Re: IML: K.T Keller & Styling

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Kaufman Thelma (K.T.) Keller's 'boxcars' are so named as they were viewed as
one rectangular box on top of two other rectangular boxes.  The other
manufacturers may have had similar designs at first glance, but Keller's
boxcars were boxy.  The Studebaker lines flowed from front to rear, with the
lines swinging down toward the rear.  From above you can see the lines flow
from the front hood onto the trunk lid and curve inward at the rear edge.

The GM models had flowing fender lines, each with different tail treatments,
some models had fastback rooflines that curved from the rear door area down
to the rear bumper, and others had fender lines below the beltline. And each
of General Motors three bodies had different roof treatments.   Chrysler had
two bodies and many people today still believe the Plymouth used the same
body as the Chrysler.

Although the Fords were boxy, the Mercury and Lincoln had front fender lines
that flowed  through the body to the rear and the rear fenders curved down
to the rear bumper.  As well, Ford's fender line ran from the front
headlights to the rear taillights.  Not like the Chrysler front fenders that
disappeared in the front doors and while the higher line along the hood ran
back into the trunk.

For Chrysler, from 1949 to 1952 their cars were boxy.  No flowing fender
lines, no character lines running from front to rear on either the sides or
from a top view, and the Plymouth fastbacks dropped to the rear bumper like
a 1948 Ford.   All Chrysler lines looked the same from behind with only the
tallights differing from Plymouth from Dodge from DeSoto from Chrysler from
Chrysler Imperial.  Front ends, too, all had the same square front fenders
and hoods, and only the grilles differed from Plymouth from Dodge from
DeSoto from Chrysler from Chrysler Imperial.  (The 1951-52 Chrysler Imperial
front end was as different from a Chrysler New Yorker as the DeSoto was from
a Chrysler Saratoga.)  And the Chrysler lines were two to three inches
higher than their competitors.

And K.T. Keller had a lot to do with the design of Chrysler's vehicles from
the time he became president in 1935 until he retired from the presidency in
1950.  Whenever mock-ups of new cars were displayed Keller would show up
with a hat and two dairy containers in tow.  As well, Keller was not a thin
man, although not as hefty as George Mason at Nash.   Keller would climb
into the front seat of each car wearing his hat and jounce around.  The
stylists would be standing at the sides, watching Keller's hat.  For if his
hat hit the ceiling, the car's roof line would have to be raised.   And he
would do the same in the rear.   Once that was done, he would open the trunk
and put his dairy tanks in and close the lid.  If the lid closed, the
stylists breathed a sigh of relief.  If not, work would begin to raise the
trunk line.   And now you know why Chrysler's trunks and rooflines were so
high through 1954.   The 1955 models were the first since the 1937 models
not done under Keller.

The 1955 models were done under Virgil Exner and for the first time Chrysler
actually announced to the world who designed their cars.   Although Exner
did not do all the work on the 1955 lines. he did take all the credit.  Just
like Raymond Loewy did for the 1947 Studebaker, the bulk of which was done
by Exner.

The back seat room in the 1967-68 Imperials, indeed all 1965-68 Chrysler
Corporation C bodies, is due to Elwood Engel, not Keller.  Keller carried on
as Chairman of the Board from 1950 to 1960, but if you sat in the front or
back seat of a 1957 Imperial wearing a hat or tried to put a dairy container
in the trunk you would know Keller no longer had any influence on Chrysler
styling,  Engel's 1965-68 C bodies had square, formal lines (Engel's Angles)
that provide ample interior room.

Raymond Dietrich was Chrysler's first head of styling from 1932 through
1938.  Chrysler's head of styliing worked under chief body engineer, Oliver
Clark, through to the 1950's.  (Oliver's son Dean was a stylist - most noted
for the 1939 Club Coupe built by Hayes)  Dietrich's last work would have
been on the 1941 models, given the lead times needed.  The 1941 through 1946
models were all done under Dietrch's successor, Bob Cadwallader, head of
styling from 1938 to 1945.  Two other Chrysler designers of that era were
Herb Weissdinger and Arnott "Buzz" Grisinger.  All three had left Chrysler
by 1947 and, with the encouragement of Joseph W. Frazer, joined
Kaiser-Frazer, with Cadwallader as head of styling.   The trio's first task
was the 1949 Kaiser-Frazer facelift, with grilles that are very similar to
work they did at Chrysler.

The 1946-48 models were a continuation of the themes set up by Dietrich and
Cadwallader.    And Cadwallader's successor, Henry King, gave Keller the
boxcars he wanted.  Keller did not like flowing fenders and streamlining in
particular.  And he said as much in a speech at the Stanford University
School of Business in 1948.  Chrysler stylists came up with designs in
1945-46 that would have given General Motors and Harley Earl a run for their
money with flow-through fender lines, curved windshields and side
sculpturing.  But Keller said no.  And that was that.  Keller's boxcars
appeared for 1949 and his losing fight against styling trends began.

Virgil Exner was hired by Keller in 1949 to head Chrysler's Advance Styling
Studio.  When Keller retired in 1950, his sucessor, Lester Lum 'Tex' Colbert
(pronounced "Kull-burt"), decided some major changes had to be done.   He
planned for an ambitious plant expansion, harder sales campaigns, "new
blood" throughout the corporation and a total redesign of the company's cars
as soon as possible.   Although the last project would have to wait until
1955 to bring to fruition, Colbert did expand the company's production
capacity when Chrysler acquired Briggs in late 1952.  Chrysler's slide to #2
behind Ford by 1952 forced Colbert's hand and he named Exner director of
Chrysler Styling in 1953.   The collapse of Chrysler sales in 1954 proved
once and for all that Keller's fight against 'streamlining' was a losing and
costly battle.   People would buy boxcars when demand was greater than
supply, but when car companies had lots of cars to choose from, the boxcars
were shunned.

Exner was given a free hand with styling under Colbert, and for 1957 Exner
did what Keller killed ten years earlier - put Harley Earl and styling at
General Motors to shame.   For his inspiring work, Colbert made Exner
Chrysler's first Vice-President of Design, with over 300 persons under him.
Over ten times the staff Dietrich had twenty years before.

K.T. Keller died in January, 1966.

Bill
Vancouver, BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mark McDonald
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: IML: K.T Keller


My understanding is he was an influence until his death in his 80's in 1996
or '67 (I'm drawing on memory here, so I'm probably off a little). I can see
where the next man after Walter P. was held in such regard.

I just bought a '68 LeBaron and it's amazing how much headroom there is in
this vehicle, and the impression this creates of even greater interior space
than in a Crown. I attribute this extra headroom in part to Mr. Keller and
his love of hats, but I'm not sure if this is correct or not.

Mark


On Sunday, September 4, 2005, at 02:19 PM, A. Foster wrote:


Mark;
  The following K.T Keller has probably stems from the fact that he was the
man that took over Chrysler after Walter P. retired, which I believe was
around 1940, and the man held the job until 1956. Interesting that they
don't have the Dietric era or immediately post war Imperials listed under
K.T Keller either.
  Though the box on box hat height design is attributed to K.T. Keller, the
inspiration really came from Studebaker's first post war designs. The same
basic shape was also copied by Ford and, to a lesser extent, G.M. The only
difference being that Chrysler was a little more conservative in their
interpretation but the roots from Studebaker can be seen in profile.
Chrysler was following a trend in 1949, not setting one.
   The early 1950's was an important period for Chrysler and the Imperial
which needs to be examined in greater detail. Most are seen as having dull
or dowdy styling, which they did have compared to the later 50's, but they
need to be examined in the context of the day in which they were produced
and what the competition was offering.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport needing a left side tailight bezel and other trim
parts.


----- Original Message -----
From: Mark McDonald
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Survey Results

Dear Arran,

I had to laugh reading your message! (Not at you, but with you.) Here you
have pointed out something I didn't really know, about the differences
between the late 40's cars and the early 50's. I don't know if you're being
facetious or not, but I think you have a point. I wonder why K.T. Keller has
such a name among Chrysler collectors, but not Mr. Colbert??? I know Mr.
Keller's influence lasted all the way to the 68's, but Mr. Colbert also
spanned a long time at Chrysler.

BTW, I didn't mean to criticize anyone who didn't e-mail on this subject; I
just meant to encourage those who hang back (for whatever reason) to get
more involved. But yes, I sometimes can't participate either because I have
so little time.

Maybe you could educate us a bit more on the differences between these
years.

Mark M


On Saturday, September 3, 2005, at 11:13 PM, A. Foster wrote:

Mark;
 While I did follow the discussion over the old name I didn't participate
because, quite frankly, I didn't have the time to go around in circles with
those who liked the old name. When the survey came up I simply had a look at
what the other by year sections called their cars and noted that most of the
good names were taken from company ad campaigns. I had a look at the ad copy
for the 67' as well as the 68's and figured that the pitch for the 67's was
a little more catchy. The name "Newest prestige car in a decade" has a nice
ring to it and, most unusual for advertising, is neither a exaggeration nor
a white lie.
   Not that I want to start a flame war or a long thread but I really think
that there needs to be some delineation between the cars of the late 40's
and early 50's. For example the 1949 an 50 cars had an inline eight engine
while the 1951 to 54 cars had a hemi V8. The 1949 to 52 Imperials had little
distinction cosmetically from the lesser Chryslers, aside from more jewlery,
while the 1953's and 54's had entirely different grilles and trim.
Regardless they are all lumped into the K.T. keller while the 1957 to 60's
aren't all called the Tex Colbert era.
  While true that K.T Keller was the company president at the time, and that
he approved the "box on box" design, I don't think that it says very much
about the Imperials themselves. By the time 1953 came around the box look
was all but gone but these cars don't seem to get a fair shake because the
styling of the later cars was so outstanding.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
Needing A Left Side Tailight Bezel and other trim parts.




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