Flightsweep Deck/ Benz 540K

["Ted Blackington" <cebuisle@xxxxxxx>]

Hello Jim-

 

I agree about the criticism of the flightsweep rear deck treatment being unfairly judged. Much of the praise or damning of automotive style comes from our media, where self=styled "experts" tell us what is good or bad. The masses who read this stuff treat it as gospel, and thus expressions such as "toilet-seat" are born to describe the suggestion of a continental tire. I have noticed a lot of young auto magazine writers disparage the cars of the fifties with derogatory descriptions of their features- they are ignorant, and puffed up with their own sense of self importance.  If it ain't a Volvo, it ain't no good attitude.

 

I never understood how they could have raised the '57 Chevy to near cult status- the car wasn't that great a seller when new, just a warmed over version of the '55. But they did, and the masses followed their lead-accounting for the astronomical prices on these cars. The Imperials stand as one of the greatest under rated autos ever built-ask the man who owns one!! I like some stylings better than others, but all of the cars are well engineered and far ahead of the competition.

                                                                                                                 Ted Blackington

cebuisle@xxxxxxx       55 sedan, 65 convert.

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Imps Rule

Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 3:38 PM

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: IML: Flightsweep Deck/ Benz 540K

 

Hi All:

 

Just my opinion...  I think the Flightsweep rear deck has always been judged rather unfairly.  Compared to the 'normal' AMERICAN STYLE Continental Kits of the '50's (which are very 'cool' and 'of the period,' but let's face it, very long, bulky and tacked-on), I guess Exner's answer may have seemed, to un-informed eyes, 'cheap' in it's simplicity.

 

But there are a number of design precidents for spare tires fared into the rear deck - on EUROPEAN cars!  The one that stays in my mind is the Mecedes 540 K Special Roadsters and Cabriolets of the late 1930's up.  Those cars had a very similar look to the rear deck (albiet operational).  There were SEVERAL European cars which used a similar theme - can't think of them offhand right now - that Exner incorporated into his early '50's show cars, and eventually, the late '50's Imperials.  

 

Is the Flightsweep any more 'eccentric' than the fake 'air intakes' on period Caddy's and Lincolns, or the 'dagmar' bumper guards on other '50's cars?  No, it's just less commonly seen, and therefore, often misunderstood.  I think the Flightsweep deck was an astute stylistic reference to a European-style trunk mounted spare - without resorting to the 'ungainly' extensions that, while charming, are really quite a 'pain' in practice from what I understand (trunk access?  theft?  PARKING...?  Whew!).

 

Just my two cents...

 

Jim Byers

Washington, DC

1960 Le Baron Southampton