1965 a big year for American cars

1965 was a BIG year in the US car industry.

American Motors, GM, Ford and Chrysler all released totally restyled full-sized cars.

It was unusual for every company’s new car product cycle to align, and it was great for buyers.

New cars were in every showroom.

1965 also saw the proliferation of stacked headlights emerging for the design studios at AMC, Ford and Plymouth, following Pontiac’s lead in 1963.

Even Cadillac got in on the act.

Chevrolet had its best sale year.

Dealers sold more than 1 million full sized Impalas alone.

It was an industry record that has never been beaten.

All of GM’s full-sized cars boasted curved side glass.

This was not new.

AMC had implemented it a couple of years earlier, but GM’s adopting of it made Ford and Chrysler follow in subsequent years.

Chevrolet also unveiled a re-styed Corvair.

Its revised suspension is what the car ought to have been given from day one.

Overall, most automotive historians now consider 1965 to be the high point of GM’s styling in the 20th century, with Pontiac being the winner of “best looking” of the GM range.

Not all car companies were successful in 1965.

The folks at Mercury continued to search for a niche, but as happened so often in the past, all they did was offer thinly disguised Fords that carried lots of bling.

The public was not impressed.

American Motors released its sporty Marlin fastback to an under whelming response.

I wrote recently about the visually challenged Marlin, so I will not return to it.

1965 was also the last full year that Studebaker built cars.