seatstays on an old Schwinn Stingray: functional, or just style?

I saw this pic of the classic Schwinn Stingray from the 1960s, and noticed that its seatstays continue past the seatube and anchor to the down tube.

Attachment 123876

Is that just another example of typical "futuristic" styling from that era, or is there a legitimate functional benefit to having those frame tubes connect the front and rear triangles?

thanks

Given how beefy the tubes are and how small the frames are I don't think there is any functional benefit, stylistic only but pleasing to look at.

I seem to recall that the seat stays are still welded to the sides of the seat tube / top tube cluster, not free floating.

Of course there's a function with the stays passing by the seat tube to the down tube. It's just so small a function (as in added mechanical qualities) that it's pretty moot to say it's about fashion.

Just like so many frame designs that are meant to be visually appealing and/or distinctive. Like GT's Triple Triangle, Hutchins's Curly Stays or Colnago's straight fork blades. Andy

Schwinn, like many other bike makers, found through extensive research and development that this seatstay design markedly improved both lateral stiffness AND at the same time improved comfort.

Many European teams in the mid-1960's wanted to adopt this advanced Sting-Ray frame design, but as usual, the UCI blocked any such advancement as an "unfair advantage".