I’m in the middle of doing a big cleanup in my garage and keep tripping over boxes marked “car mags.” I’ve been wasting time researching the magazines and rediscovering some fun stuff.
One of the more interesting things I’ve found is this drawing of a Ford design concept in the December 1966 issue of Car Life. It very clearly lists common terms used in car design, with a succinct definition of each.
Only one callout is not defined: the D.L.O., which stands for “Day Light Opening.” In coach building lingo, a window is often known as a “light.” The word usage, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, dates back to 15th century architectural drawings in which individual window panes in a door were identified as “lights.” On the flip side, you might call an area in the car body generally occupied by a window that can’t be seen through a “Dead Light.”
Hmmm – I wonder why the one in front is called a modesty panel but the one in the back is not. Also, I notice that they did not identify the hood or bonnet. Was this to avoid some kind of skirmish between the American and British designers?
I think we should all be happy that the front end of the car in this drawing did not turn out to be the actual 68 Ford.
“I wonder why the one in front is called a modesty panel but the one in the back is not”
Because the junk is in the front. “Modesty panels” where designed for desks when women started entering the work force, a long time ago, when they didn’t wear slacks to work
Makes sense, but I always heard them called valence panels, front and rear (for cars that is). Now of course we have gigantic bumper covers that may have air dams underneath in front and diffusers in the back.
Listed as beaver panel in a early Holden parts replacement book for the rear, front was termed gravel tray or valance.
“Because the junk is in the front. “Modesty panels” where designed for desks when women started entering the work force, a long time ago, when they didn’t wear slacks to work”
In light of the above information, ‘beaver’ panel for the front lower valance would seem entirely appropriate.
He he he +1
Interesting. I’ve never heard the term “hop-up” before.
Maybe they didn’t want to infringe a Coca-Cola Company copyright?
One term missing is “header panel,” not applicable for this Ford, but it refers to the fixed panel between the hood’s leading edge and the top of the grille. Think of the colonnade Chevy Monte Carlo as an example.
And I agree with JPC that I’m glad the front of the ’68 Ford didn’t look like this drawing!
I think the features have been exaggerated so that each term was clear.
Other than the front end, there’s a lot of the ’69 Ford in the profile.
To my eyes, this entire design looks GM.
65 LeMans in the front fender and bumper
65 B-Body in the “cowl” and “windshield”
66-67 A-Body in the “drip molding”,”roof”, “C Pillar”
‘Hop Up’ and ‘Character line” and ‘Wheel Wells” are very 67 Cutlass Sedan
Inset ‘Backlight’ is reminiscent of the 70-72 Chevelle and Buick Skylark
And I see a touch of 65 Plymouth Fury in the ‘headlights’.
What do you see?
I see a 67 Pontiac Catalina in the back half of the car. The rear almost looks like an early AMC Hornet.
Yes. The Hornet! I see it clearly now.
The headlight bezels are like a 65-66 Plymouth fury, but they are slightly canted. The grille is raised up though, like a 67-68 Fury. The front bumper looks very much like a 67-68 Fury. The grille itself, composed of thin horizontal bars, is ’65 Ford Galaxie.
The side profile reminds me of a ’68 Caprice sedan, except for the shape of the door cutouts. The roof is also wrong, possibly more like an LTD sedan in the C-pillar.
The rear profile looks vaguely like a 1969 or 1970 Ford LTD, though not an exact match in either case. My gut feeling is that it looks like a Buick, though I can’t place it exactly.
Side profile: a 1963-1965 Buick Riviera 4 door.
I see a whole lot of Pontiac here… mostly ’67-’68 but the rear taillight area reminds me of a 65-66ish GP.
One I’ve always liked is “tulip panel”, more often referred to now as the deck filler panel or upper back panel in that diagram.
I’ve heard “Dutchman panel” but never tulip panel – the origin is clearly the same.
From the front of the “A” pillar to the back of the “C” pillar and below the belt line between the wheel arches I see a ’69/’70 Galaxie/LTD – portions of which were unwittingly revealed a few years early.
“Jargonaut.” Kudos to whomever came up with that.
DLO – Day Light Opening is called out. Look closely at the photo again. It’s abbreviated “D.L.O.”
Cool stuff, though.
Called out, but not defined.
Which is an odd lapse given the object of the exercise!
Man, I thought I had you, Kevin!
I guess Modesty panel sounds better for polite company than air dam(n) 🙂
… or beaver dam
That is just bizarre that they put such a GM looking profile into their internal materials. I agree with the comments on ’67-’68 Pontiac, and I’ll add some same years Chevy full size. A bit of stacked headlamp Pontiac in the front side profile. A lot of mish mash Malibu in the back.
The front view is just ungainly – but at least has some Ford in it.
Strange they didn’t just depict one of their own cars.
I actually think the front and back look pretty good…like a much smaller car. The side view is what makes the whole thing odd. On a car more the size of a Falcon, that would have been interesting.
That is a great find! Thanks Kevin
I just realised I had mistaken tumble home for turn under.