Since we seem to be at each others throats a little bit lately...let's take it "out into the parking lot" and fight over "cars' instead of stupid stuff.

Here is what we can argue about-Suppose you have been picked by the Smithsonian to pick ONE GM car as a historical visual "high Water Mark" of North American car production. Let's suppose the Smithsonian will buy an example of this car and put it on permanant prominent public display. What would you pick?

Also-Has to be built in North America, so PCS can't flood us with a fleet of Holdens.

My pick-58-62 Chevrolet Corvette. To me even better than a 55 Nomad, 65 GTO, or other notable GM cars. That car just has the look, if you know what I mean.

What is your pick...not as your fav. car...but as the all time visual high water mark for a GM car?

Let's fight away, guys.

Chris

Edited June 9, 200916 yr by 66Stang

1957 Bel Air hardtop coupe, even though I think Ford outsold Chevy that year.

1957 Bel Air hardtop coupe, even though I think Ford outsold Chevy that year.

This is the elephant in the room - easily the most famous GM car (iconic, legendary, etc.)

You have to take it out of the running to get a good variety of answers, I think.

Ahhhh....I owned one...Turqoise and white with the two tone turqoise interior.

For some reason the 57 looks good in every color but red IMHO.

Had a chance to buy a 57 Bel Air two door post that was silver on red when I bought my 55 two door post. In silver/red that car is just stunning.

Chris

Katie, the teenaged girl who lives down at the corner, has an Aztek that color and everything.

Steve, her dad, has a beautiful C4 Corvette in an unusual shade of green. That Vette is just damn near flawless. The Aztec was until Katie tried to voilate the laws of physics with it...

Chris

Mine was a black 210.

But back to your question: I noticed your use of the word "visual" to modify high water mark.

So, I nominate the '63 split window Corvette.

Easy

This is the elephant in the room - easily the most famous GM car (iconic, legendary, etc.)

You have to take it out of the running to get a good variety of answers, I think.

Let's see what everyone comes up with. It maybe the most famous, but in my mind it isn't the best looking.

To me the 55 Nomad looked much better, as did some of the 30's Cadillacs and Lasalles.

What else does everyone else think?

Chris

Easy

Believe it or not there are a couple of those running around Columbus. I took pics of them and am eventually going to download the pics so I can post them here.

Alas, one of them is painted pink.

Chris

Let's see what everyone comes up with. It maybe the most famous, but in my mind it isn't the best looking.

To me the 55 Nomad looked much better, as did some of the 30's Cadillacs and Lasalles.

What else does everyone else think?

Chris

Agreed, but it is the Smithsonian we are talking about here...

That '59 Caddy can make a similar claim - though I can't say they ever did anything for me.

Some pretty significant ones I would think would include the '77 Caprice for the volume, kind of the standard bearer at it's time for American sedans, and the first downsized. Likewise, '65 Impala, kind of a high water mark from when GM was on top.

Thinking strictly of design, I would include would be the '67-69 Camaro, '63-67 Corvette, '63-65 Riviera, '66 Toronado, '67 ELdorado.

The Caprice might not make it on visuals, but it does in a way represent GM thinking over the 1975-2000 time period pretty well.

1957 Cadillac Seville Brougham?

1957 Cadillac Seville Brougham?

This is why I wanted to get this thread going. I've seen the 57 Seville in person, and to me visuially it is much better than the 57 Bel Air.

NICE CHOICE, I like it as well as anything suggested so far.

Chris

Best selling GM vehicle for one year ever.

Over a million sold.

In honor of 68, let's not forget the coachbuilt masterpieces of the 20s and 30s.

V16 Caddy limo anyone?

Best selling GM vehicle for one year ever.

Over a million sold.

Yeah, I couldn't recall if that was '64 or '65 that set that mark..that # was for the whole Chevy B-body line (Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala)

Best selling GM vehicle for one year ever.

Over a million sold.

Not to mention it probably is more widely accepted from a demographic standpoint. The lowrider guys, the resto guys, racers, people who just love old cars...this car still has a lot of appeal to a lot of people, so putting one on display would be a good way to show the best of GM.

Plus it is perhaps the high water mark for the Impala, which was the best selling car of Chevrolet, the best selling brand.

Keep em coming boys...

Chris

Mr. Bond, I didn't realize the six-fo Impolla was GM's all-time best seller in a single year.

For looks in this era, though, I like the '66 Impolla better than the six-fo.

Edited June 9, 200916 yr by ocnblu

Best selling GM vehicle for one year ever.

Over a million sold.

That's a 64 Impala, the 65 Impala was the one you're referring to

In honor of 68, let's not forget the coachbuilt masterpieces of the 20s and 30s.

V16 Caddy limo anyone?

Suppose the Smithsonian would cave and let us bring twenty cars?

We need a national auto museum so that we can preserve our American auto heritage. There is more beauty in the full width tail light lens of the 66-67 Charger than in every Toyota and Lexus ever built.

Chris

I think 65 WAS the high sales year, as I was born in 65 and always thought it was cool I was born in the high sales year of the Impala.

Chris

Suppose the Smithsonian would cave and let us bring twenty cars?

We need a national auto museum so that we can preserve our American auto heritage. There is more beauty in the full width tail light lens of the 66-67 Charger than in every Toyota and Lexus ever built.

Chris

Yes, a Smithsonian Museum of the American Automobile on the National Mall would be a great thing to have.

1949 Buick Roadmaster

Suppose the Smithsonian would cave and let us bring twenty cars?

We need a national auto museum so that we can preserve our American auto heritage. There is more beauty in the full width tail light lens of the 66-67 Charger than in every Toyota and Lexus ever built.

Chris

Amen to that!

We could start with the GM Heritage Collection and go from there.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, in black on black with the $4300 21" chrome and black accessory wheels. It would certainly show that GM Design still knows how to knock one out of the park if they try.

Edited June 9, 200916 yr by ocnblu

1949 Buick Roadmaster

Not to sound like sixty eight, but I could see that, as the 49 Buick and the 49 Caddy both look awesome as two door true hardtops. To me, this is the very begining of the really bright era of GM cars that started dieing off about '72.

But if we were going to go with a 49 I almost might be tempted to submit the Caddy.

Chris

Best selling GM vehicle for one year ever.

Over a million sold.

I'm going with this one too.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, in black on black with the $4300 22" chrome and black accessory wheels. It would certainly show that GM Design still knows how to knock one out of the park if they try.

That it would...

On the other hand,

That would be the car we need driving around the parking lot doing smokey burnouts...

I'm sure the Sienna/Prius/Camry/Accord/Pilot drivers wouldn't know what to think.

Chris

By CaminoLS6

2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, in black on black with the $4300 22" chrome and black accessory wheels. It would certainly show that GM Design still knows how to knock one out of the park if they try.

By that description, that sounds identical to the car I saw on the lot last week at Courtesy Chevrolet, with a 'SOLD' sign on it. Are those wheels dealer installed or a special factory option? I got a '10 Camaro brouchure yesterday, but haven't looked at it too closely yet.

Someone say Buick?

By CaminoLS6

That has to be one of the most over looked GM cars ever, Camino.

I remember one running around town like that only tan when i was a kid.

Chris

Still my pick:

By CaminoLS6

Moltar I think they might be dealer-installed since they're shown in the Accessories section of "build & price", but not 100% certain. I wonder if the dealer has to send back to GM the factory-installed wheel assemblies? Seems like a waste of energy.

66, on the subject of the boattail Riviera, a co-worker today showed off a print ad for the '72 version, and regaled us with stories of his ownership of TWO '72 Rivs... one in period-typical harvest gold/brown vinyl top, the other in white/black with Buick Road Wheels. I was jealous. One 20-year old told us he'd NEVER seen a boattail Riv... kids today do not know what they are missing.

Edited June 9, 200916 yr by ocnblu

That has to be one of the most over looked GM cars ever, Camino.

I remember one running around town like that only tan when i was a kid.

Chris

It's one of the only really big cars I've ever loved - so unique (especially for '71).

63 is cool but I prefer the 64-65-66 Corvettes. They just had a cleaner look IMHO.

Why I don't know, as I love the 58 and it was a lot more chromed up than the 56-57 or even the later 62.

Chris

Uncle has a triple-black '62 that he bought in '68. He used to run it as a daily driver, until someone STOLE the hardtop off of it in his work parking lot (this was late 60's-early 70's)!

I'm going to have to go with the '66-67 GTO...a near-perfect execution of clean, muscular styling

Edited June 10, 200916 yr by mustang84

Isn't that gorgeous...

Isn't that gorgeous...

Yup.

Mr. Bond, I didn't realize the six-fo Impolla was GM's all-time best seller in a single year.

For looks in this era, though, I like the '66 Impolla better than the six-fo.

No, it was 1965. It is the best selling car in one year OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone say Buick?

By CaminoLS6

Drool....I can never get enough Boattails..probably my favorite GM design of the '70s...so bold, brash, extravagantly sculptured...and what outlandish details--an offset rear licence plate and the giant rear bumper pointy..

Edited June 10, 200916 yr by blackviper8891

Mmmm..pointy.

In honor of 68, let's not forget the coachbuilt masterpieces of the 20s and 30s.

V16 Caddy limo anyone?

What a day to pop in?

I think my top five runner ups would be '59 Cadillac,

'63 Corvette, (split window coupe) '57 Chevrolet

Bel Air 2-door hardtop, '39 Buick Roadmaster 4 door

Bustleback & '69 Camaro ZL-1. IMO all very worthy,

not necessarily in that order either.

Here's my official entry:

1934 Cadillac V-16 Aero-Coupe

* fat-fendered

* recessed, floating headlights

* silky smooth lines

* 452 overhead valve Sixteen cylinder

* tall grille

* Art Deco detailing

If I was a billionaire I'd commission a hardtop

copy of this gorgeous girl and laugh at all

the retards with their Ferraris & Rolls Royces.

Some pretty significant ones I would think would include the '77 Caprice for the volume...

Sweet merciful crap, why would you bring that up in a 'visually significant milestone' thread ??

Yeah, I couldn't recall if that was '64 or '65 that set that mark..that # {1 million} was for the whole Chevy B-body line (Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala)

NO, NO, NO - Impala ONLY !!

1964 Impala : 1,074,925.

1965 Impala : 1,046,500.

I think 65 WAS the high sales year, as I was born in 65 and always thought it was cool I was born in the high sales year of the Impala.

Missed it by THAT much! :wink:

-- -- -- -- --

This is a real toughy.

I find most of what I would vote as iconic designs to have been penned under Mitchell, tho I gravitate to Earle.

'57-58 Eldorado Brougham (no such creature as a 'Seville Brougham')

'63 Corvette

'65 Riviera

'66 Riviera

'66 GTO

'67 Eldorado

I love the Toronado, but it's a bit radical in this situation....

I can see much merit in the

'57 Bel Air (as sick of it as I am),

the '59 Cadillac and

the '63-64 Impala.

Lots of designs are eligable... too many...

I could see 66 GTO, the tail end view on that car is awesome, IMHO.

Chris

Katie, the teenaged girl who lives down at the corner, has an Aztek that color and everything.

Steve, her dad, has a beautiful C4 Corvette in an unusual shade of green. That Vette is just damn near flawless. The Aztec was until Katie tried to voilate the laws of physics with it...

Chris

thing that sucked, i wanted to get my aztek in yellow. had to settle for victory red. awwwwwww