From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Hofmeister kink
Automotive design feature
Automotive design feature
The Hofmeister kink (German: Hofmeister-Knick) is an automotive design feature consisting of a rearward/forward angle near the base of the rearmost pillar. It is named for Wilhelm Hofmeister, who was BMW's design chief from 1955 to 1970, though it appeared on other-brand cars made before Hofmeister's tenure at BMW.
Among the first cars to feature this design element were some 1949-model 2-door cars made by General Motors, including the Cadillac Club Coupe, Buick Sedanette, and Chevrolet Fleetline (Buick and Oldsmobile had similar body styles), as well as the 1958 Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato and the 1961 Lancia Flavia Coupé.
The first BMWs to feature it were the BMW 3200 CS and the BMW 1500 shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1961 and was later named after then-BMW director of design, Wilhelm Hofmeister.
Although the Hofmeister kink is commonly associated with BMW vehicles, similar C-pillar kinks have appeared on cars of numerous brands for many years. The 1951 Kaiser shows a prominent Hofmeister kink. A Hofmeister kink can be seen on the Volkswagen Golf Mk1 of 1974, the Series II Fiat 127 of 1977, and the 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS.
Gallery
File:1949 Cadillac Series 61 Fastback - Flickr - exfordy (1).jpg|1949 Cadillac Series 61 fastback coupé File:Flickr - DVS1mn - 51 Henry J (2).jpg|1951 Henry J File:1953 Kaiser-Frazer.jpg|1953 Kaiser-Frazer File:60 Dodge Dart Phoenix D500 (8943188186) (cropped).jpg|1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix Hardtop-Coupé File:BMW 3200 CS.jpg|In some earlier models like this BMW 3200 CS, the widened base of the C-pillar was adorned with the BMW roundel. File:FlaviaCoupePinin1964WP.jpg|Lancia Flavia coupè File:Dodge Dart (11242212664).jpg|1964 Dodge Dart File:1978 Fiat 127 L 1.05 Rear.jpg|Fiat 127 Series 2 (1977) File:BMW 2000 C Automatic pol.jpg|BMW 2000 CS File:BMW E28 520i Wien 25 July 2020 JM (7).jpg|BMW E28 File:Jaguar XJ6 4.2 Series III (14851444121).jpg|Jaguar XJ Series III File:Triumph Dolomite Sprint (15977931486).jpg|1973 Triumph Dolomite Sprint File:Opel Ascona C Roma.jpg|Opel Ascona C/Vauxhall Cavalier II File:HofmeisterKinkE36.JPG|Hofmeister kink on an E36 M3 File:97E38 HofmeisterKink.jpg|E38 740i File:2003 Ford Falcon (BA) Futura sedan (2009-12-04) 03.jpg|Australian Ford BA Falcon File:Opel Insignia Getxon resized.jpg|Opel Insignia A, 2008–2013 File:Lexus IS 300h F Sport (III) – Frontansicht, 3. März 2014, Düsseldorf.jpg|2014 Lexus IS 300h File:2013-2018 BMW X5 (F15) sDrive25d wagon (2018-09-17) 02.jpg|F15 BMW X5. File:BMW F40 120i Alpine White Hofmeister-Knick (2 resized).jpg|2019 F40 BMW 1 Series
References
References
- [http://www.7-forum.com/news/news2004/75jahre_bmw/bmw_geschichte_design.php BMW design history (German)]
- Norbye, Jan P.. (1984). "BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines". Publications International.
- [http://www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/retrospective/1178/6 Channel 4 (UK) retrospective, see image caption and first paragraph] {{webarchive. link. (December 19, 2007)
- [http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/your_garage/cars/261.shtml] {{webarchive. link. (June 4, 2009)
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Hofmeister kink — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report