This is just cool

[Camino LS6]

[balthazar]

How are you on the painted chrome?

Otherwise, it's pretty cool, yepyep.

[Robert Hall]

Love the skegs...neat how the Catalina has narrower taillights...Pontiac was still doing that years later with the Catalina and Bonneville..

[balthazar]

^ Common automotive definition of 'skegs' has them projecting outward to the sides, IE: '61-62 Cadillac & '61 Olds. No such projection on the quarters of P-59s. You are referring to the points on the P-59 bumper, yes?

Pontiac had the larger Bonne tails in '59 and '61 onward thru at least '70. Seems PMD got caught somewhat flatfooted in '60 with the tails & unsplit grille.

[Robert Hall]

^ Common automotive definition of 'skegs' has them projecting outward to the sides, IE: '61-62 Cadillac & '61 Olds. No such projection on the quarters of P-59s. You are referring to the points on the P-59 bumper, yes?

Interesting..if they aren't 'skegs', what are they? They appear to point outward slightly..

Pontiac had the larger Bonne tails in '59 and '61 onward thru at least '70. Seems PMD got caught somewhat flatfooted in '60 with the tails & unsplit grille.

..and later..they did wide Bonne taillight and narrow Catalina taillights from '77-81 also..

[balthazar]

10-4 on the '70s continuation.

Photographic angle makes them appear to point outward. Friend of mine had a '59 Star Chief, plus I just know these cars.

They are merely pointed bumper ends, not uncommon and without a nickname.

[Robert Hall]

Skeg or not, they are pretty cool..

[balthazar]

^ Agreed !

Tho IMO the front end of the B-59 is tops (they're all cool), I always felt 'cheated' at the Buick's rear. Look at it's bumper vs. Olds & Pontiac...

For some reason, Buick toned things WAY down ::

[Robert Hall]

That center fin is wild...interesting how both the '59 Chevy and '59 Buick had simple rear bumpers...all the styling was in the fins...

[ocnblu]

As for Pontiac, the taillight thing was in force in the early 70s as well, Catalina v. Grand Ville/Bonneville.

These are all nice.

'59 Chevy in Camino's shot evokes a cat, with ears flattened, penetrating eyes, and two little fangs.

Edited September 18, 2012 by ocnblu

[Camino LS6]

How are you on the painted chrome?

Otherwise, it's pretty cool, yepyep.

Not into the painted chrome, just the shapes and the angle of the shot.

It takes guts to release a design like that - something lacking in the industry now.

[GMTruckGuy74]

'59 Chevy in Camino's shot evokes a cat, with ears flattened, penetrating eyes, and two little fangs.

Snowball II from The Simpsons

[Camino LS6]

^ Agreed !

Tho IMO the front end of the B-59 is tops (they're all cool), I always felt 'cheated' at the Buick's rear. Look at it's bumper vs. Olds & Pontiac...

For some reason, Buick toned things WAY down ::

I actually prefer the clean looks of the Chevy and the Buick - don't much care for the rest of GM's '59 fullsize offerings.

[balthazar]

You're a Chevy guy; you're used to stylistic self-deprivation.

[Camino LS6]

You're a Chevy guy; you're used to stylistic self-deprivation.

Ha!

I just prefer a cleaner look, and frankly, the rear views on both the Olds and the Pontiac are kinda ugly - especially the Olds.

[Robert Hall]

I just prefer a cleaner look, and frankly, the rear views on both the Olds and the Pontiac are kinda ugly - especially the Olds.

The Olds and Pontiac rears are mild compared to the over the top '59 Chevy rear, though....

[Camino LS6]

I just prefer a cleaner look, and frankly, the rear views on both the Olds and the Pontiac are kinda ugly - especially the Olds.

The Olds and Pontiac rears are mild compared to the over the top '59 Chevy rear, though....

Their design is certainly more mainstream and less radical, but the details looked tacked-on and gaudy where both the Chevy and Buick look fluid and entire. The detailing on the Olds and Pontiac seem like afterthoughts.

[Robert Hall]

I find so much of the detailing on '50s design to look tacked on, too much chrome trim, fins, etc. '58 was the worst year for GMs, IMO...way too much gingerbread. The '59s were an improvement, esp. w/ the lower longer wider bodies (and details such as moving the headlights down into the grilles). I find the crisper, cleaner '61-64 models much more appealing style-wise...

[Camino LS6]

I find so much of the detailing on '50s design to look tacked on, too much chrome trim, fins, etc. '58 was the worst year for GMs, IMO...way too much gingerbread. The '59s were an improvement, esp. w/ the lower longer wider bodies (and details such as moving the headlights down into the grilles). I find the crisper, cleaner '61-64 models much more appealing style-wise...

The advent of the lower, longer,wider theme really marks the start of my favorite era of car design. That said, I do appreciate certain 50s designs - usually the cleaner ones. For example, I much prefer a '55 Chevy to a '57.

[A Horse With No Name]

How are you on the painted chrome?

Otherwise, it's pretty cool, yepyep.

Nice pic...

I find so much of the detailing on '50s design to look tacked on, too much chrome trim, fins, etc. '58 was the worst year for GMs, IMO...way too much gingerbread. The '59s were an improvement, esp. w/ the lower longer wider bodies (and details such as moving the headlights down into the grilles). I find the crisper, cleaner '61-64 models much more appealing style-wise...

The advent of the lower, longer,wider theme really marks the start of my favorite era of car design. That said, I do appreciate certain 50s designs - usually the cleaner ones. For example, I much prefer a '55 Chevy to a '57.

Agreed, and I've owned both a 55 and a 57...

56 just doesn't do that much for me most of the time...

[balthazar]

[ocnblu]

Much nicer than the '59 Olds rear end.

[Robert Hall]

Much nicer than the '59 Olds rear end.

Pretty cool... the things I always find amazing when I see a car of this era up close at a car show is how wide they are, how long the decklids are, and low they are...such a different design language than the last 30 years or so..

Edited September 20, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

Nicer yes, but still not my cup-o-tea.

Top half looks good, the bottom not so much.

[balthazar]

I dont care for either the O-59 or O-60.