Re: Throughly modern light line

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

On Wed, 21 Apr 1999, Howard R Pletcher wrote:

> And about the comment that IH had the new Dodge look in the '60s--that's
> true, but that was when that look was old, not when the retro look came
> back in unfortunately.  In the late 60s, few people would argue that the
> pre-69 IHs weren't ugly, even those of us that were already into IHs. 
> But that look is back in style so they aren't ugly anymore.

If you just look at Dodge.. there was the early Power Wagons with the 
curves and slopes.  Then a series of pickups that were very boxy (the 4 
headlight trucks I see with very flat and "blank" grilles), then they 
revised the PowWag into the cleaner truck from the 70s.. another slight 
revamp around the time the RamCharger got a fixed top.. and then the 
current model with the curves again.. everything old is new again (Note: 
I'm not a huge Dodge fan, so I think there was a step in there I missed)

Chevy did the same.. the rounded look of the 40s.. then the rounded but 
definitely more "boxy" look of the lates 50s/60s up to '66.  It was a 
squarish truck, but with some nice curves.  I actually like the '66 
model.  In '67-72 a redesign.. still holding that box dimension, but with 
soft curves.. though not as ornamental as the '66 was.  Then in '73 the 
big 14yr span started with the very boxy look and less curved corners and 
edges.  1980 they flattened the nose more and gave it square headlights.  
Then in '88 the same dimensions, but a more rounded look - not as sharp 
as the earlier ones.. harkening in a manner back to '72.  Another 
redesign now.. much like the '80 revamp - make the nose flatter looking. ;-)

Curvy, flat, curvy, flat.. they're all doing it!