I have noticed in photos of cars, and models and even art work that some customs had the fenders cut so that the tops of the tires could poke through. Seeing some recent killer artwork on the hamb made me wonder where did that mod come from. Who started the fender cutting trend? Can anyone list some customs that had that back in the 60s? I'd be interested in seeing some more pictures.
The Car Craft Dream Rod you posted was built by Bill Cushenberry in 1963. That's also around the time he built the Silhouette, which also has the front tires over the hoodline. I'd say that was the idea, to have the hoodline lower then the tires, without putting "bubble" fenders over the front tires that would distract from the profile shape. Here's the Silhouette:
Cool, but rather impractical as stones, mud, etc. would cause issues while driving especially in the rain, snow or ice.
Even as a teenager when these Cushenbery works of art were new I always thought it was an attempt to bring the mid '50's Formula 1 race car styling into the custom car design, like the one below and other's from: http://www.oldirish.com/cars/Ferrari/D50.htm
I certainly can't answer who or when this treatment for some of the more radical customs came about, but I can add another to the list. One of my favourites and in my opinion one of the best examples of asymmetrical styling that came out of the '60s is Dave Puhl's Illusion: Popular Customs - April/May 1966 -Dave
Interesting, this is the same year as the F-1 Ferrari. I wonder if they came off the same drawing board(s)?
Probably not... The Ferrari GP car started out as the Maserati D50. Enzo took over the team when Maserati had to stop. I think they first raced as Maserati's without sidepods, then with, and then later in their development when they were Ferrari's they were blended in.
The Alfa Romeo Super Flow was a styling exercise that after a couple of tries became the Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider.
Looks much better in the early sloped rear style rather than the later Kamm-back, even though the early one probably lifted at speed. I see they put clear plastic mudguards on the prototype...Actually drove it I guess? That Green(?) Corvair/Citroen "Reactor" Winfield built sorta fits.
Yeah, the spider got uglier over time. They put on the kamm tail, changed the angle of the windshield, and then came the US spec bumpers, etc... But the early ones were really beautiful. The Superflow was probably a working car. The BAT Alfa's were...
The body only gets so low, after that the tires are higher than the fenders. what came first, bumps on the fenders for tire clearance or tires poking thru?
Les Dunham, noted customizer from Boonton NJ, built the Scorpian in the mid 60's. The handbuilt body was on a 49 Ford frame..Les is still in Boonton, and still owns this and several other customs he built from the early 60's and beyond..
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