So the question is - Was George Barris responsible for the styling of the 1970 Toronado ? This custom was built in 1967, yet the front looks remarkably like a 1970



http://www.jmannix.net/roadster.htm

So heres what George Barris came up with in 68

and heres a 1970 Toronado

By '67-68, the '70 Toros were nearly locked in. GM certainly could have 'nudged' Barris a bit. Same thing happened with Ford when the '64 Barris-built Merc Super Maurader had Wrist-Twist steering, yet Merc Wrist-Twist engineering prototypes didn't come about until '65.

Yes I agree, drafts for 70 Toro should have been drawn much earlieras well as XP's, clays and maybe even show cars. Makes since. Wish I knew more about these Toronados, like that book I have on Corvette. Would be interesting to see various drafts and Xp's. Now I was just thinking, what about the rectangle headlight ? what was the first appearence of them ? Production GM was 74/75 ? Never mind I see this is a round sealed beam in a rectangle [ish] bezel. Still a hint of things to come? Then I remember something I discovered about a 60's Exner design that has hints of this 70 Toronado, and I forget what it was.

I honestly do not think there will ever be two consecutive decades of design/style/progress like the 50s and 60s. Amazing and magical things happened. And I'm not just talking about the cars, thought they are the watermark by which the ear is judged.

Now theres something wrong with my ears ? LOL Speaking of "Amazing and magical things happened. And I'm not just talking about the cars" Joe Mannix had a gorgous Black "African American receptionist type person" which was very very rare in those days. His show was also considered quite violent or even touted as most violent in its time. I watched it all the time, never missed a show, I loved it, I think it had to do with the "receptionist type person". Seriously I was young and did watch it every week. It was also one of the few hour shows if I remember correctly. I do not remember the Toronado, I seem to remember a Barracuda convertable maybe. The Firebird was Garner or did Manniz have a Firebird too ? Seems it was a green car. Senility !