1958 Ford De Paolo - AllCarIndex

Four 3/8 scale models developed by Ford Motor Company advanced stylists, including the Volante, a styling version of an aero-car, will be features of the Edsel display in the American-Canadian Sportsmen's Show, which opens Friday at Public Hall.

The other models will Include the X-2000, representing exploration into the development of a vertical front end theme; the De Paolo, a vehicle designed to provide both sports ear performance and features adaptable for use in mass-produced passenger cars; and the Mexico, a styling conception of an aluminum or fiberglass racing ear of the future.

Although the day when there will be an aero-car in every garage is still far off, according to George W. Walker, Ford vice president and director of styling, the Volante indicates one direction that the styling of such a vehicle could conceivably take.

Walker points out that the Volante might be powered by means of three units arranged in a triangular pattern to provide both lift and thrust. This scale model envisions the use of a forward unit composed of two counter-rotating blades and a motor, and two rear units each made up of a single set of blades moving in opposite directions to offset torque.

The high-action styling of the De Paolo is almost an inversion of the form most typical of current American automotive styling. Its side moulding treatment is effected in such a way that it transmits the feeling of motion conveyed by the wheels, while fairings around the wheel housings represent a unique use of sculptured metal in the lower body.