Virgil Exner
Virgil Exner was the other big American designer of the 1950s. While Harley Earl was weaving his magic at GM, Exner was doing the same over at Chrysler. Ironically, the designer had first been hired at General Motors by the man who would become his big rival. Before he turned 30, he was head of design for the Pontiac brand.
When he joined Chrysler in 1949, the company was lagging behind in terms of its designs, and he would institute a wholesale change of philosophy. He was also enthusiastic about wings, so much so that they became a trademark of Chrysler cars of the era. And if you’ve ever heard of the design philosophy called Forward Look, well that’s him.
The 1950s-era Chrysler 300 and Plymouth Belvedere are among his most memorable creations.