Re: IML: Fuselage Era cars

[Mark McDonald <tomswift@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Friday, August 19, 2005, at 03:52 AM, Bill Watson wrote:

> The 1972-73 Mopar C bodies were, indeed, fuselage as they kept the 
> curved
> sides.

Bill,

Curvature of the sides alone does not constitute fuselage styling.  ALL 
cars have curved sides to some degree, but all cars are not fuselage.  
The question is one of DEGREE.  How much curvature is there, and where 
is it?  The sides of the 72-73s were flattened out in comparison to 
previous years to blend in with the new front and rear end treatments, 
which were far more vertical.

To think of it in mathematical terms, the radius of the curve of the 
72/73s is far more than in the fuselage years, resulting in a much 
shallower curve.

> The 1972 restyling of the Chrysler and Imperial removed some of the
> side character lines but the curvature was still there.   The 4-door 
> hardtop
> rooflines of the 1972-73 models were carried forward from the 1969-71 
> models
> with virtually no change.  The 2-door hardtop roofline was changed for 
> 1972
> and was shared with the Fury (non-formal), Polara, and Monaco.    The
> 1969-71 Chrysler/Imperial roofline differed from their lower-priced 
> brothers
> in the C-pillar and rear window areas.   By the way, the 1969-72 Fury 
> 2-door
> formal hardtop used the Fury 4-door hardtop roofline.
>
> But what really makes the 1972-73 models different from the 1969-71 
> models
> are the fender caps, front and rear.  The front fender ends on the 
> 1972-73
> models are larger and boxier while the rears are more vertical.   Both 
> give
> the 1972-73 Imperials a heavier, boxier look.  They seem to have lost 
> that
> slim, aerodynamic look the first generation fuselage models had.

Yes, exactly.  Thank you, you have made my point.  That is why these 
cars need to be considered separately.  They are a departure from the 
previous 3 years.

Mark M



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