“A History of American Automobile Design”
“A History of American Automobile Design”
by Ethan Kobayashi Martinez
Excerpted from the Smithsonian magazine
October, 2055
“…Beginning in the late 1990s, Chrysler was at the forefront and arguably even the prime initiator of a retro styling trend that soon swept the industry and the nation. This trend included high-priced “show car” models such as the hot rod Plymouth Prowler as well as mass market favorites such as the street rod-inspired Chrysler PT Cruiser. General Motors and Ford were quick to jump on the bandwagon with 1950s styling in the Chevrolet SSR pickup truck and panel truck-like HHR and the modernized clone versions of the 1969 Ford Mustang and the 1955 Ford Thunderbird. In addition to the Mustang, nostalgia for the muscle car era of the late 1960s and early 1970s also spawned new versions of classically styled Dodge Challengers and Chevrolet Camaros.
“Perhaps the zenith of American retro styling was achieved with the 2004-2007 Chrysler Crossfire. The Crossfire, while a German-built auto produced during the DaimlerChrysler years, was pure retro American in its styling. The basic styling cues of the Crossfire came from the Art Deco years of pre World War Two such as the ribbed hood and curved upper tail surface of the pre-war wooden runabout sport boats. The contrasting silver colored side strakes behind the front wheel wells perfectly complemented Chrysler’s wide Art Deco wing emblem on the front, rear and steering wheel of the vehicle.
“Chrysler also added vintage race car touches to the Crossfire. Raised aerodynamic tonneau deck humps with integrated roll over hoops were placed behind the driver and passenger headrests on the roadster models. Faux heat dissipation scoops were positioned under the side strakes.
“The classic retro aspects of the Crossfire did harmoniously blend with the then state of the art styling points such as the center positioned dual exhaust tips, the covered halogen headlamps, retractable rear wing and wide, low sidewall racing tires with “open-look” seven spoke aluminum colored wheels. The two tone leather and aluminum trimmed interior also complemented both the retro and ultramodern natures of the vehicle. In sum, the Chrysler Crossfire was perhaps the best example of the high art of automotive retro-look styling in the closing decades of the high-powered gasoline engine era of personal transportation.”