Styling Firsts

[Ray B.]

I read Otto's article a year ago when I was beginning to explore Autopuzzles.com and I thought it was great stuff, the kind that I would have liked to read more often in car magazines. The kind that I would have liked to write myself if I had more time and my English was more fluent and reliable.
In the meantime, here is a link to a french website with no less than 132 pages about ressemblances (not all them unvolontary by far) in automobile design. Maybe you knew it, maybe you didn't. If you don't speak french, just look at the pretty pictures.
Quite interesting.
http://leroux.andre.free.fr/simi.htm

Of course this may be revealing a source, but sometimes sharing is worthwile.

Late to the party/new guy's take on the "Pairings".
Please no offence to you Ray, but I find this list sophmoric at best and seems to prove limited automotive knowlage to the author.
A '56 DeSoto being the best comparison to a '60s Volvo 122 Amazon? The BMC shares the headlight area with the Ferrari Daytona and that's about it. And Austin Healey and an early Datsun Fairlady? Ummm...no! On the Daimler Empress and the  Bentley Lanchaster. Aren't they comparing two cars built by Hooper? Of course they look alike!
Anyway, I did find a few comparisons to be somewhat interesting, and I do thank you for posting the list. Just my opinion from my personal perspective!  Here's a pic of me for you to mull over!

No offence taken, Vincent. I didn't endorse this website, you know.

[Otto Puzzell]

And Austin Healey and an early Datsun Fairlady? Ummm...no!

Hey, wait a minute - they both were available with two-tone paint!

My favorite "well, duh" pairing is Subaru Impreza and the Saab 9-2

[Allan L]

My favorite "well, duh" pairing is Subaru Impreza and the Saab 9-2

Having owned Subarus for 12 years and never having heard of the SAAB 9-2 I Googled the latter and see it was more or less a Subaru Impreza Wagon with a SAAB front and badges and 140kg extra empty weight. Therefore it would look quite similar, I'd say.
We never had that one here in the UK for some reason, and now the General has sold SAAB on, I expect that's that.

[Carnut]

My favorite "well, duh" pairing is Subaru Impreza and the Saab 9-2

Having owned Subarus for 12 years and never having heard of the SAAB 9-2 I Googled the latter and see it was more or less a Subaru Impreza Wagon with a SAAB front and badges and 140kg extra empty weight. Therefore it would look quite similar, I'd say.
We never had that one here in the UK for some reason, and now the General has sold SAAB on, I expect that's that.

It's a Saabaru!
Some Saabs were sold as re-badged Subarus in some markets weren't they?

[Otto Puzzell]

They were in the US (and probably Canada - not sure).

[grobmotorix]

Probably this was the very first retractable hardtop car:

a potential puzzle? I know the details - do you?

[DeAutogids]

WoW!

[grobmotorix]

O.K. I´ll convert this photo into a new rookie puzzle 

[Stephen M]

Having owned Subarus for 12 years and never having heard of the SAAB 9-2 I Googled the latter and see it was more or less a Subaru Impreza Wagon with a SAAB front and badges and 140kg extra empty weight. Therefore it would look quite similar, I'd say.
We never had that one here in the UK for some reason, and now the General has sold SAAB on, I expect that's that.

There was a brief window during one of GM's generous employee pricing/cash back offers when you could buy a 9-2x Aero with a supposedly nicer interior and more "upscale" nameplate than the WRX it was based on, for a few thousand LESS than the WRX. Not sure the situation thrilled Subaru dealers.

[DeAutogids]

Don't forget Stephen, that offer was not for everybody. Although not happy, the effect should be relatively marginal.
Especially considering I would take the original over the "upscale" name.

[Ultra]

Don't forget Stephen, that offer was not for everybody. Although not happy, the effect should be relatively marginal.
Especially considering I would take the original over the "upscale" name.

Even if resale was significantly better for the upscale name?  Me, I buy the one that holds its value best.

[DeAutogids]

Don't forget Stephen, that offer was not for everybody. Although not happy, the effect should be relatively marginal.
Especially considering I would take the original over the "upscale" name.

Even if resale was significantly better for the upscale name?  Me, I buy the one that holds its value best.

I doubt that the resale value would be higher. Maybe in the US it will. In Europe many people have talked about SAAB being a to expensive Opel.

[Stephen M]

Don't forget Stephen, that offer was not for everybody. Although not happy, the effect should be relatively marginal.
Especially considering I would take the original over the "upscale" name.

GM did extend employee pricing to everyone (that is, non-employees) a few times pre-bankruptcy. Or at least, they did in the US. But you're right, it was only for a few months IIRC and I suspect didn't change the big picture.

Even if resale was significantly better for the upscale name?  Me, I buy the one that holds its value best.

Out of morbid curiosity, I checked the NADA resale on a 2006 WRX & 9-2x aero with 50k miles. The WRX is worth $2,300 MORE. Surprising to me at least...I guess the US market depreciates Euro nameplates faster than Japanese nameplates, even when based on identical mechanicals? Or perhaps the uncertainty of Saabs future is weighing down prices. 

[DeAutogids]

I like that kind of curiosity.

[thewarlord]

Any 'wedge' before the Bertone Carabo or -conteporary- Lotus type 56?

thanks.

[billtorrance9999]

Re the Citroën DS/ID - I well remember my first sight of these t the Scottish Motor Show in the Kelvin Hall Glasgow in November 1959.  Think of what we had around at that time - Moggie 1000s, Austin A40s, Ford Anglia and Classic etc and imagine the effect of seeing these things in the metal.  You could hardly get near the Citroën dealer stand for the crowd (Scottish show always was a dealer based show, albeit with heavy manufacturer support).  I eventually managed to get inside the DS and was astounded  by the soft comfort of the seats and the sheer spaciousness of the airy interior.  Even as a 9 year old lad I knew this was something special, and it still is!

[grobmotorix]

The first turnable headlight I´ve found are those on a 1903 Cudell car from Aachen/Germany:

[Paul Jaray]

Who was the first to show this dramatic design?
A (still) unknown coachbuilder on a Topolino in 1952,
The so called "Tom Mix's Duesenberg", late 40s early 50s
Moskvich-CA early 60s
Manta Ray, 1953?

Do you know more?
(not like the all the GM Sabre's clones, but with this round shaped nose)

[grobmotorix]

This bullet nose was a common feature of several french trucks between 1905 and 1918.

Of course the did not feature a closed ponton style body:

[Paul Jaray]

Thanks to Stanislav for reminding me of the Zis 112 from 1951.
Here you are the 3 versions of it. (pics from Kustorama)

[Paul Jaray]

Just sayin...

[Otto Puzzell]

 

[Otto Puzzell]

Prehistoric dagmars. with a more recent copy in the background.

[grobmotorix]

I think I found the very first front spoiler on a 1906 Mercedes racecar:

[grobmotorix]

The first dragster