NED It's amazing how a little rake can change the entire "theme" of a auto. in the original version I can imagine myself racing around, trying to go as fast as possible. In your "revamp" if you will, I can imagine myself gently touring around the country side looking for a nice calm pond to picnic beside & enjoy a gentle breeze of a nice summer day. I think both werk very well, & drive me differently, but with the same enthusiasim... I'll take either if someone was giving them away
The BMW 507 was shown elsewhere in this thread, but I just ran across this picture of a nice one and thought I'd put it up: I had the good fortune to see the original body drawings for this car about 50 years ago. Apart from the nose, which I've always particularly liked, the most remarkable feature of the drawings was the extreme degree to which the body sides rolled under, exposing a lot of tire tread. Probably meant that a lot of schmutz got thrown on the side of the car, but it lent an aggressive look that was quite distinctive.
Hey, When French coachbuilder Labourdette created the body for the above 1939 Rolls Royce Phantom III it touched off quite a shit storm at Rolls Royce. Prior to W.W.II Rolls Royce did not build bodies for their chassis (swoopy or otherwise) in house. Instead, they provided the chassis and powertrain to various coachbuilders who would build bodies to the owner's wishes. Rolls did however, reserve the right to honor the warranty for said chassis/powertrain if the coachwork were judged substandard or in the case of this '39 Phantom, obscene. The grille shell especially, on this vehicle ,came under serious objection as Rolls held that their standard nickle silver grille shell complete with ''flying lady'' was the standard barer of the marque and an icon, and not to be fucked with. I can't remember if Rolls Royce finely relented, and honored the build or not, but they didn't approve of it. This build also features the pattented ''vutotal'' windshield in which the whole windshield, A Posts and all roll down into the cowl, much like a sidelight in a door or quarter would. The Delage is most ''swoopy'' & french, too. " All great truths begin as blasphemies "
Yeah I was hesitant to post the RR, it is still a controversial car even today. A bit over the top & garish to be sure, but it is an interesting study in design. You do know your history, very impressive.
I'm pretty positive a P1800 is my next project. Semi-serious roadrace/autocross car. Been talking about it for a couple years now.
I think the RR was rebodied and that is the second version. At the right angle you can see the original trademark Rolls grill inside of the custom one. i was lucky to see this car in the current owners collection. Clark
Photos of the Xenia are all over the place, and the 1924 "Tulipwood" Hispano-Suiza isn't hard to find; but just try finding a picture of Dubonnet's four-door of '32-'33. That thing had the coolest look about the rear quarters, that made it eminently swoopy despite being a fairly square-rigged close-coupled saloon. Unfortunately the car has been lost: a few photos survive, but just you try finding them on the 'net ...
Whoa! That Xenia is one of the coolest swoopy cars posted so far! Curved glass and wrap-around windshield in 1937? Never seen that before.
The Chrysler does kinda look like you could stick it into the wall of your favorite pub, dunnit? The Panhard (I wonder if a Panhard by Deutsch is different from a Deutch-Bonnet?) isn't much of a looker, but I think those things won the Index of Performance at LeMans every year for years. A cynic might say that the French set up the Index so that a French car could win it.
Nah.. If that was true, they would have given manufacturers like Lotus a hard time, when they started to challenge them in that class. Oh, wait... They did.
Hey, The 1939 Rolls Royce Phantom III as bodied by french coachbuilder Labourdette, could be considered as something of a ''pelt'' car. The chassis left the Rolls factory with a Sedanca deville body by english coachbuilder Hooper. Hooper built some good lookin limo bodies, but they didn't do "swoopy'' especially on Phantom III chassis & in 2-door roadster form! The standard Phantom III grille & headlamps ( Lucas P 100s ?) as issued by Rolls to Hooper for the first build & I'm told the front fenders/wings are housed beneith the Labourdette body. I'm guessin the use of the Rolls/Hooper issue grille & tin was the only way Rolls Royce would honor the warranty on the chassis & powertrain? The Phantom III featured a very high tech ( for its' day ) V-12 engine, an engine that was trouble prone at first, and only Rolls/factory mechanics could work on them. Some sources say the gold trim on this vehicle is actually gold plated, others say it's brass. Kool either way! French coachbuilder Labourdette also built a very "swoopy" aero coupe on a 1937 Delage D8-120 chassis with a big ol' fin running down the back,kinda Bugatti Alantic-like, but my skill as a computer jockey will only allow me to hold a picture of it up to the screen, there, wasn't that helpful? " Humpty Dumpty was pushed "
Hey Ned, The Xenia, with body by Paris coachbuilder Saoutchic, is rumored to be built on the chassis of Dubonnet's four door, the front wheel drive one with the new ''Knee-Action" front end. Sorry I haven't got a picture of the '32 Paris sHOW cAR. The Dubonnet Xenia not only had curved/bent glass, but a Hispano-Suiza OHC six-banger & the new ''Dubonnet system" a.k.a. "Knee-Action Suspension ". This front end suspension would be licensed to General Motors in the 30s for Chevrolets & Pontiacs. The Xenia also has pop out doors that slid like ''mini-van'' sliding cargo doors. " Don't drink the Kool-Aid "
I also seem to recall something like that, though as far as I know the four-door was rear-drive, on a "stock" H6B chassis but for the IFS.
Yeah, that '59 Buick is the ultimate fin car. Does anyone have photos of Starbird's '59 Buick new-at-the-time HRM cover car from back then? Outstanding car in candy blue. Note how narrow the wide whites had become by '59 (but still next to the rim until '61).
I prefer the tail and the exhausts on the first series E-type: Interesting point. I actually don't remember any whitewalls like the ones shown on the Buick (skinny whites next to the rim), except for US Royal Masters. The tar just isn't quite hot enough yet. No, I agree, '59 GM models could be thought of as swoopy. Sorta. I love early open wheeled race cars, but these are about the only ones I'd consider "swoopy":
Tony, the whites on the '59 Buick and the '59 Chev (white next to rim) seem to be about the same width...the difference being (I think) that the wheel rim on the Buick is painted black whereas the rim on the Impala is probably a light color same as the car. The narrow whites (with black inner stripe) started on all factory makes in '61, but possibly earlier on one or two high-end models. The Royal Masters were the first skinnies but were an aftermarket item. Very expensive. My first recollection of a custom with Royal Masters was Ray Farhner's Eclipse in late 1960. I wonder when a tire company will repop the Masters. Stying-wise, they were on the edge, with the ribs and all.
Perhaps you're right -- your explanation is sound -- but the Buick's WWs still look narrower to me. About US Royal Masters: I'm aware of the ones you have described, but I'm actually talking about the version that was sold in the mid-50s. The whitewall was about 2" wide and immediately next to the rim; the shoulder was completely smooth. As you say, they were exclusive and expensive. Here's a '54 magazine ad for them:
The Jalopy Journal
