Quite out of the blue, Mrs. Tanshanomi suggested that my weekly adventure in pedantry should task all of you with naming hatchbacks that had, “those wraparound rear windows — you know, like the AMC Pacer.” Why that? I asked. [Actually, it was more like, “Huh?…Why?…What?”] “Because,” she explained, “you never see those sort of curved side windows on hatchbacks nowadays. It was cool, and it’s gone.” The fact that that specific thought popped into her head unprompted made me realize how incredibly lucky I am. But, in any case, here we are. I have no idea what we’ll end up with, but SWMBO is being obeyed; today’s entry in the Canon of Hoonatic Lore requires you to name hatchbacks with dramatically curved rear quarter glass. Is that bit of styling really gone, or can you name one among current or recent cars? Or perhaps your favorite vintage ride? Was it ever really here?
The Caveats (there are always caveats):
- H-A-T-C-H-B-A-C-K. Not sedan, coupe or pickup truck. If it doesn’t have a hatch out back, it’s a no-go. Got it?
- We are talking specifically about the windows on either side of the hatch, not the part that lifts up. One-piece glass hatches don’t count.
- The line between hatchbacks and wagons — and wagons and SUVs — can be a bit of a judgement call. So you can go there, as long as the rear door is hinged upwards, like a hatchback’s. [Yes, I know there are potentially a metric bunchload of old ’40s–’50s wagons that fit the description, but they’re cool, so what could it hurt to list them all. See? I’m feeling generous today.]
- Customs, kit cars, concept cars, etc. are fair game, but they should be at least moderately cool and interesting. Duh.
Difficulty: Maximum 4 lb. test (6 lb. test for fluorocarbon)
How This Works: Read the comments first and don’t post duplicates. Bonus points for adding photos. Remember, you can simply paste in the raw image URL now, thanks to the magic of Disqus.
Image Source: AMC press photo via oppositelock.kinja.com.
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