The Car: Buick '59

                                     

Evidence of GM's attempt to simply out-fin Chrysler instead of trying to make tasteful improvements on Virgil Exner's 1957 Chrysler designs. This wild tri-fin design would have been the Lockheed Constellation of autodom. It would have failed in the marketplace, but would be worshipped by lovers of late 1950's excess today. Photo from GM archives.  Top photo courtesy of Brian Laurence and used with his permission.

Photos courtesy of Brian Laurence and used with his permission 

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photobombed by two 1960 models!  Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Especially threatening in black!
Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

 Photo by Neil Settle c2017

The "I eat small cars for breakfast" look.  Another 1959 car with this aggressive, angry look was the Dodge.  Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

Photo by Neil Settle c2017

The 59 GM line was an answer to the public's initial acceptance of Chrysler's sleek redesign of all five of their car lines. Due to abysmal quality control (I still love 1956-61 Mopars anyway), GM could have stood pat and gone with their original plan to make 1959 a "facelift" year of its 1958 bodyshell. Not knowing how badly-assembled the Mopars would turn out to be, GM stylists scrambled back to their drawing boards. The 59 GMs scream: "if the public wants fins, by God, we'll give 'em fins!" The GM fins are mostly ridiculous and a caricature of Exner's graceful designs. Buick, IMO, comes off the cleanest with their delta-shaped fins. The Cadillac fins in 59 are just an attempt to win a pissing contest (a challenge to which Chrysler rose in 1960-61 with the Imperial). The bat winged 59 Chevy is also just a caricature. The Olds is relatively low-key and the styling sensation at Pontiac was up front, with its soon-to-be trademark split grille.  That being said, I love the design excesses of this era as much as I love the tasteful designs, like the Continental MK II.

I do love the greenhouse design of the 4-window, 4-door hardtops.  It features a huge wraparound rear window, thin-design C-pillar and the roof forms a slight overhang over the rear backlight.  I would refer to it as a "flattop" roof design.  I know people who nicknamed it the "Patio Roof".  This roof treatment was available on all five car lines.  It seems to have been least popular with Cadillac buyers.  More of them seemed to opt for the 6-window 4-door hardtop design.  This roof treatment sloped at the rear and featured a small quarter window.

Photos by Neil Settle and Brian Laurence