1957 J-402P and 1950's GE refrigerator model NC6HS =- $50 for both

The Sheer Look design program at Frigidaire was the kind of thing that would have leaked due to industrial espionage. GM, like all auto manufacturers, had very tight controls on this sort of thing. And like all auto manufacturers, their design themes leaked each and every time.

GE obviously knew what was coming, in more than enough detail to match Frigidaire's lead time for the new styling theme. Like Frigidaire, GE's rationale was more than just sales; cost containment was also a factor. The shallow-draw stampings and right-angle bends of the Sheer Look and Straight-Line Design appliances were cheaper to produce. That didn't keep Frigidaire from putting a hefty PR spin on the situation, in a statement from the man heading up Frigidaire's Styling Department:

"Our men asked themselves,� Mr. (Le Roy) Kiefer recalled, � �Well, if we weren�t stuck with the tangent bender, what would we do?� �

They found the answer by taking a long look at the appliance in its setting. �We related the refrigerator to the architecture of the kitchen.� Referring to the three-inch radii on refrigerators, he continued, �You don�t have such corners in the kitchen, so we said �Let�s build one to match the rest of the kitchen.� Frankly,� confided Mr. Kiefer, �at this point we didn�t know if we could get agreement from production that it could be made at a satisfactory cost.� (Quoted from An Appliance Design Atmosphere To Stimulate Creativeness, from ProductStat, www.productstat.com... LINK: www.productstat.com/engineering/a... )

Kiefer's statement was more than a little disingenuous. Tangent benders were used only for the upper corners of refrigerator cabinets. The real cost came in the bulbous doors of the 1950s; some were six inches deep - far more expensive than the shallower draw of a Sheer Look/Straight-Line Design door. And sculpturing, along with "character" lines, was common in '50's fridge door styling, adding even more to the cost of dies and stamping. What Kiefer was probably trying to do - likely with the blessing or even at the orders of Frigidaire's PR department - was to make it seem like consumers were being given more, when they were actually being given a handsome product that happened to cost less to produce.


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Post# 779034 8/24/2014 at 10:33 (3,525 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes 1957 GE Stratoliner model J-402P and 1950's GE refrigerator model NC6HS Ok, the fridge is comparatively insignificant, in this bundled price CLICK HERE TO GO TO ovrphil's LINK on Pittsburgh Craigslist Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 779068 , Reply# 1 8/24/2014 at 12:54 (3,525 days old) by bluejay (Havre de Grace, MD)
Checkrate/Likes That stove is beautiful!

Post# 779090 , Reply# 2 8/24/2014 at 15:47 (3,524 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )
Checkrate/Likes Jason - I am almost sure this was posted before or the seller reposted - the different color door caught my eye...but can't recall the difference in color.

Post# 779128 , Reply# 3 8/24/2014 at 17:34 (3,524 days old) by bluejay (Havre de Grace, MD)
Checkrate/Likes The control panel is really swanky; I've seen a few of these pop up recently too. I wonder if the stylish GE designs of the late 50s was produced to compete with the Frigidaire Sheer Look line.

Post# 779182 , Reply# 4 8/24/2014 at 20:58 (3,524 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Jason:* The Sheer Look design program at Frigidaire was the kind of thing that would have leaked due to industrial espionage. GM, like all auto manufacturers, had very tight controls on this sort of thing. And like all auto manufacturers, their design themes leaked each and every time. GE obviously knew what was coming, in more than enough detail to match Frigidaire's lead time for the new styling theme. Like Frigidaire, GE's rationale was more than just sales; cost containment was also a factor. The shallow-draw stampings and right-angle bends of the Sheer Look and Straight-Line Design appliances were cheaper to produce. That didn't keep Frigidaire from putting a hefty PR spin on the situation, in a statement from the man heading up Frigidaire's Styling Department: "Our men asked themselves,� Mr. (Le Roy) Kiefer recalled, � �Well, if we weren�t stuck with the tangent bender, what would we do?� � They found the answer by taking a long look at the appliance in its setting. �We related the refrigerator to the architecture of the kitchen.� Referring to the three-inch radii on refrigerators, he continued, �You don�t have such corners in the kitchen, so we said �Let�s build one to match the rest of the kitchen.� Frankly,� confided Mr. Kiefer, �at this point we didn�t know if we could get agreement from production that it could be made at a satisfactory cost.� (Quoted from An Appliance Design Atmosphere To Stimulate Creativeness, from ProductStat, www.productstat.com... LINK: www.productstat.com/engineering/a... ) Kiefer's statement was more than a little disingenuous. Tangent benders were used only for the upper corners of refrigerator cabinets. The real cost came in the bulbous doors of the 1950s; some were six inches deep - far more expensive than the shallower draw of a Sheer Look/Straight-Line Design door. And sculpturing, along with "character" lines, was common in '50's fridge door styling, adding even more to the cost of dies and stamping. What Kiefer was probably trying to do - likely with the blessing or even at the orders of Frigidaire's PR department - was to make it seem like consumers were being given more, when they were actually being given a handsome product that happened to cost less to produce.

Post# 779287 , Reply# 5 8/25/2014 at 10:22 (3,524 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)
Checkrate/Likes *There is a free J402 in turquoise...* nera here that was offered to me last week - it has some chips and needs a good cleaning, but the price is right and I don't want to se it scrapped... if we weren't downsizing prior to future a move I'd gladly take it, even if not top-priority range aquisition-wise, we've had one in yellow and we really liked it... anyone who might be interested eMail me and I'll put you in touch, it's near Binghamton NY.