The Change Is Gradual: Slabs, Cubes & Some Curves

Millions of Americans will crowd into showrooms this week for their first close-up look at the widely heralded 1965 autos, which are all being unveiled in a busy, three-day period, closer together than ever before. What the potential customers think of the new models is important not only to Detroit but to the entire U.S. economy--and will help determine how long the current economic advance continues. Hoping to match or better 1964's estimated sales of 8,200,000 autos, the industry has spent more on its new cars than ever before: $525 million by Ford, $300 million by Chrysler, about $70 million for American Motors, and probably more than all of them put together by General Motors. "No similar industry wide model change in the past," says Chrysler President Lynn Townsend, "has ever failed to bring a strong new stimulus to automobile sales."

Successful Formula. Surprisingly, despite all this spending and all the publicity about the most dramatic changes in years, there are no sudden styling turns in the 1965s -- nothing like the sleek airplane-nosed model introduced by Studebaker in 1950, or the fins that sprouted all over in 1957. There are plenty of changes, of course -- most of the major cars have been made over from the dies on -- but they are gradual rather than dramatic, often show up in such details as headlights, bumpers or grilles. Detroit wanted new cars for 1965, but it was reluctant to tamper too much with a styling formula that had already proved so successful.

The trend toward square lines and flat, unadorned slab sides, originated by the 1960 Lincoln Continental but more recently refined and popularized by Pontiac, has spread to the new Chrysler and to American Motors and Ford models. Perhaps the ultimate rectilinear styling has been achieved by the new Mercury, whose squared-off front bumper gives it a cubed look. Even the Cadillac, which abandons its tail fins for the first time in 18 years, has replaced its usual side-panel sculpturing with the slab look.

Suggestive Hop-Up. Despite this trend to angularity, several models --notably in General Motors' divisions --have begun to curve cautiously back toward softer, more flowing contours. Hardtop models of the Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac have new roof lines that flow gracefully into their rear decks, and the new fashion for G.M. cars this year seems to be the "hop-up," a delicate swelling in the rear quarter panel of the car that suggests the outline of a rear fender. G.M.'s square-shaped Corvair has become as rounded as the Karmann-Ghia, and a new curved-roof version of Ford's highly successful Mustang has joined the Valiant Barracuda and the Corvette Sting Ray as the industry's only true fast-backs. Automen have hedged their expensive bets on public acceptance of the new styling by offering most of the nameplates with curved roofing in squared-off, T-Bird roof versions too, but G.M.'s turn toward softer lines en sures an increasing trend in this direction for 1966 and beyond.

The public's demand for ever greater variety and the increasing competition among automakers--even among divisions in the same company--to sell to all segments of the market has resulted in a record 331 different models for 1965. There are nine different Corvairs, 15 big Chevrolets, twelve different Chevelles, seven different Chevy IIs and two Corvettes--for a total of 45 Chevrolet division models. Ford has 44 mod els, Oldsmobile 32 and little American Motors 29. Chrysler's Chrysler-Plymouth division alone offers 60 models, claims that it now blankets 74% of the industry's total price range with cars as far apart in size as the compact Valiant and the luxury Imperial. More than ever, the man who buys a new car in the '65 model year will need to do some studying up before he enters the showroom.

Important Ballot. Auto buyers seem to want more pizazz as well as more models--and 1965 will be the greatest pizazz year in history. There will be more convertibles, hardtops, four-on-the-floor transmissions and bucket seats than ever before. Many models will be available in sporty "two plus two" versions that have bucket seats not only in front but in the back as well. Ford is out with the industry's first "six plus four" station wagon, which seats six in the front and middle bench seats, and an additional four in two facing, side-aligned rear seats. Most of the restyled cars are longer; American Motors, whose future depends on its performance this year, has at last tacitly admitted to the swing away from compacts by adding five inches to its Classic and ten to the Ambassador.

Some industry traditions have been abandoned, while others have been formed. Chrysler has given up its pushbutton transmission for the convention al lever on the steering column; Ford has hexagonal taillights instead of the customary round ones. Style-leading Pontiac has influenced seven other cars to adopt its vertical dual headlights. The industry has also harked back to the auto's earlier days for some models, using simulated-wood steering wheels and dashboards and discarding hubcaps to expose chrome-covered wheelbolts. Whatever the changes, there is plenty of choice for the U.S. consumer, and his vote on the '65s will be the second most important balloting of the year.

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