the rest of the grill. The middle one is the gas cap door(?), but what are the other two left and right of that?
Born in '59, I've seen, owned and driven vehicles from the 1920s to present, sans EVs. Most unique in the Army NG, a Deuce-and-a-half, a Five-ton and a semi tractor all built by Kaiser. A nice selection, though 1963-5 Riviera actually inspired the Toronado. I don't see the lovely '67 Eldorado in the homely, bland 2000s Caddies. Something in Robocop maybe? The '76 Seville did influence, mostly at GM. You can see it in all the badge engineered FDW offerings to follow in the 80's. Not saying those were bad cars, but essentially only differed by price according to logo. The Caddies did have V8s and styling cues, otherwise meh. Nice mention of the first Riv and Taurus. The last car, and first since Taurus, to broadly influence styling is the 2011 Sonata. Those beautiful character lines soon showed up in even BMW and Mercedes cars, and the '59-Chevy-escent taillights continue to influence to this day. Everything is too much the same now, huge grill to the ground, minimalistic headlight assembly, indistinct body lines. I'm bored, except my 2012 Sonic. It isn't influential, but certainly unique. Also trouble free so far.
I thought the new Cadillac DeVille body style debuted in 1967??? I have a magazine ad /double page showing the 1966 Chevy ( ‘65 body style, 1966 Pontiac, Olds, Buick, and the 1964? body style 1966 Cadillac. CB
I remember when Cadillac felt that they needed a down-sized 4 door sedan, so they made Cadillac's version of a "J-Car", the Cadillac Cimarron. Viewed from the side it looked exactly like a Chevy Cavalier, and maybe it's owner got some parts from Cadillacs in a junkyard, and disguised his Chevy as a Cadillac. I immediately thought that GM should have imported an Opel Diplomat and "badge engineerd" that to be a small Cadillac. GM did something like that when they gave up on the Cimarron and made the Catera.
I had an '84 Buick Century FWD that I thought was very nice, and that Cadillac should have used the A-body instead of the J-body for their "Jr. edition"..
These kind of arbitrarily limited lists, top five, top ten, whatever, are always subjective and matters of opinion. Allowing only five cars on the list out of a thirty year time span is an arbitrary and pointless limit and many influential cars are not included. The five car limit leads to disagreements and partisan bickering. Why were the ‘63 Riviera, ‘65 Mustang, ‘55 Thunderbird, ‘63 Corvette, ‘77 Caprice and others left off a list of significant cars over a long thirty year span of time? No reason at all except there can only be five. I know it’s winter and you can’t drive your cars, but the reviews of your collection and your excellent interviews and fine engineering discussions are far more interesting than a list. Especially since there are so many click-bait lists all over the internet. Just my humble opinion. Love the channel.
@@trudygreer2491 What do you mean? I’m just voicing an opinion. I think Adam and his channel are wonderful and I’m very appreciative of the effort that goes into making the videos. Am I required to love everything about every video?
The 1977 Impala was derivative of the 1975 Seville.. The 1963 Corvette, 1955 T-Bird and Mustang weren't in the full size class of cars he covered. I agree regarding the 1963 Riv though..
Fine presentation of significant designs that shaped the industry for these years. I agree with your conclusions. These models again point out how dismal and dull today’s styling is on almost all cars. If something isn’t done to correct this, someday soon, we’ll all just be driving a Toyota, Ford, Honda or Buick, “CAR” or “SUV.” They will only differ in engine and chassis. If the regulators in Washington have their way, automakers will someday probably be forced to make them completely identical.
Couple of things!.Take a look at any major U.S Car maker in the 1960s and you will find at least one model and era that to this day looks timeless!. Also Foreign makes as well. Second thing , 1976-79 Cadillac Seville, Park a 1938- 41 Cadillac series60 special next to that 1976-79 Seville and tell me there isn't some similarities!!!!.
No. It really didn’t. It doesn’t have a similar styling theme to either. The 63 Riv was originally designed a Lasalle. A gorgeous car, but not really a trendsetter.
No mention of the 1951 Kaiser full-size line? While the '47 models were groundbreaking, and, along with the '47 Studebakers, codified car design for the next sixty years, the '51-'53 models (and to a lesser extent, the '54-55s) were the most graceful sedans in the industry. The Henry J line by Kaiser were ungainly (described by Tom McCahill as resembling "...a Cadillac that started smoking too young...") and so stripped of the most basic features that most buyers preferred comparably priced used three-year-old base-line stripper models. Still, the curvaceous and thoroughly modern standard-size models with Howard Darrin's signature styling cues, low beltline and generous glass area are recognizable in most popular subsequent designs. Also, Kaiser's 1953 KFD161 "Darrin" fiberglass roadster beat Chevy's Corvette to the market by a month, and the Darrin had doors that slid into the fenders. Bob Bourke of Raymond Loewy Associates penned another perfect profile, the '53 Studebaker Starliner and Starlight coupes. Many designers working for the "Big Three" manufacturers at the time chose the Studebakers as their personal transportation. The Studes were significantly lower in profile and cleaner in line than anything any of the competition offered. No mention of the fiberglass '63 Studebaker Avanti with its 0.30 coefficient of drag and 29 speed records at Bonneville Speed Week? Again, Raymond Loewy had a hand in the design, but the team he assembled, Bob Andrews, John Ebstein, and Tom Kellogg, did most of the work for which Loewy claimed credit. Note the blades at the leading edge of the Avanti fenders were inspired by the '61 Continental and Loewy papered the walls with car designs he admired, but the rest of the design was done largely by instinct and without wind tunnel testing. The Avanti team worked in a rental house in Palm Springs and from Loewy's initial sketch on a napkin to the final design took only six weeks. Elements of the Avanti design can be seen on such successful newer cars as the first-generation Taurus and the Tesla line-up.
Not really. Mustang mostly took sales from the Falcon and Fairlane. Supposedly one reason Henry Ford II got rid of Iacocca is that Ford added many new models in the 60's and 70's, but its share in the marketplace didn't go up.
I'd argue that, although a landmark design, the Toro wasn't a design (underscore) trendsetter. Wheel arches yes, but done so much later, it was more of a nod to the past than an influencer. Ditto is blended C pillar transition - yes, in 67 + 68, but the 'formal' roof of the 70's was a 180 degrees from that. Heck, even the Toro got a stupid vinyl roof by the late 60s destroying the design intention. I might substitute the Mustang here - though admit that would be for the 'package' or concept rather, which everyone copied through the early 70's. If you went the other way, in terms of sheer sales, you'd almost have to pick the formal roof A GM A bodies from 73. Throughout that decade mid-size personal luxury ruled the charts, and the stand up hood ornament, landau roof combo became price of admission....
It's powertrain layout combined with a unitized body was far more influential than it's design, so much that Oldsmobile destroyed the integrity of it's pure form in 1968.
Maybe so, but this list is about cars that influenced the design of other cars. Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, of course, but do you not see that every Full- and mid-size GM from 1977 to 1984 looks, to some degree, like the '75-79 Seville?
Many of this video's claims are nothing more than assumptions. For instance, which designer of newer Audis has even seen a '66 Toronado. Overlooked timeless designs were that of the 1950 Continental (maybe except for its front fender ornamentation) and the first series AMC Javelins. Many are likely to agree that the 1960 Continental had the best looking dashboard, among early Sixties Lincolns
I think the 1963 Buick Riviera belongs here.
I think Adam didn't put first Riv in this list because it was influenced itself heavily by European luxury coupes in particular Ferraris) though it doesn't means it wasn't beautiful and don't deny that it outsold probably all European competitors worldwide combined)
Agreed!
I totally agree with you ! What a beauty ! McNamarra was wrong about Lincoln AND the Viet Nam War ! I actually always thought the 1966 Riviera was a far more attractive car than the Toranado. I owned cars 1976 Seville in White w/Red leather. I loved that car !
My favorite car from the 1960's!
Absolutely
I would have thought the 1964 Ford Mustang a shoe in for this list. Surely one of the most influential vehicle designs in history.
A friend of mine's grandparents bought a 76 Seville. It is black on black. When they passed he got it. It has been garage kept its entire life. He only drives it on Sundays to church and out to eat after church. Also to local cargoes. It's got 67,000 miles on it and he washes and wages it once a month. It is one beautiful and beautifully kept up car!
67Siville great car powered by oldsmobile
The cleanest and most timeless design of that era was the 1963 Riviera, which should have made your list.
I think it's interesting that Adam is showing a pre-production photo at 5:22 where the LC sedan was pillarless. A lot of the car mags at the time of its introduction posted this photo and testers were surprised when only a pillar-ed hardtop came out, seeing that the convertible was of course without a pillar. To my eyes it made no difference to the purity and beauty of the original design. It wasn't until the '64 stretch with the flat windows that it started going downhill. As a child I rode in the '63 LC sedan quite a lot and it was so beautiful. Great video!
I always wondered if Lincoln planned to offer that pillar less hardtop as shown in that pre-production photo. The service manual, when discussing the auto-drop rear windows states that "in models other than the sedan". Of course this only included the convertible but at some point I wonder if they planned on it being an option.
Everyone always seems to use that photo and I have no idea why (?)!
@@jeffsmith846
I have read that they did indeed plan to have the hardtop and pulled it very late into the planning. I read that Lincoln didn't think people would want to pay it's extra cost due it having to have that rear window mechanism. I've also read that four such hardtops were built.
Great selections, Adam. I guessed 4 out of the 5 you picked for this (I had the Riviera instead of the El Dorado). In 1992, I took my late mother shopping for what turned out to be her last vehicle. I tried to influence her to buy a fully loaded Mercury Sable, but she fell in love with and purchased a fully loaded Dodge Dynasty. She liked the angular lines over the “jelly bean”! Cheers. 👍👍👍
In the eighties my parents bought a Dodge 600 for the same reason--they loved that square styling.
Your Mom had good taste. Those jellybean cars were hideous. 😆
Oddly enough, the Dynasty was Dodge's best selling car for several yrs.
@@adamtrombino106 I don't find it odd at all. I rented dozens of these for business trips back then and found all the K-car based cars up to the Imperial to be quiet, very pleasant to drive and a dream in big cities. Their only drawback-maybe-was simply that they didn't have the width of Ford and GM bodies, but for one person of course that wasn't important. I loved driving them.
I succeeded in talking my mom into a 1988 Sable LS.....she special ordered the champagne gold with mocha leather interior and the beautiful "snowflake" aluminum wheels.....the car was absolutely gorgeous. I remember being so impressed by the assembly quality, the quality of materials and especially the incredible ride and driving characteristics. It was a far cry from the utterly hideous 1982 Thunderbird she traded in.
An honorable mention should go out to Raymond Loewy and the 1953 Studebaker Starliner.
I really like the fact that the Oldsmobile design somehow incorporates the FWD layout in a way cars rarely do.
For impact the 1964.5 Mustang created an entirely new class of vehicles.
My parents were trendsetters! 😎 '57 Plymouth bright green with white.
8:01 Thats pretty cool to see that Double/Split clay model and to know it was an actual "practice" to create something like that for closely related models.
My Grandpa bought a 66 Toronado brand new. He was a farmer in mid western Canada. It really blew people’s minds and when I tell people from back home who my Grandpa was some of the older people mention this car.
Balanced and insightful design commentary. Thank you!
Hi from the UK. Am a huge fan of 1950's American cars, my favourite is the 58 Chevy Impala. I find your videos very entertaining and informative. Keep 'em coming!!
The 1963 Riviera definitely belongs on this list. Bill Mitchell himself considered it his greatest design. It was arguably the most beautiful domestic car ever built. The 63 Avanti should have also been considered. Raymond Loewy designed it in a record amount of time on a shoestring budget. Only the financial failing of its parent company kept it from being as commercially successful as the others
I agree about both the Riviera and the Avanti. They may have been left of the list because the '63-5 Riviera was really more of a mid-sized (yet still personal luxury) car, and the Avanti was probably even smaller still. The influence of the Avanti can't be overstated - it was what I call the proto-pony car, beating the Mustang to market by over a year. It didn't have the low price of the Mustang, but it reoriented sporty small car styling to a more angular and clean look. I suspect that car designers referred back to it for inspiration over the following decades.
@Kaye NineTwo Yes I agree on the Riviera and the Avanti But I still think that everyone is still overlooking the elephant in the room !, 1963-67 Chevrolet Corvette!!!!.
Your right on with the 66 Olds Tornado, the 67 Cadillac Eldorado and the 76 Cadillac Seville for sure!! I would have added the 71-72 Buick Rivera.
It's interesting how there's no way you could look at a 76 - 79 Seville and think "wow, it looks like it's based on the Nova", yet, if you take the 75 - 80 Granada and put it next to a Lincoln Versailles, ALL you see is what the former is based upon. Given the success of the Seville, you'd think Ford would have put much more resources behind the Versailles.
I agree. But as they say, time was "of the essence" so not a moment to lose getting a competitor on the market. IMO, tho, I think that the 1979 roofline would have gone a long way in differentiating the Linc from the Merc and Ford, had they started out with it.
You're right on the money.
From the day the Versailles came out I called it a Glorified Granada... and I was only in middle school at the time!
My top of the list of big luxury cars is the 56 and 57 Continental Mark II. One of the best looking cars ever made.
Can't quibble with any of the choices. Personally, I'm not a Virgil Exner fan, but you can't deny his importance.
To me, Exner's best work was the '55-56 Mopars with the "100 Million Dollar Look". It's such a tragedy that the advanced '57 cars were trashed with poor quality combined with bad execution, particularly rust as a result of bad underlying design. Not Exner's fault.
Something has always been amiss at the Chrysler Corporation, at least for the last 60+years.
Somewhere around the time that Virgil Exner downsized the full-sized Dodge and Plymouth cars, it has been difficult for Chrysler to survive. They did some things really well, notably with powertrains and transmissions, the hemi engines, and muscle cars. But they never could compete with GM and Ford large cars due to poor quality control, and subjectively, a noisy and harsh ride as compared to the big Two. This led to their financial troubles in mid to late 70s, and then bankruptcy. Under Lee Iacocca, the two bright spots became minivans and K cars. (Hard to believe the unremarkable at best, K car could help save them). The auto industry during the malaise era was so anemic, that probably helped the reorganized Chrysler achieve some of its gains.
Today, as a corporation owned by Stellantis, Chrysler has imo, lost whatever identity they had, except that questionable to poor quality continues, or at least a reputation for same. I loved the Chrysler products of mid to late 60s, the styling was impeccable, and they theoretically were on a good path. Sadly, success has never been realized, except in a couple of niche products, for short time periods.
“Design team was a bit unhappy that they had to use a round wheels on the car.”😂😂😂 Perfect Adam👍
The '61 Continental and '67 Eldorado are masterpieces of American design😍
The 1961 Lincoln has always been my favorite car style. I look at it as the floating brick.
Nice compilation of some trendsetters. The 67' Eldorado really does exemplify a car that had every possible look, shape, and form possible for a car to demonstrate sportiness with luxury in a modern way. The hidden headlights seal the deal. I would go as far as to say it is timeless. The one you own is also a beautiful color combination. To think the Sergeant Pepper album came out that same year makes this car even more historical. The summer of Love it was I am sure..
Sweet selections, Adam. Haven't owned any of the cars on your list, but I did own a 1979 Caprice Classic sedan (my "winter warrior") and a 1989 Caprice Classic Brougham (my "summer cruiser"). The styling cues sparked by the 1976 Seville are wide and deep.
As a kid, I _LOVED_ the look of the '61 Continental. AND, I loved the '64 Imperial!
The Continental (to me) exuded an understated elegance; the Imperial had an "in motion" elegance I liked.
Cannot argue too much with the selections but I will anyway. 😉 The '63-'65 Riv would have been my choice over the Eldo. Both are beautiful but the Riv was stunning in the fall of '62 when it was introduced, while the Eldo had less of an impact because the equally striking '66 Toro and Riv had been out for a year already. Also IMO the '57 Plymouth was the least attractive of the '57 Chrysler line, especially up front. I would have selected the entire '57 Chrysler lineup, as the Dodges and Chryslers were even more striking in their own way..
Couldn't agree more. '57 Chrysler 300 would have fit the narrative better, but the '57 Plymouth stole much market share, a huge chunk from GM.
I can't quibble with any of your choices; all beautiful and certainly trend setting. However, one car that often seems to get overlooked as a style leader is the first generation Corvair. Its "Bauhausian" (to borrow your term) simplicity and horizontality predate the '61 Lincoln by a full year and was radically different than anything else on the American market. Oddly, while you can find plenty of domestic large cars that copied the '61 Continental, the '60-'64 Corvair is a one-off relative to other American compacts. At the same time, the Corvair design was widely copied by the Europeans, particularly the Italians and Germans. I'd love to know more about why this is.
Was the Porsche 914 a design cue from the Corsair? 🤔🧐🤨 Maybe. 🤷♂️😏
Winthrop Thurlow I am a little more Partial to the second Generation Corvairs of 1965-69,Talk bout an American car that looked very Italian!!!!!.
@@mikeweizer3149 The second generation is definitely sexier, but both generations were real style leaders. I don’t think they get enough attention in that regard.
GM 68-72 every model was beautiful,every one
I would argue for a few exceptions.....the Olds Toronado beginning in 1969. The Buick Skylark and the Chevy Nova were ok in coupe form, but the sedan versions made even mid-fifties Studebaker sedans look svelte.
The ‘67 Eldorado is an incredibly stunning car, basically it’s my car fantasy.
The proportions of front to rear doors is interesting. The rear door of the ’61 Continental almost looks small, as if passengers would have to duck around the C pillar to avoid knocking their heads-but the back seat of the 1976 Seville appears to be so much larger than the front seat. So much legroom! I don’t have measurements for either vehicle, so I don’t know how they really fit around their occupants.
After the Seville was well received GM was wise to expand the styling for the larger models of the other divisions.
The rear entry into a 61-63 Lincoln is indeed very tight. Was changed in 64 (and just a little bit in 63) for more room and they added flat door glass in 64 to give more headroom, thus losing the almost sporty appearance of the 61-63 greenhouse.
The 61-63 convertibles are even harder to get in and out of in the rear due to the top supports protruding slightly into the rear shoulder area.
But once you are in and close that thick rear door, it is a very comfortable place to be.
The Corvair, as an influince for european and even soviet block cars (ZAZ)
The only actual body component used on the Seville from 76-79, was the Nova trunk pan. You might already know this. The 15" rims also made this car look much bigger than it was. My neighbor worked for Simmons group in Newport News Va., A fuel injection engineer, Mr. LAURENT, drove the testbed home every day, with its computer set on the transmission hump. State of art in its day.
Collectible Automobile describes in detail the adapting of Nova into Seville, with much more than just the trunk pan incorporated.
@@arnepianocanada- I would think so as the a pillar and firewall are the most expensive things re-engineer that’s why so many gm cars and others have that element so visually in common
As a kid working at my dad's garage, the first time I saw the wheels on those Toronados and Eldos, I couldn't _believe_ it! They were like heavy metal TRUCK wheels! I guess that big V8 and big transmission all bearing down on the front wheels required such heavy-duty wheels to support it all.
I’d agree with you on all featured cars.
The 66 Toronado was a stunner when new. I'm always surprised that these cars have never been in the Barrett Jackson auctions. Maybe like the 1937 Cords they will be discovered later.
I wrote a comment before that if the Toronado came out today I would buy one, that IMHO is the greatest of the personal luxury cars. Standing still it looks like its going 200 mph
Again, another video from you that I've truly enjoyed!
My father ran a Shell service station for many years and one of the customers stored his 1962 Lincoln Continental on the lot for years. It was black with a black and white interior and was a high mileage car in need of many repairs. As a teenager at the time, I appreciated how clean the design was and remember how unique a luxury car this was with the suicide doors and a hood that opened forward. I also recall that the factory tint was blue-ish. I was too young at the time to pursue the car for a restoration but I wish I did.
I sold Sevilles in 1978 and 1979. The Elegante was in high demand and the owners were meticulous about how they were maintained. I also drove the first 1980 Seville with Len Renick (Renick Cadillac) as we directed the car under cover of darkness to the rotating display for unveiling the following morning. That 1980 had the 368 V8.
I had a 1980 Coupe de Ville with the d'Elegance package.. A fine automobile with the aforementioned 368 cubic inch 6 liter V8.. It was sadly underpowered, but looked great and handled reasonably well for its size.
@@MarinCipollina Last December I bought a 1979 Cadillac Coupe deVille with 54,000 miles from the original owner's family. It is in mint condition as it was garaged since March of 1979. Of course it is the last year for the 425 V8!
@@jeffshadow2407 Of course the 368, 425, 472 and 500 all share the same block.. Want more performance out of the 368? Bore it out and use higher compression cylinders..
I think the 1957 Ford deserves an honorable mention on this list. Like the Chrysler products that year, the Ford was long and low and, unlike the Chryslers, was tastefully restrained. The hardtop coupes, in particular, were quite futuristic looking with their arched rooflines and their 45 degree slanted tailfins.
I am from Germany and remember the Opel Diplomat & Admiral.The designers introduced a purely American design.Unfortunately they did not sell very well.Not only because they were competing with the ultimate luxury status symbol of Mercedes but because Opel itself was a run of the mill car company.Hence Toyota,Honda & Nissan (for example) created their own stand alone luxury brands.
But the Diplomat & Admiral were top notch in regards to reliability.Though i am not 100% sure but i believe they have hired one or more American designers.
I agree with the choices. Well done!
Enjoyed!!!
Holden EH of 1964 was very flat sided also, designed in America for Australia. Love the Lincoln look.
I'm not very familiar with Australian cars so had to Google the EH. Looks like it was influenced by Studebaker and the Rambler American! 🤓
@@trudygreer2491 given its a GM product I see Chevy ii more in it myself.
Agreed with all statements for these 5 cars. The 66-67 Olds Toronado and 67-68 Caddy Edlo are 2 of my favorite GM cars of the 60s in terms of styling. And pretty much nobody had FWD, let alone smooth torquey V8 power. As for the 76 Seville, it still amazes me how many designers copied that car. Every GM B car all the way through the late 80s, the Lincoln Versailles, and several Chrysler products including the 82-89 5th Ave all took styling cues from that original 76 car.
Looking at the cars on this list, something has been lost with modern vehicles.
I think the best adaptation of the Seville look was the midsized GM group, including the Cutlass, Regal and Grand Prix. My parents had two Cutlasses, a '78 and an '80.
Thank you great job and commentary your the man !
For 1968 there was a federal mandate for side turn signal lights as well as needing a solution for the cast plug on the Eldorado
Very interesting article but truly missing the greatest and longest styling change post WWII:
1963 to 65 Rivieras had the longest styling effect after WWII. The styling concept was born in 1959 via Bill Michelle's visit at the '59 London international Automobile show and a following trip to Milan Italys Ferrari Plant. The American automotive styling had gone from 50s fins to straight lines with all the manufacturers.
The Riviera broke the mold with a forward motion look and tapered waistline. It took all the American automotive makers by surprise and by 1967 everyone was basing their design and styling on the trend setting first generation Riveras. Examples are the complete GMs divisions after 1964, Ford after 1966, and most of Chrysler divisions starting in 1968. The basic forward design and slim waist stayed as a styling standard well into the 90s. The drastic styling change only came about with the push to fron wheel drive Automobiles.
Marty Matthes
Calgary Alberta CANADA
Great pics Adam. 👍✨😎
The 61 Lincoln Continental was the used in Limo form for the Presidential Limo (X-100) for John F. Kennedy. It remained in service until 1977, which is kind of disturbing. That car is in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
I'm old enough to remember JFK's murder. Did you ever notice that the back doors don't seem to fit well that day? I've often wondered whether it flexed a lot when none of the tops were on. Problem solved after the killing when H&E put the permanent top on. So grateful to Ford for preserving these presidential vehicles.
1977 Chevy Impala/ Caprice game changers. CB
67 Eldorado, 63 Riviera, 61 Continental, boattail Riviera, 57 Chevy, split window Corvette would be my picks😊
I remember as a teenybopper army brat being in lala land after getting off of a plane in Ft. Dix, New Jersey and being back in THE STATES for 5 whole minutes...I saw my first 66 Oldsmobile Tornado. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
I miss the '67 Ford Galaxie 500 Fastback
We had one of those.
The 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS was gorgeous and powerful
The 67 eldo is still my fav here but I think the 67 Riviera also belongs on the list 😊
I love the 67 Eldo. However, the Mark III predicted the neo-classical styling dominating the 70s and into the early 80s.
I agree....the Eldorado was beautiful but it didn't influence many designs afterwards. The Mark III was the original overstuffed, plumped, padded and fluffed "brougham"-styled vehicle.
Your choices are fantastic for styling until you arrive at your last choice. If you choose 1976 I would have pick The 1976 Cadillac Sedan DeVille d'Elegance. The Kingswood Green being the color of choice. I find your SeVille Highly Compelling!
Fortunately or not, the 76 Seville (not Deville) set the tone for American car styling until the 86 Taurus.
I would actually argue that the ‘67 deVille was more the influence on Art & Science. If you look at one of those next to the Evoq you can see how they took the forward-canted stacked headlights and lowering spline line from the deVille and turned them upside down for the Evoq. The rear is more Eldo, but (and I might be the only person who thinks this) the line of the rear C pillar continuing onto the slanted part of the upper side taillamps reminds me of the bustle back sevilles.
Adam as usual, a great and informative video. Totally agree with all your picks. Personally, although I love the 56-57 Connie, if the front wheel arches were an inch higher in design. Definitely this stunning car, would be on my list. Though still a very beautiful design from the Lincoln stables. Just love your picks.
An astutely curated series of choices, Adam. It would be great if someday you went forward with a series of choices for the 1980s and 1990s. ;-)
I need to respectfully disagree a little here. I see your argument about the 1967 Eldo, but I think of it more as a derivative of the 1966 Toro. Also, are you sticking to full-size? The 1976 Seville was extremely influential but not quite full-size. If "full-size" isn't a criterion, I'd replace the Eldo vote with the original Mustang. (While you mention the Taurus, I trace its style history back to the 1983 Thunderbird.) Thanks for getting my brain thinking about what would be the top five.
I think the 67 Eldorado had great influence on GM's mid-size luxury coupes in the 70's and maybe 80's.
I see now that the title includes the words "Full Size". One car that set styling trends world wide was the 60 Corvair. While American companies didn't seem to copy that design, foreign cars all over the world did, including the Hillman/Sunbeam Imp (an almost exact copy). Even cars from India copied it! I wouldn't call the Corvair stylish, it certainly did pave the way for others to copy. I also think the 65-69 Corvairs had an elegantly sporty design that put a dash of Europe into an American car.
Should have added a modifier to the title about this being about lux / full size cars only. I love your work Adam, but this one was a miss based on the title.
I changed it to “big” American car designs ;)
@@RareClassicCars 😉
He's young. It's all second hand info, unlike us who remember every one of these new. I was floored at the '66 L.A. auto show when I saw the stunning new Toronado in person. Noted the '36 Cord touches at the time. My only thought; it should have been 3/4 scale. It was too big, in my precocious young eyes.
@@loumontcalm3500 I respect Adam and his knowledge regardless of his age. You sound bitter and old. I'm also "young" and in my mid 40s. I hope I don't grow to be as bitter as you seem.
Hardly bitter.... knowledgeable. There's a big difference.
If only “tailfin retro” would make a comeback
I would add the 1953 Studebaker Starlight and Starliner coupes.
The best word to describe these Continentals is - elegant...
I actually preferred the 1961 Cadillac.. Just stunning with jet age styling.
14:58 Adam , you making Fun out of Chyrsler designers having to use round wheels, you bad boy 😂
61' Continental has a very "Thunderbirdy" front end.
You can tell they came from the same tribe and are more or less low riders from the factory.
Please make a video on the Chrysler New Yorker 1988
In 64 my parents bought their first new car, a Bel Air, their previous car a 56 of the same model. Though very austere and minimal and without gimmicks I still think it was one of the handsomest cars Chevrolet made.
Seriously ? That's a bit of an odd choice, considering that the 1964 was a carryover from 1963
I agree with your selections but the Riviera is so perfect, you should have made it a top 6. : ) 5 increments are so overated!
"I suppose the design team was very unhappy that they had to use round wheels on the car".....smarty pants😂😂
5:05, those three grills don't line up with the rest of the grill. The middle one is the gas cap door(?), but what are the other two left and right of that?
Born in '59, I've seen, owned and driven vehicles from the 1920s to present, sans EVs. Most unique in the Army NG, a Deuce-and-a-half, a Five-ton and a semi tractor all built by Kaiser.
A nice selection, though 1963-5 Riviera actually inspired the Toronado. I don't see the lovely '67 Eldorado in the homely, bland 2000s Caddies. Something in Robocop maybe? The '76 Seville did influence, mostly at GM. You can see it in all the badge engineered FDW offerings to follow in the 80's. Not saying those were bad cars, but essentially only differed by price according to logo. The Caddies did have V8s and styling cues, otherwise meh. Nice mention of the first Riv and Taurus. The last car, and first since Taurus, to broadly influence styling is the 2011 Sonata. Those beautiful character lines soon showed up in even BMW and Mercedes cars, and the '59-Chevy-escent taillights continue to influence to this day.
Everything is too much the same now, huge grill to the ground, minimalistic headlight assembly, indistinct body lines. I'm bored, except my 2012 Sonic. It isn't influential, but certainly unique. Also trouble free so far.
I had a 2012 Sonic hatch turbo manual. Loved that car.
I thought the new Cadillac DeVille body
style debuted in 1967??? I have a magazine
ad /double page showing the 1966 Chevy
( ‘65 body style, 1966 Pontiac, Olds, Buick,
and the 1964? body style 1966 Cadillac. CB
Adam, If you recombine all the letters in the words Fiat and Peugoet and use a little imagination, you can almost spell PLYMOUTH . 😉😉
Yeah but I can't seen to comeup with Stalantis
Hoovies 49 Cadilac is nice.
I remember when Cadillac felt that they needed a down-sized 4 door sedan, so they made Cadillac's version of a "J-Car", the Cadillac Cimarron. Viewed from the side it looked exactly like a Chevy Cavalier, and maybe it's owner got some parts from Cadillacs in a junkyard, and disguised his Chevy as a Cadillac.
I immediately thought that GM should have imported an Opel Diplomat and "badge engineerd" that to be a small Cadillac.
GM did something like that when they gave up on the Cimarron and made the Catera.
I had an '84 Buick Century FWD that I thought was very nice, and that Cadillac should have used the A-body instead of the J-body for their "Jr. edition"..
These kind of arbitrarily limited lists, top five, top ten, whatever, are always subjective and matters of opinion. Allowing only five cars on the list out of a thirty year time span is an arbitrary and pointless limit and many influential cars are not included. The five car limit leads to disagreements and partisan bickering. Why were the ‘63 Riviera, ‘65 Mustang, ‘55 Thunderbird, ‘63 Corvette, ‘77 Caprice and others left off a list of significant cars over a long thirty year span of time? No reason at all except there can only be five. I know it’s winter and you can’t drive your cars, but the reviews of your collection and your excellent interviews and fine engineering discussions are far more interesting than a list. Especially since there are so many click-bait lists all over the internet. Just my humble opinion. Love the channel.
Gee.. you don't *sound* very humble..
@@trudygreer2491 What do you mean? I’m just voicing an opinion. I think Adam and his channel are wonderful and I’m very appreciative of the effort that goes into making the videos. Am I required to love everything about every video?
The 1977 Impala was derivative of the 1975 Seville.. The 1963 Corvette, 1955 T-Bird and Mustang weren't in the full size class of cars he covered. I agree regarding the 1963 Riv though..
1953 Cadillac 😊
Fine presentation of significant designs that shaped the industry for these years. I agree with your conclusions. These models again point out how dismal and dull today’s styling is on almost all cars. If something isn’t done to correct this, someday soon, we’ll all just be driving a Toyota, Ford, Honda or Buick, “CAR” or “SUV.” They will only differ in engine and chassis. If the regulators in Washington have their way, automakers will someday probably be forced to make them completely identical.
Couple of things!.Take a look at any major U.S Car maker in the 1960s and you will find at least one model and era that to this day looks timeless!. Also Foreign makes as well. Second thing , 1976-79 Cadillac Seville, Park a 1938- 41 Cadillac series60 special next to that 1976-79 Seville and tell me there isn't some similarities!!!!.
Excellent video. I would have included the 1964.5 Mustang. Maybe you didn’t because the pony car segment was (is) relatively small.
I would have included then 1970.5 Chevy Camaro. But as Adam stated, he was focused on full sized cars.
How do you put the 1967 El Dorado and 1966 Toronado on here? The 1963 Buick Riviera inspired both.
No. It really didn’t. It doesn’t have a similar styling theme to either.
The 63 Riv was originally designed a Lasalle. A gorgeous car, but not really a trendsetter.
The 57 Fury and the Olds Toro should be on this top five list but not the other 3 cars you chose. The Mustang should have been included.
1961 Impala was the most beautiful designed full size car in my opinion 2nd was the 1977 Firebird
1961 Ford......a clean, sleek, one-year-only design that is almost completely forgotten.
No mention of the 1951 Kaiser full-size line? While the '47 models were groundbreaking, and, along with the '47 Studebakers, codified car design for the next sixty years, the '51-'53 models (and to a lesser extent, the '54-55s) were the most graceful sedans in the industry. The Henry J line by Kaiser were ungainly (described by Tom McCahill as resembling "...a Cadillac that started smoking too young...") and so stripped of the most basic features that most buyers preferred comparably priced used three-year-old base-line stripper models.
Still, the curvaceous and thoroughly modern standard-size models with Howard Darrin's signature styling cues, low beltline and generous glass area are recognizable in most popular subsequent designs.
Also, Kaiser's 1953 KFD161 "Darrin" fiberglass roadster beat Chevy's Corvette to the market by a month, and the Darrin had doors that slid into the fenders.
Bob Bourke of Raymond Loewy Associates penned another perfect profile, the '53 Studebaker Starliner and Starlight coupes. Many designers working for the "Big Three" manufacturers at the time chose the Studebakers as their personal transportation. The Studes were significantly lower in profile and cleaner in line than anything any of the competition offered.
No mention of the fiberglass '63 Studebaker Avanti with its 0.30 coefficient of drag and 29 speed records at Bonneville Speed Week? Again, Raymond Loewy had a hand in the design, but the team he assembled, Bob Andrews, John Ebstein, and Tom Kellogg, did most of the work for which Loewy claimed credit.
Note the blades at the leading edge of the Avanti fenders were inspired by the '61 Continental and Loewy papered the walls with car designs he admired, but the rest of the design was done largely by instinct and without wind tunnel testing. The Avanti team worked in a rental house in Palm Springs and from Loewy's initial sketch on a napkin to the final design took only six weeks.
Elements of the Avanti design can be seen on such successful newer cars as the first-generation Taurus and the Tesla line-up.
The 58-60 Lincoln was so so ugly that it made the Edsel look handsome.
64 Mustang sent GM reeling.
Not really.. GM still owned 60% of the US market
Not really. Mustang mostly took sales from the Falcon and Fairlane. Supposedly one reason Henry Ford II got rid of Iacocca is that Ford added many new models in the 60's and 70's, but its share in the marketplace didn't go up.
The Eldo is pretty but I’d pick the 63 Riv instead
1969 Grand Prix.
How about 'Top 5 more' vehicles - perhaps not trendsetting but truly noteworthy? My votes: 1948 Tucker, '53 Studebaker coupes, '55 T-bird, yes '63 Riviera, '65-6 Pontiacs
I'd argue that, although a landmark design, the Toro wasn't a design (underscore) trendsetter. Wheel arches yes, but done so much later, it was more of a nod to the past than an influencer. Ditto is blended C pillar transition - yes, in 67 + 68, but the 'formal' roof of the 70's was a 180 degrees from that. Heck, even the Toro got a stupid vinyl roof by the late 60s destroying the design intention. I might substitute the Mustang here - though admit that would be for the 'package' or concept rather, which everyone copied through the early 70's. If you went the other way, in terms of sheer sales, you'd almost have to pick the formal roof A GM A bodies from 73. Throughout that decade mid-size personal luxury ruled the charts, and the stand up hood ornament, landau roof combo became price of admission....
Standup hood ornaments and landau roofs will always look tacky to me.
It's powertrain layout combined with a unitized body was far more influential than it's design, so much that Oldsmobile destroyed the integrity of it's pure form in 1968.
Hey Adam, is a 1979 Ford Thunderbird a good reliable first car.
My brother had a used LTD ii (the basis for the Tbird) and it was a lemon. Don't know about the cars in general.
The point of the video was not reliability. The point was design excellence and influence.
That car is 44 years old now. Lots to go wrong in that amount of time. Cars aren't people, 44 is old.
Do you pass the muster for cutting the mustard? 🤷♂️😏. If you pass the mustard, thank you. 😉
1976 Cadillac Seville. Really?? What about the Cadillac cimarron? If it were 'top 7' list, would it be on there ?
Me gusta el carro
Cual carro? Todos aqui?
Still think the Seville is pure blah. The rest were stunning with their good looks and design. Seville was just a boring box.
Maybe so, but this list is about cars that influenced the design of other cars. Beauty being in the eye of the beholder, of course, but do you not see that every Full- and mid-size GM from 1977 to 1984 looks, to some degree, like the '75-79 Seville?
Many of this video's claims are nothing more than assumptions. For instance, which designer of newer Audis has even seen a '66 Toronado.
Overlooked timeless designs were that of the 1950 Continental (maybe except for its front fender ornamentation) and the first series AMC Javelins.
Many are likely to agree that the 1960 Continental had the best looking dashboard, among early Sixties Lincolns
There was no 1950 Continental.....production ended in 1948.