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1954 Buick Wildcat II
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Внимание на колеса!
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Фигурка на капоте, спицованные колеса
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Фары головного света переместились с рамки ветрового стекла на более привычное место
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Interior
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Chicago Motorama
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Chicago Motorama
Buick Wildcat II, 1954 - Chicago Motorama
Иллюстрации: General Motors Corp.
Buick Wildcat II Sports Convertible Concept Car, 1954
While sharing little in common with its predecessor, the Wildcat I, the Buick Wildcat II was recognized as the sportiest Buick build in the 1950s. Chief Designer Ned Nichols described the wildcat II as an “American adventure in tomorrow’s design”.
Enamored by two-seater fiberglass cars, Ned Nichols and Harley Earl originally created the 1954 Buick Wildcat II with two spotlights. Re-interpreting tradition, the Wildcat displays Buick‘s trademark porthole design is uniquely placed on the top of the hood. Originally displayed in blue and later refinished in gold, this dream car featured expanded front wheel wells with polished metal inner fenders finished off with wide white wall tires. The Wildcat II continues to travel and evade the rumored fate of the 1955 Wildcat III assumed to have been destroyed in a wrecking equipment test.
GM Press Release
The 1954 Buick Wildcat II concept car had a front fender that flared straight out from the body, exposing the entire front wheel well and part of the front-end suspension (which was chrome plated). This Wildcat concept car featured Buick’s traditional portholes, but these were larger and placed on the top of the fender instead of the sides.
Following is the January 17, 1954 Buick Motor Division News release:
"This rakish sports convertible is Buick"s new Wildcat "dream" car, described by its designers as the only sports car with truly American styling. Built of fiberglass and mounted on a 100-inch wheelbase, the new Wildcat features radical new front fender styling that exposes the under side of the fender and the front end suspension. Headlamps are mounted on the cowl with parking and directional signal lights on the front end, underneath the fender shroud. Painted a bright blue with white leather trim, the Wildcat is powered by a standard Buick V-8 engine equipped with four carburetors that boost its horsepower output to 220. The Wildcat will make its public debut at the General Motors Motorama in New York City."
The Wildcat II now resides at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Michigan. It sported plenty of the 1950s most popular design features. The body was made of fiberglass and was the inspiration for the Chevrolet Corvette.
www.gmphotostore.com; www.futurliner.com
Buick Wildcat II готовился в качестве еще одной альтернативы автомобилю Chevrolet Corvette, но с явным намеком на английский Jaguar: на капоте машины одно время даже красовалась хромированная статуэтка прыгающей кошки. Фибергласовая двухместная машина также относилась к ходовым образцам (не в пример прототипам La Salle II — те были всего лишь макетами) и имела под капотом 220-сильный мотор Buick V8 с четырьмя карбюраторами в системе питания. Весьма радикальный дизайн автомобиля все-таки был частично позаимствован для одной из серийных моделей отделения Buick, а именно для модели Skylark 1954 года: если взглянуть на «хвосты», украшающие собой багажник этого автомобиля, — сходство очевидно!
Андрей ХРИСАНФОВ - Газета АВТОРЕВЮ 2003 год / №18 (296) / Кунсткамера. Сны наяву
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