Why did 50s cars have fins?

But as the American Enterprise exhibition shows, tail fins were a style with a purpose, and the purpose was simple: sell more cars. As the 1950s began, auto manufacturers faced a major dilemma: an over-saturated market. When World War II had ended, car sales had risen dramatically.

Why did they stop putting fins on cars?

Many of automotive press and much of the public were getting weary of the exaggerated tailfins, and the manufacturers were ready to phase them out because they added cost and complexity to design and manufacturing.

What was the first car with tail fins?

On February 3, 1948, 71 years ago today, Cadillac is said to have produced its very first car featuring the tail fin.

Which cars had the biggest fins?

When it comes to the biggest, tallest and most ornate fins, the hands-down winner of all time is the 1959 Cadillac. No car’s tailfins anywhere, anytime, achieved the height (excuse the pun) of absurdity approaching that of the Cadillac’s gigantic tapered fins.

When did Cadillac introduce tail fins?

Fins first appeared on the 1948 Cadillac Sixty-Two Coupe deVille, but they are nowhere near as daring as those on later models.

What year Cadillac has the biggest fins?

1959
Fins reached their zenith on the 1959 Cadillacs. This Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz Convertible was the ultimate space-age car of the 1950s with the highest tail fins ever put on an American production car.

Whats the front of a car called?

It’s called the front end. The fenders are on the front of the vehicle. While on the back of the vehicle it’s not a fender but it’s called the quarter panel. The left side of the vehicle is in relation to where the driver would be sitting.

Why is it called a spoiler?

A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to ‘spoil’ unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion, usually described as turbulence or drag. The term “spoiler” is often mistakenly used interchangeably with “wing”.

When did tail fins become more common on cars?

There wasn’t a lot of in between. In reality, tail fins on cars seemed to be more prevalent as each year of the 1950’s passed. The very size of the fins on the 1959 Cadillac may have been an omen that their days were numbered.

What is the history of tailfin style?

The Cadillac 1948 fin styling proved popular, and its use spread to other models in the General Motors family of brands. Soon it was adopted by other manufacturers, with top Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner in particular taking the tailfin look on board. As confidence grew in the styling trend, the fins grew larger and bolder.

Who invented the tailfin on a 1948 Cadillac?

Car tailfin. General Motors design chief Harley Earl is often credited for the automobile tailfin, introducing small fins on the 1948 Cadillac, but according to many sources the actual inventor/designer of the tailfin for the 1948 Cadillac was Franklin Quick Hershey , who at the time the 1948 Cadillac was being designed was chief…

What year did Cadillac start using fins on their cars?

The design of the fins remained pretty much unchanged until Cadillac introduced the 1955 Sixty-Two Coupe deVille. Its design was an evolution of the previous model and its hardware really looked like proper fins for the first time.