Speculative styling question

[Rusty_OToole]

On 10/1/2021 at 11:31 AM, zepher said:

I think another important element in late 30's design was Pierce Arrow folded in 1938.

I always thought they still held the patent for fender mounted headlamps until they went out of business.

If this is true, then other manufacturers were free to move their headlamps onto/into the fenders and that drastically influenced styling as well.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong about the PAMC fender headlamp patent.

Pierce Arrow did hold the patent on the fender mounted headlights. A patent lasts for 17 years, after that it expires and anyone can copy anything. The Pierce Arrow headlight patent expired in 1932. Shortly after, other car companies started molding the headlights into the fenders. I think Willys was the first in 1933, others soon followed.

[Buffalowed Bill]

Styling notwithstanding, I wonder if a contributing element to the process of moving to the more upright grill during the mid to late 30's could have been the "alligator" hood becoming more the norm. With the side opening hood it didn't matter too much how far the front of the hood was behind the front bumper. Six to eight inches might not seem like very much unless you are a small person trying to reach and lift a heavy hood.