The Delahayes are indeed stunning, but what they sorely lack is the almost surreal perfection of the Cord L-29's frontal design, which is arguably the Classic Era's finest expression of the relationship of essential elements...wheels, fenders, lamps and radiator. The Chrysler Imperial of the early 1930s attempted to imitate the Cord's proportions with some success, and the Mercedes Benz 500/540K models of the late 1930s followed Alan Leamy's lead (Leamy designed the L-29), along with a few others here and there. But the sheer beauty of the stance and placement of the Cord's elements was never really equalled, IMO.
1931 Chrysler Imperial. The wide stance, perfectly sculpted fenders, deeply set-back, low radiator, and expertly located headlamps emulated the Cord, although the lack of front-wheel-drive prevented the designers from going as radically low as the Cord did:
1936 Mercedes Benz 540K. In this case, the engineers helped the stylists achieve the desired lowness, in order to emulate the earlier Cord's, by providing this car with its swing-axle, independently suspended rear end and independent A-arm front suspension, which enabled significant lowering of the body on the chassis. The very deep-set radiator, voluptuous fenders accentuating the wide stance, again like the Cord, and large, well-placed headlamps all gave a feeling of dynamic, forward motion to the car, just as Leamy's Cord had so successfully done.
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