This weekend is the last chance for lovers of sexy, curvy, streamlined autos to get close up and personal with a veritable armada of the sexiest, curviest, streamliniest beauties ever built. The Phoenix Art Museum's marvelous "Curves of Steel" exhibition closes on Sunday, June 3, and as the museum's site makes clear, Phoenix is "the only place Curves of Steel will be shown." (Pictured: A 1938 Darracq-Talbot Lago T-150.)

The show features more than two dozen amazing examples of what the curators point out was not merely a stylistic trend, but a genuine movement and, in some cases, a practical, real-world philosophy.

"Amidst the Great Depression and strains of the impending war, the sleek, futuristic look of streamlined design [like the 1938 Delage D8-120's below] represented an optimistic future of science and technology and provided a stimulus to the market by making former more ornamental styles look outmoded."

Optimism. Market stimuli. Indeed. But there's also another factor worth considering here, one that is only hinted at in the thoughtful, cogent remarks on the museum's website: namely, that almost all of these vehicles look as if, given half a chance, they might drop in unexpectedly, drink up all your booze, steal your girl, and then drive off in a remorseless (and debonair) swirl of dust, punctuated by the evocative aroma of burning rubber and, probably, expensive cigars.

And you know what? You'd still think they're cool.

--BEN COSGROVE

1938 Dubonnet Hispano H-6C Xenia

1937 Cord 812