47-55.1 Lack of Sleep + Photoshop gets weird

[1project2many]

For me there is something "right" about having a smaller grille and engine compartment and fenders outside the compartment. For most manufacturers this style reached it's peak in the thirties although Power Wagons carried it into the forties and Jeep carried it into the 2000's and many "conventional" semis still use the style. While it has mostly disappeared in passenger cars and light trucks, some designs suggest the early lines in a beautiful way. Monte Carlos had this as a basic aspect of their design although the 73-77 models and the 78-80 models really made the lines prominent in the nose and on the side. Dodge trucks quickly dominated the market when they came out with their 1994 redesign. PT Cruiser and HHR both used very rounded versions of this idea as well. The opposite to this often beautiful and efficient design is the current truck trend of creating a wall on wheels. It is neither good looking nor creative. It makes me think that anyone can nail a few scraps of plywood together and call it a nose. Personal opinion, but ugh.

AD trucks are in a tough spot. I'm sure GM's engineers wanted to show they were moving away from the cars of the thirties and forties by getting rid of the very lines that many folks today find appealing. The fenders and hood still give a strong suggestion of the early construction methods but the grille tries to scream "New! Modern! Today!!" They created this look by making the grille cover much more of the front of the truck than previously. It actually cuts into the fender lines instead of sitting quietly and peacefully in front of the radiator like the "old" Power Wagons made in the same year.

I realize these are horrible. I don't have the skills to do them justice. But try to see how shrinking the grille makes it more PW-ish. Realistically the grille should be higher with the top of the grille being above the fenders, also.