Electel Blogspot

A fairly easy job for American automobile stylists around 1950 was the creation of a design for a convertible.  Mostly it required razing the top off a coupé or two-door sedan and replacing it with a retractible canvas top design.  And those designs were largely shaped by engineering requirements. That task became more difficult to a greater or lesser degree when the shape of the source of the derivation interfered.  Below are images of some American convertibles from that era whose canvas top (and related sheet metal) designs were more or less awkward.  Unless noted, the photos are of cars listed for sale. Gallery First, a 1949 Chevrolet (Mecum auction photo).  General Motors stylists were at the top of their game, and the raised convertible top is attractive.  This was in spite of the rounded trunk lid and the body shape falling off towards the rear, two elements that might have led to a less satisfactory result. This 1949 Hudson Commodore 8 convertible r...

The Nash Rambler , launched during the 1950 model year was the most successful American postwar "compact" car.  Not so successful were the early 1950s Henry J from Kaiser, the Aero Willys and the Hudson Jet. Eventually, a redesign was called for, resulting in the 1956 Rambler from American Motors Corporation (AMC, created by a merger of Nash and Hudson in the spring of 1954).  Ramblers for the 1955-56 model years were badged as either Nash Rambler or Hudson Rambler.  Beginning in 1957, Rambler became a distinct brand. Given the lead-time required for the creation and production of a new design, it seems likely that styling of the 1956 Rambler line was started before AMC was created.   Edmund Anderson , a veteran of General Motors, joined Nash in 1950 and was responsible for Nash and AMC styling until his departure in 1961. The previous link suggests that Anderson might have been more an administrator than designer, but was good at hiring talented stylists.  Wha...