Dodge Granada = Packard Hawk?

[showbizkid]

I was just leafing through the Chrysler Idea Cars article in the June '13 issue of HCC, when I stumbled upon a photo of this beast:



Now, correct me if I'm wrong, and maybe this has been discussed elsewhere, but doesn't the front end of this '53 concept look unnervingly like our beloved '58 PH? The hood scoop, tunneled headlights, sloping prow, bumper bar with Dagmars -- even the trimline on the doors seems to me to have been lifted, modified a bit and then applied nearly wholesale to the Hawk

So you tell me - am I wrong?

[rockne10]

I would guess you are not wrong. Any attribution to the designer?

[Carl Purdy]

If it is a 53. How did they copy a 58?

[David]

Stude Took the look and Ferd took the name! The similarities are striking.

[55s]

I have a PH, and yes there are some similarities, but maybe those were because Dodge copied Packard design elements first. PH headlights weren't tunneled, they were just painted regular rims. (63 and 64 GTs have tunneled headlight rims). The dagmars were used by Cadillac, Packard and others before. The long hood scoop was also used by Packard before. Sloping fronts were common to many cars including Packards.

[hausdok]

Hi,

To me, it looks like someone got ahold of the Packard Panamerica sketches. Funny how there seem to be lots of times that happened between Packard and Ford.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...D9&FORM=IQFRBA

[stude dude]

It does look a bit like a Packard Panther. The peaks above the headlights are interesting.

But you can see the beginnings of the styling theme that evolved into the Dodge Firearrow show cars I, II and III.

Chris.

[r1lark]

Hmmm.......not the way I would have done it. :-)

[clonelark]

You forgot the Conestoga (rear) shaped bumper guard.

[showbizkid]

Interesting you should mention the Firearrow. It pre-dates the Firearrow, of courrse, but Exner had nothing to do with this one - it was entirely styled and built by Briggs Body.

[fastfritz]

At that time, living within a couple of miles of each Big3 HQ, it was not all that unusual as the designers jumped from car company to car company back then. Look at mid to late 60's T-Bird and Pontiac tail light designs. T-Bird guys jumped to Pontiac. Whoever paid more got the designer. We had two design/drafting houses NEXT TO EACH OTHER and I had friends who went over to the other when they paid a DIME more per hour. And then back again to the other house for another nickel per hour! Both design firms are now gone having been replaced with computer. So it is not unusual to see a '53 design ~idea~ worked out on a '58!

[Warren Webb]

Good picture there Clark. Even looks like the Packard emblem might have been modified on the nose. If this was done by Briggs, they at the time stamped the sheet metal for both Chrysler & Packard until Chrysler bought out Briggs & told Packard they had to have their metal stamped elsewhere.

[RareBird]

No one commented on the spinner on the Chrysler hubcap. It's identical to the one on the decklid of the Packard Hawk

[studegary]

If it is a 53. How did they copy a 58?

He states that it was the other way around ("...modified...and then applied...to the Hawk").