dhermann1
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 9,154
- Location
- Da Bronx, NY, USA
Interesting how the 55 Buick was the first since 41 NOT to have the toothy grille. But it still looks like a Buick! It's fascinating to me how the GM designers took what was basically the same body and differentiated the identity of all their marques so clearly. The man who drove one of those 50's Buicks was the man who had ARRIVED.
To me the toothy grille evokes Buick even more than the ventiports.
I think Oldsmobile's problem was that it had the image of the conservative fuddy duddy's car, even tho it had fine engineering, whereas Pontiac cultivated the hot car image more. When my grandparents had their 1934 Olds, I think that image was justified. Images die hard.
GM created the whole idea of cars matching the owner's self image, so I guess when the self image that Olds represented became too uncool, it was doomed.
Anyhow, I miss riding in those old land yachts.
To me the toothy grille evokes Buick even more than the ventiports.
I think Oldsmobile's problem was that it had the image of the conservative fuddy duddy's car, even tho it had fine engineering, whereas Pontiac cultivated the hot car image more. When my grandparents had their 1934 Olds, I think that image was justified. Images die hard.
GM created the whole idea of cars matching the owner's self image, so I guess when the self image that Olds represented became too uncool, it was doomed.
Anyhow, I miss riding in those old land yachts.