I propose this to you: the Chrysler Lebaron above is an ugly car.  Nothing groundbreaking there, right?  Well, what if I said that there is one overwhelming feature that makes this car a dog– even beyond the vinyl roof, hood ornament, and thin spoke hubcaps?  The key here is the proportions, specifically the c-pillar (the pillar between the glass of the back door and the rear windshield.  Cars have gotten swoopier and more streamlined in the past two decades, leaving this frumpy Lebaron’s design looking like a dinosaur.  You just don’t see the long trunk deck and upright rear windshield anymore.

Another bombshell: The new-for-2013 Ford Fusion is a great-looking car.  It brings the coupe-like sloping rear deck that has become extremely popular for the premium brands to the mainstream.

The Jaguar XJ below is a prime example of how dramatic c-pillar design can really enhance the elegance of an otherwise pretty standard looking luxury car.

Here are two examples of this design in earlier models: the Rover SD1 from the 1980’s and the Citroen C6 from the mid 2000’s.  Both of these cars boasted styling that was considered pretty polarizing for their day (especially some of the way-out-there details of the Citroen, like the curved rear windshield).  Looking at the overall shape of the vehicles, however, it is easy to see that they were both ahead of their time.

Luxury automakers have even had varying degrees of success bringing the shape to an SUV stance.  The BMW X6 has been a surprise hit since its introduction three years ago, and Acura joined the fray in 2010 with its ZDX, which just recently bit the dust (probably because its front end resembled a bird of prey).  Below is the interesting shape of the ZDX.

Mercedes has even taken this general shape to create its beautiful CLS wagon (not available in the US, like nearly every other wagon built today).  The car’s greenhouse retains the same general shape, but the trunk is bumped out to create this gorgeous wagon.

The cyclical nature of car design is the only thing that’s for sure, however, so don’t be surprised to see the boxy, upright LeBaron style return with a vengeance before we know it.