by "MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
Published 03/30/2017 at 14:09
by "MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
Published 03/30/2017 at 14:09
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STARS: 3
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
In the late 1950's the Olin Aluminum Corporation was seeking relevant new ways to advertise the strength and other advantageous qualities of aluminum in American industry. One rather exciting, if not forgotten, example was the 1959 Scimitar model lineup of three cars penned by noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens that made heavy use of the alloy in the vehicle’s bumpers, wheels covers, trim, interior accessories and bodywork quarter panels.
In theory, the design was intended to add corrosion-resistant aluminum to the places where car bodies tend to rust from salty winter slush. On all three cars, everything silver is anodized aluminum while everything painted black is pressed steel.
A coupe, sedan, and station wagon of similar design were all built on 1959 Chrysler Newport chassis’ and displayed, first at the Geneva Motor Show in 1959, and again at the International Automobile Show in New York before traveling to other cities including Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and many others throughout the next three years.
The coupe featured a novel automatic retracting hardtop that disappeared behind a large trunk panel in the tradition of the Ford Skyliner.
The sedan featured removable roof panels that, likewise, created a feeling of open-air luxury similar to a traditional landau let format, according to Stevens in his own words during an interview granted to Special Interest Auto Magazine in 1992, “that one had a retractable front roof over the chauffeur’s compartment that slid into the rear roof. Then the deck opened and swallowed the entire combination of roofs into the trunk.” The wagon variant featured a sliding rear roof panel akin to those fitted to the Studebaker Wagonaire of the era, also designed by Stevens.
The oddball design was never adopted by any manufacturer for production, nor were they intended to be, serving purely as a “vehicle” to promote aluminum in manufacturing. Stevens re-purchased the coupe/convertible from a dealer 10-years later and owned it up until his death in 1992, and it is believed this car, as well as the sedan, are held in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. The wagon is still on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.
"Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero" (sampsonite24)
03/30/2017 at 14:16, STARS: 1
i see edsel in the front grill
"Vlachen" (vlachenaranias)
03/30/2017 at 14:27, STARS: 2
Amazing looking vehicles, works of art...
However, galvanic corrosion is a thing.
"MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
03/30/2017 at 14:35, STARS: 0
It was claimed that the vertical portion of the grille for these cars was sprung to help reduce impact damage in an accident.
"MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
03/30/2017 at 14:38, STARS: 1
It’s totally a thing. He should have spoken to Land Rover first.
"TorqueToYield" (torquetoyield)
03/30/2017 at 15:02, STARS: 1
I love the black on silver.
"MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
03/30/2017 at 15:20, STARS: 0
Black over white/silver seems to have been a trademark of his.
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
03/30/2017 at 20:49, STARS: 1
Ford Motor Company’s official position is that galvanic corrosion is just a silly superstition with no basis in science.
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
03/30/2017 at 20:49, STARS: 1
I believe the ring around the 1958 Edsel grille was advertised the same way.
"Vlachen" (vlachenaranias)
03/30/2017 at 22:31, STARS: 0
Ford is a U.S. Government Agency? Huh, TIL.
"MotoArigato" (MotoArigato)
03/31/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 0
That’s very cool, I never heard that before.