You may not pay much attention to the automotive glass in your vehicle. It is, after all, easy to see through and easy to ignore. That is, of course, until you need an auto glass repair, auto glass replacement or rock chip repair. Glass has long been a valuable way to add style for manufacturers. Automakers have often tried to distinguish themselves from competitors by using glass as a more focal point of design. Here are some examples of where auto designers used glass to separate themselves from the pack.
The American Motors Pacer – From 1975 to 1980, American Motors promoted the Pacer as the first “wide” small car. It had the personality of a compact but the width of most full-sized vehicles. It also made dynamic use of glass in its design. Its extraordinary use of glass has had it been called a “Flying Fishbowl” a “Jellybean” and more. The Pacer had wrap-around windows that gave it much more visibility than other cars of its time. The Pacer's innovative design proved to be its downfall, and even a station wagon version of the vehicle could not save the nameplate. But it did make plenty of use of glass.
The Ford Edsel – For all of its failures, the Ford Edsel had some very interesting design aspects including its use of glass. The Edsel minimized pillars that would block a driver's view and included a unique wrap-around design of its windshield. This unique wrap-around windshield gave the vehicle a one-of-a-kind appearance that was particularly attractive in its convertible model. Alas, the use of glass was not enough to save this vehicle from a short production run of just three years. Perhaps someone should have looked more closely at its grille.
The Plymouth Barracuda – While fastbacks were the rage of the late sixties and early seventies, nobody made more dramatic use of glass in a fastback design than the Plymouth Barracuda. The Barracuda's rear glass swept from the rear seat to nearly the back end, offering an innovative and sporty look. Its use of glass in improving aerodynamics was impressive.
The Chevrolet Brookwood – Before crossovers and minivans there were station wagons. The Chevrolet Brookwood was a classic. It was produced by Chevrolet from 1958 to 1961 and again from 1969 to 1972. This was a beast of a station wagon that had 9 or more separate panels of glass. Its rear glass, on both sides, curved to the center glass. It's reincarnation, in later years, lost the curved glass but it was still a beast.
The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette – While most vehicles have traditionally used one-piece rear window glass, the 1963 Corvette split its rear window design and gained a lot of attention. The split window design was not good for rear-view visibility, but it has not hampered the car's value as a collectible. This edition is sought after in the car collecting market.
When you need auto glass, MN, whether it be for your every day driver or a classic collectible, you can count on Only 1 Auto Glass of St. Paul. We are the Twin Cities choice for trusted windshield replacement, windshield repair, rock chip repair and complete auto glass services. When you need auto glass repair, you can count on Only 1 Auto Glass to get you back on the road quickly!