The nose knows

There was a time in American car design when the front, or nose, of the car was the most important part of the overall design of the automobile. One of the most iconic designs at the time was the 1949 Ford Sedan. It really captured the post-war period which focused on the emergence of the rocket and jet age, into which the United States was entering. I came across one this summer in a wrecking yard in Northern California. Without seeing the emblem, you could determine the brand of the car by looking at the nose alone, because they were just that distinct. That today is no longer a car's distinguishable trait; unless of course on the front of your car, there's a stallion or a three-point star.