nostalgic beyond my years: A Few More Things Automobiles Have Lost Over Time Part II

TWO-TONE EXTERIORS

There was a time when the beauty of a car was one of its most prized attributes. Cars were sleek and stylish. The early twentieth century was a highpoint for the automobile, and during that time auto makers made sure to compliment their innovative, elegant designs in stunning multi-colored beauty. The 1950s, in particular, were the time of two- and sometimes tri-tone color schemes as the sleek and shapely bodylines of the designs provided fine boundaries for colors to meet and mash.

The colors were vibrant and varied, and they were thrown together to create a great assortment of diverse color schemes. Bright colors were matched with black for dramatic flash. Matching shades of a single hue made for class and elegance. Most any color could be matched with white. One of the most striking combinations was the popular black-and-red color scheme that screams 1950s Americana. Another one of my favorites of the chrome-and-fins era was the gorgeous charcoal-and-coral scheme offered on 1955 Chevy’s.

Cars don’t come from the factory with rich colors like that anymore—they haven’t the shape for it. The majority of today’s cars are monochromatic and formless blobs, melting Jellybeans idly oozing their way down the road. Older cars are finely sculpted pieces of kinetic art. They are low, long and wide not for improved handling but for a graceful and gliding appearance as they move down the road. And like a fine painting these pieces of rolling art exhibit a deliberate and stimulating use of color.

WRAPAROUND WINDSHIELDS

Wraparound or panoramic windows are another styling cue unique to the 1950s. These windshields turned the corners of the cars with elegantly curved glass which was not only stylish but pushed the pillars to less visually restrictive positions. When paired with the thin front pillars of the day and the hardtops that had no center pillar, the wraparound windshield helped provide unobstructed visibility and a spacious open-air feel. I especially like the inwardly angled shape achieved when a wraparound windshield was paired with a wraparound rear window like on the 1958 Chevy Impala. Another one of my favorite designs of the 1960s is the elegant sweptback styling Pontiac achieved by pairing a wraparound windshield with a beautifully curved ultra-thin rear pillar.

THIN AND DECORATIVE STEERING WHEELS

I don’t believe there has been a truly beautiful steering wheel since the standardization of the airbag. Airbags ruined the steering wheel with their rubbery bulkiness. Before airbags steering wheels had far greater potential for alluring design. They were thin yet over-sized. They could be flashy chrome and color or they could be wood and brass. The use of a chrome horn-ring made for an elegant and popular circle-within-a-circle affect. There were also cars like 1960s Pontiacs and Chryslers that used translucent steering wheels that placed the Sun’s radiance in the hands of the driver.