大型双门轿跑的60年狂奔
Alex Taylor III | 2011-07-15 15:19
分享：
[译文]
General Motors has reportedly given the go-ahead for development of a big new coupe that would be engineered in England and sold in the U.S. as a Buick Regal. In keeping with the tradition of big two-door cars, it would be powered by a hot engine: a 2.8 liter turbo-charged V-6.
The news is surprising. Buick hasn't offered a Regal coupe for 15 years, and there has been no hurry to replace it until now. Like station wagons, mid- and full-size two-doors seemed like a body type that had become obsolete.
Big coupes were Detroit's style and performance leaders from the '20s to the '70s. Engineers loved them because the absence of rear-door openings made the bodies more rigid, and designers adored them because their sweeping lines and classic proportions made them more fun to style.
Nobody apparently asked rear passengers who had to climb around seat backs and sit with their knees under their chins. The inefficient use of space along with better-looking four doors and expensive crash requirements eventually spelled the end of the big coupe.
But before they became extinct, big coupes were kings of the automotive jungle. Herewith, some notables of the last 60 years:
1948 Cadillac Coup de Ville
Chuck Berry wasn't the only one who sang the praises of the Coup de Ville. Instantly recognizable with its tailfins and massive front bumpers, it would grow to 19 feet in length, with a 472 cu. in. V-8. Cadillac sold as many as 50,000 a year, but the fun ended in 1977 when downsizing started. It was all over by 1993.
1956 Continental Mark II
One of the most elegant -- and impractical -- cars ever made in Detroit, the Mark II was the creation of William Clay Ford, brother of Henry II. With a wheelbase more than 10 feet long, a pagoda-style roof, and a spare-tire bump on the rear deck, it was instantly recognizable. Hand-built, the Mark II sold for $10,000 -- as much as a Rolls-Royce -- and Ford lost money on every one.
1956 Pontiac Catalina
With no pillar behind the front door to support the roof, Pontiac coupes had a sporty, airy feel that helped popularize the style known as hardtop convertibles. Despite the excessive chrome, early Catalinas had graceful lines; later models would feature oversize horse-collar grilles. GM discontinued the line in 1981 as part of a downsizing move.
1957 Chrysler 300 C
The tailfin era would soon flame out in chrome-plated excess, but when exercised with restraint, the style projected an endearing flamboyance. 300s were Chrysler's performance cars, originally built for stock-car racing -- the C had a 375 horsepower Hemi engine. Fewer than 1,800 coupes were built, making them collector's items today.
1958 Chevrolet Impala
For the debut year of what would become the best-selling car in America, GM's designers produced a masterpiece with classic proportions and sweeping lines culminating in gull-wing tail lamps with three circular lenses -- one more than the standard Bel Air. Oversized and expressive, the Impala seemed to perfectly symbolize middle-class aspirations in the years after World War II. With a V-6, the coupe started at $2,586 while $2,693 bought a V-8. A four-door Impala wouldn't appear for another year.
1963 Buick Riviera
The first of the so-called personal luxury cars, the Riviera was GM's attempt to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. Although the details were slightly overdone, the forward thrust of the body, the aggressive stance, and the sporty roof were all well executed. With bucket seats and a big V-8 engine, the coupe managed to combine performance and comfort. The Riviera name lived on until 1999, but its first years were its peak.
1967 Plymouth Sport Fury
Some truly bizarre cars, like the scalloped wheel well designs of the late 1950s and the upright chopped deck-lid styles of the early 1960s, bore the Plymouth name. But by the mid-'60s, the frills and filigree had been removed in favor of long horizontal surfaces with squared-off corners. The 1965 Sport Fury had less chrome, stacked vertical headlights, and a 426 cu. in. Street Wedge V-8 for plenty of power.
1971 Continental Mark III
One of the most successful of the personal luxury cars, the Mark III sat on a Thunderbird chassis and had long, low lines that began with an upright grille and ended with a spare tire bump in the trunk. Lee Iacocca, Ford's president at the time, later bragged that the Mark III generated $2,000 a car in profit for the automaker.
1978 Mercury Marquis
By the end of the 1970s, the era of the full-size two-door was coming to an end with cars like the Marquis that were almost parodies of themselves: enormous front hoods and rear decks but very little space inside for more than two passengers. This one weighed two tons plus and was more than 19 feet long. The following year, the Marquis went on a diet and lost one foot and 800 pounds.
1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
First introduced in 1970 as a full-size car, the Monte Carlo had been downsized to a mid-size by the time the last rear drive model appeared in 1988. Its design was aging, model variations had been eliminated, and the 5.0 liter V-8 produced a mere 180 horsepower. The Monte Carlo name was revived in 1995 for a 12-year run as a two-door version of the front-wheel-drive, Lumina but it was only a pale imitation.
2011 Mercedes CL
The two-door counterpart to the mighty S-class, the full-size CL two-door stands almost alone in its segment, its sole competitor being the limited production Bentley Continental GT. Crammed with features, the CL starts at $113,150, and high-performance editions can run up to $209,300, making it the most expensive Mercedes on the market. It's also the most exclusive -- fewer than 500 have been sold this year.
据报道，通用汽车公司已决定推出一款新别克君威（Buick Regal）的双门轿跑版，它将在英国制造，在美国销售。为了沿袭大型双门轿跑的传统，这款君威轿跑也将搭载一个动力强劲的发动机——一个2.8升的涡轮增压V6发动。 这个消息令人颇感吃惊。别克已经15年没有推出过君威的轿跑版了，而且别克也并不急于推陈出新。和旅行车一样，大中型双门轿跑似乎早已成了无人问津的车型。 从上世纪20年代到70年代，大型双门轿跑一直是美国市场上设计最前卫、性能最出众的车型。工程师们一向对大型双门轿跑钟爱有加，因为这种车型没有后方车门，因此车身更加坚固；设计师们也对它情有独钟，因为它们的流线造型和经典的比例增加了设计的乐趣。 但是显然没人问过后排乘客的意见。双门轿跑后排空间十分狭小，后排乘客上车下几乎都得靠爬，好不容易蜷缩着坐好，又悲催地发现膝盖都顶到下巴了。空间利用率低是双门轿跑的先天不足，另外双门轿跑的售价往往非常昂贵，加之外观更美观的四门轿车层出不穷，这些因素最终宣告了大型双门轿跑的末日。 在彻底绝迹之前，大型双门轿跑一直是车市的王者。以下谨为大家介绍过去60年中的几款经典之作。 | General Motors has reportedly given the go-ahead for development of a big new coupe that would be engineered in England and sold in the U.S. as a Buick Regal. In keeping with the tradition of big two-door cars, it would be powered by a hot engine: a 2.8 liter turbo-charged V-6. The news is surprising. Buick hasn't offered a Regal coupe for 15 years, and there has been no hurry to replace it until now. Like station wagons, mid- and full-size two-doors seemed like a body type that had become obsolete. Big coupes were Detroit's style and performance leaders from the '20s to the '70s. Engineers loved them because the absence of rear-door openings made the bodies more rigid, and designers adored them because their sweeping lines and classic proportions made them more fun to style. Nobody apparently asked rear passengers who had to climb around seat backs and sit with their knees under their chins. The inefficient use of space along with better-looking four doors and expensive crash requirements eventually spelled the end of the big coupe. But before they became extinct, big coupes were kings of the automotive jungle. Herewith, some notables of the last 60 years:
|
1948版凯迪拉克帝威 摇滚巨星查克•贝里并不是唯一个为凯迪拉克帝威轿跑（Coup De Ville）唱赞歌的人。这款轿车的尾鳍和硕大的前保险杠令人过目难忘。它搭载了令人咂舌的472立方英寸（7.7L）V8发动机，车身长度达到19英尺。凯迪拉克在短短一年内卖出了50，000台帝威轿跑。不过从1977年起，随着美国车市纷纷开始为肌肉车“瘦身减肌”，帝威轿跑的驾始乐趣戛然而止，到1993年终于全面停产。
| 1948 Cadillac Coup de Ville Chuck Berry wasn't the only one who sang the praises of the Coup de Ville. Instantly recognizable with its tailfins and massive front bumpers, it would grow to 19 feet in length, with a 472 cu. in. V-8. Cadillac sold as many as 50,000 a year, but the fun ended in 1977 when downsizing started. It was all over by 1993.
|
1956版林肯大陆Mark II 林肯大陆Mark II是美国有史以来最优雅、也是最不实用的轿车之一。Mark II是亨利•福特的弟弟威廉•凯利•福特的执掌福特公司时的产物。它的轴距超过10英尺，采用了宝塔型车顶，后备箱盖上还背着一只备胎，让人过目难忘。Mark II是纯手工制造的，当时标价10，000美元出售——这个价格堪与一辆劳斯莱斯比肩，但仍然低于成本，所以每一辆Mark II都是赔钱赚吆喝。 | 1956 Continental Mark II One of the most elegant -- and impractical -- cars ever made in Detroit, the Mark II was the creation of William Clay Ford, brother of Henry II. With a wheelbase more than 10 feet long, a pagoda-style roof, and a spare-tire bump on the rear deck, it was instantly recognizable. Hand-built, the Mark II sold for $10,000 -- as much as a Rolls-Royce -- and Ford lost money on every one. |
1956版旁蒂克卡特琳娜 旁蒂克卡特琳娜轿跑的前门后方没有支撑车顶的支柱，这种别致的造型为这款轿跑赋予了一种了动感飘逸的感觉，这也对所谓硬顶敞篷车的流行起了推波助澜的效作用。尽管车身使用了过多的镀铬，但早期的卡特琳娜轿跑的线条仍然十分优雅。后期的版本则以马蹄形散热格栅为主要特点。1981年通用汽车公司（GM）减产缩编，卡特琳娜轿跑的生产线也寿终正寝。 | 1956 Pontiac Catalina With no pillar behind the front door to support the roof, Pontiac coupes had a sporty, airy feel that helped popularize the style known as hardtop convertibles. Despite the excessive chrome, early Catalinas had graceful lines; later models would feature oversize horse-collar grilles. GM discontinued the line in 1981 as part of a downsizing move. |
1957版克莱斯勒300C 1957年正是“尾鳍时代”的前夕，那时电镀也是极“潮”的元素。不过如果使用得体的话，这种风格还是能够产生一种令人喜爱的华丽感。300C是克莱斯勒的一款高性能较车，最初是为了参赛用而设计的。300C搭载了一款375马力的半球发动机。这款轿跑只生产了不到1，800台，因而时至今日它已经成了收藏品。 | 1957 Chrysler 300 C The tailfin era would soon flame out in chrome-plated excess, but when exercised with restraint, the style projected an endearing flamboyance. 300s were Chrysler's performance cars, originally built for stock-car racing -- the C had a 375 horsepower Hemi engine. Fewer than 1,800 coupes were built, making them collector's items today. |
1958版雪佛兰英帕拉 雪佛兰英帕拉是美国有史以来最畅销的一款车型。通用汽车公司的设计师们于1958年制造出了这一杰作。它拥有经典的比例，犀利的腰线一直贯穿到车尾的鸥翼形尾灯。英帕拉采取了三尾灯设计，比标准的1957版贝尔艾尔轿跑（Bel Air）要多出一个。英帕拉符合当时美国人以大为美的心态，而且富有表现力，正好完美地体现了二战后美国中产阶级的报负和渴望。英帕拉V6版的起价为2，586美元，V8版为2，693美元。 | 1958 Chevrolet Impala For the debut year of what would become the best-selling car in America, GM's designers produced a masterpiece with classic proportions and sweeping lines culminating in gull-wing tail lamps with three circular lenses -- one more than the standard Bel Air. Oversized and expressive, the Impala seemed to perfectly symbolize middle-class aspirations in the years after World War II. With a V-6, the coupe started at $2,586 while $2,693 bought a V-8. A four-door Impala wouldn't appear for another year. |
1963版别克未来 别克未来（Riviera）是第一款所谓的个性化豪车，它是通用为了与福特的雷鸟（Thunderbird）轿车相抗衡而推出的一款产品。虽然细节略显过火，但箭形的汽车前脸、霸气的车姿和动感的车顶还是设计得相当不错的。这款轿跑采用了斗式座椅，搭载了一台大型V8引擎，成功地将性能与舒适性结合在一起。别克未来的名字一直到1999年才成为历史，不过它最辉煌的日子还是在它的生涯早期。 | 1963 Buick Riviera The first of the so-called personal luxury cars, the Riviera was GM's attempt to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. Although the details were slightly overdone, the forward thrust of the body, the aggressive stance, and the sporty roof were all well executed. With bucket seats and a big V-8 engine, the coupe managed to combine performance and comfort. The Riviera name lived on until 1999, but its first years were its peak. |
普利茅斯复仇女神 美国有些造型十分古怪的汽车挂的都是普利茅斯（Plymouth）的车标，比如上世纪50年代末的圆齿形轮彀设计，或是60年代初尾部直上直下的“一刀切”造型。不过到了60年代中期，电镀和大尾鳍已成了昨日黄花，那些花里胡哨的装饰物都消失了，简约风格开始当道，车身平平整整，棱角方方正正。1965版复仇女神（Sport Fury）采用了垂直式大灯组，电镀也使用的较少，而且搭载了一台426立方英寸的Street Wedge V8发动机，动力十分强劲。 | 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury Some truly bizarre cars, like the scalloped wheel well designs of the late 1950s and the upright chopped deck-lid styles of the early 1960s, bore the Plymouth name. But by the mid-'60s, the frills and filigree had been removed in favor of long horizontal surfaces with squared-off corners. The 1965 Sport Fury had less chrome, stacked vertical headlights, and a 426 cu. in. Street Wedge V-8 for plenty of power. |
1971版Mark III Mark III是有史以来最成功的个性化豪车之一，它是在雷鸟轿车的底盘上打造的，又长又低的腰线从垂直的散热格栅开始，向后贯穿整个车身，一直延伸到备胎。时任福特公司总裁的李•艾科卡后来说过，每台Mark III轿车都为福特公司创造了2，000美元的利润。 | 1971 Continental Mark III One of the most successful of the personal luxury cars, the Mark III sat on a Thunderbird chassis and had long, low lines that began with an upright grille and ended with a spare tire bump in the trunk. Lee Iacocca, Ford's president at the time, later bragged that the Mark III generated $2,000 a car in profit for the automaker. |
1978款水星侯爵 到了70年代后期，全尺寸两门轿跑的发展已经走到了死路上，像水星侯爵（Mercury Marquis）这样的车型就很讽刺：发动机罩和行李箱盖都硕大无比，但车内差不多只能容纳两个人，再多一个人都挤得慌。这款轿跑重达两吨多，长度超过19英尺。在推出后的第二年，这款车型经过“瘦身”，车长减掉了1英尺，重量也轻了800磅。 | 1978 Mercury Marquis By the end of the 1970s, the era of the full-size two-door was coming to an end with cars like the Marquis that were almost parodies of themselves: enormous front hoods and rear decks but very little space inside for more than two passengers. This one weighed two tons plus and was more than 19 feet long. The following year, the Marquis went on a diet and lost one foot and 800 pounds. |
1988款雪佛兰蒙特卡罗 这款轿车于1970年作为一款全尺寸轿车被引入市场。但等到它的最后一款后驱车型于1988年亮相的时候，它已经瘦身成了一款中型车。当时它的设计已经老化，厂家也决定不再更新换代，而且它搭载的5.0升V8发动机只能产生180匹马力。雪佛兰在1995年重拾“蒙特卡罗”（Monte Carlo）这个名字，用它称呼一款前驱的两门版鲁米娜（Lumina）轿车。但它只是一个苍白的仿制品而已。 | 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo First introduced in 1970 as a full-size car, the Monte Carlo had been downsized to a mid-size by the time the last rear drive model appeared in 1988. Its design was aging, model variations had been eliminated, and the 5.0 liter V-8 produced a mere 180 horsepower. The Monte Carlo name was revived in 1995 for a 12-year run as a two-door version of the front-wheel-drive, Lumina but it was only a pale imitation. |
2011款梅塞德斯CL 奔驰CL是奔驰S级豪车的两门版。它差不多也是现在全尺寸两门轿跑市场的独苗。它唯一的竞争对手是限量生产的宾利欧陆GT（Bentley Continental GT）。奔驰CL各种功能具全，起价为113,150美元，高性能版的价格更高达209,300美元，这使它成了市场上卖得最贵的奔驰车。而且它也是数量最稀少的——今年只卖了不到500台。 译者：朴成奎 | 2011 Mercedes CL The two-door counterpart to the mighty S-class, the full-size CL two-door stands almost alone in its segment, its sole competitor being the limited production Bentley Continental GT. Crammed with features, the CL starts at $113,150, and high-performance editions can run up to $209,300, making it the most expensive Mercedes on the market. It's also the most exclusive -- fewer than 500 have been sold this year. |
