GM has always placed an emphasis on sheet metal glory with quality engineering and construction sometimes coming in a distant second (my 4-carbeurator 1969 Corvair and my manual transmission Citation). Here is part of the massive grille on a 1918 Cadillac. The transmission on this car is a hodge-podge of scavenged gears from junked cars.
Once other American car makers saw the success GM achieved with sheet metal tricks, they followed suit. The result: Cords and Auburn Speedsters, 1937 Ford V8 Pickups, Chrysler Airflows, Nash Pinin Farina bodies, Loewy-designed Studebakers, Edsels, 1957 Chrysler New Yorkers and 300s, 1955 Oldsmobile 98s and Buick Centurys, El Caminos etc, etc.