Sometimes I amaze myself. I was looking over some old posts to possibly re-run, when I came across one of my earlier Australian CCs, on this Holden Statesman DeVille (HZ). I discussed its styling origins and influences, but when it came to its tail, I had an embarrassing senior moment. Here’s what I said then: Where the Statesman really diverges from the more predictable GM-family look is in its rear end. Now that looks very home-grown, almost home-baked. And not at all what was being done at the GM Design Mothership. Did Bill Mitchell have to sign off on these cars?
Really? My choice of words were ironic, as I obviously was forgetting one of the ultimate Bill Mitchell-mobiles. And no one else busted me for it. Now that we have more readers, that probably wouldn’t happen now.
When I scrolled down aaron65’s post yesterday, there it hit my right in the dumb-struck face. Of course; it’s the ’67 Eldorado’s tail, toned down a wee bit. Doesn’t get more Mitchell-like than that.
Of course, I redeemed myself in that Statesman post by skipping right over the Eldorado to an earlier incarnation of that tail, the 1953 Studebaker coupe, the mother of all American personal luxury coupes. Bill Mitchell was always encouraging his designers to look to both Europe and the past for inspiration, and I’d say he got a healthy helping here. Maybe elsewhere too. (Update: I’m specifically referring to the combination of a sloping trunk with that style of tail light, and in the case of the Eldo and Statesman, the use of a raised center section of that trunk.)
Got any other historical doppelgangers to share?
Related reading:
CC Holden Statesman DeVille (HZ): If We Can’t Export Cars We Can Export Their Names
There’s a bit of ’63 Pontiac in there, too, don’t you think?
The key feature is the sloping trunk with a raised center section. The taillights were not very unique by themselves.
See what you mean. The Caddy has elements of Cord’s coffin nose in the raised center section.
IMHO, both the trunk and the tail light shapes favor the ’69-’70, uh, DeVille
That was also my first though. Trunk sculpturing isn’t similar at all but the triple-section lamps that form the top half of the fender ends are quite similar.
While the trunk lid is very different, the taillights and rear fenders on the Holden remind me of a 1966 Mercury.
Is the Studebaker the “mother of all personal luxury coupes” ?
What does that make the 1941 Continental? The father?
The grandmother. 🙂
If thats the case,the Cord 810 must be the first personal luxury car of all.It was personal luxury before the term was even coined.
I actually thought of the Cord 810 too. The Cord though, as far as I can tell came in sedan and convertible, but no actual closed roof coupe though. It could be the first 4 door coupe though.
`I understand that a coupe was planned, but aside from a few “one offs”, it was never put into production. It would have a roofline that resembled the convertible top,and would be of a thin pillar design.I would have been nice.
1) closest – 1966 Mercury Park Lane
2) very similar but wider tail lights – 1967 AMC Ambassador
As in a previous comment, the key feature I’m referring to is the sloping trunk with a raised center section. The taillights were not very unique by themselves.
Those Statesmans always tried to be a mini Cadillac, by the time this one was built American cars were unobtainium new and sold quite well survivors are prized whether Holden or Chevrolet powered, yeah its an old post Paul my daughter hasnt attended the school its outside for three years though I’m still driving the Citroen in front.
What I see is what you get when you cross this . . . .
. . . .with this . . . .
Hehehe
+1
Some tails look more attractive than others. I find the 67 ElDorado tailfin to be less attractive than the rest of the 1967 Cadillac line-up. Having seen the Holden HQ-HZ Statesman and Statesman DeVille, I find the HQ Statesman tailfin to be better looking than the the HJ, the HX or the HZ tailfin.
Looks vaguely Oldsmobile-ish to me.
Here is what you’re looking for: the 76-78 New Yorker Brougham. Instead of the artful way Cadillac formed the trunk as a floating piece separate from the fenders, Chrysler just stamped an outline onto the trunklid and called it a day. Holden did the same, but with a deeper outline. As mentioned before, the taillights are ’66 Mercs.
The Holden was first released in 1971, here is the 1971 HQ Statesman – Cadillac had the vertical tail light before then of course. Ironically, while the Statesman tail light treatment was completely different from the standard, swb Holden sedan, it was shared not only with the station wagon, but also the lowly commercial variants (ute, panel van). This was rectified with the 1974 HJ model.
Due to the low volume, the trunk lid is shared with the standard Holden sedan too. It appears the trunk lid pressing was changed with a more prominent raised centre section for the 1977 HZ model, as seen here.
Here is a HZ Kingswood sedan
The back of that HZ Kingswood just looks so awkward, kinda squished vertically, while that HQ’s vertical taillamps just look more proportionate to me.
Don’t forget the Kingswood is the standard swb sedan, while the Statesman is the lwb prestige car and was replaced by the later Statesman that is the subject of this post.
Here is the standard HQ rear end for comparison (photo by Bryce), the left car is the Monaro hardtop with a lower roofline, the right is the sedan.
I like the Holden HQ Kingswood, Premier, and Statesman. I find them to be better looking than either the HJ, the HX or the HZ Statesman. They have better looking taillamp designs than the HJ, the HX, and HZ Holdens.
Love that green.
I like the HQ Holden tail lights the best.
The trapezoid theme on the trunk reminds me more of ’52 Stude than ’53 Stude.
Whatever it’s from, it’s VERY nicely done.
Close enough ?
Just as ugly, but in a different way.