Car tailfin
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1957 and 1960. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry where it was the golden epoch of American autodesign.
General Motors design chief Harley Earl is generally credited for the automobile tailfin, introducing small fins on the 1948 Cadillac. Harley credited the look of World War II fighter aircraft for his inspiration, particularly the twin-tailed P-38 Lightning. As jet-powered aircraft, rockets, and space flight entered into public recognition, the automotive tailfin assemblies (including tail lights) were designed to resemble more and more the tailfin and engine sections of contemporary jet fighters and space rockets.
Plymouth claimed that the Tailfins were not Fins, but "stabilizers" to place the "center of pressure" as far to the rear as possible and thus "reduce by 20% the needs for steering correction in a cross wind".
Examples of tailfin styling:
- Buick LeSabre, 1959–1963
- Cadillac Eldorado, 1948–1964
- Chaika GAZ-13, 1959–1981
- Chevrolet Bel Air, 1955–1960
- Chevrolet Impala, 1958–1960
- Chrysler New Yorker, 1956–1961
- Chrysler Windsor, 1956–1960
- DeSoto Fireflite, 1956–1960
- Dodge Lancer, 1955–1959
- Edsel (all models), 1958–1960
- Fiat 2100, 1959–1961
- Ford Consul, 1951–1962
- Ford Fairlane, 1957–1963
- Ford Galaxie, 1959–1961
- Ford Thunderbird, 1957–1963
- Ford Zephyr, 1951–1966
- Imperial, 1955–1961
- Lincoln Capri, 1955–1957
- Lincoln Continental, 1957–1960
- Mercedes-Benz Fintail
- Mercury Comet, 1960–1964
- Mercury Meteor, 1961–1963
- Mercury Monterey, 1957–1964
- Morris Major (Series II & Elite,) 1959–1964
- Moskvitch 402 – Moskvitch 407, 1956–1965
- Moskvitch 408 – Moskvitch 412, 1964–1976
- Peugeot 404, 1960–1975
- Plymouth Fury, 1956–1960
- Studebaker-Packard Hawk series, 1957–1961
- Studebaker President, 1957–1958
- Studebaker Commander, 1958
- Vauxhall Cresta PA, 1957–1962
- Volga GAZ-21, 1956–1970
- ZIL-111, 1959–1962
See also
