Chrysler Corporation design chief Virgil Exner was a style leader of the Motor City with his dramatic Forward Look theme, and it reached its finale with the 1961 Chryslers.

Until 1955, the cars of the Chrysler Corporation weren’t exactly known for their advanced styling, but that year Virgil Exner erased the dowdy image with his exciting Forward Look styling theme. And then for 1957, the Chrysler design vice president really set the Motor City on its ear with his dramatic update of the style, which shook up even the design studios at mighty General Motors.

But by the early 1960s tastes were changing, and the ’61 Dodge and Plymouth featured toned-down versions of Exner’s signature look. Some elements of the style remained, though clearly it had evolved. Yet the premium Chrysler line, with its flamboyant tail fins, dramatic roofline, and Italianate grille, remained faithful to the Forward Look for one final year—to our eyes, anyway.

When the 1961 Chryslers were introduced in September of 1960, the Chrysler Corporation was in complete disorder. The executive suite was racked with scandal (see our feature here) while the styling and engineering crews were thrown into chaos by a last-minute decision to radically downsize the 1962 Dodge and Plymouth. In November of  ’60, the DeSoto (largely based on the Chrysler Newport) was cancelled, triggering a chain of dealer lawsuits.

Sales declined in 1961, then took another tumble in 1962. The downsized ’62 cars, poorly planned, hastily executed, and bearing little resemblance to their Forward Look predecessors, proved to be a comprehensive flop.  As part of management’s post-mortem of the debacle, Exner himself was forced into retirement. The 1961 Chryslers would be America’s final look at the Forward Look.