Why did old 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.

What year did Cadillac come out with fins?

1948
1. The 1948 Cadillacs were the first automobiles to incorporate tailfins into their design. They were the brainchild of famed auto designer Harley J. Earl who was also responsible for other familiar design cues including wraparound windshields and extensive use of chrome trim.

What was the first car to have fins?

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

What car 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.

Who invented car fins?

Fins began in the 1920s when Austrian engineer Paul Jaray began aggressively promoting aerodynamic features for cars. The Czech firm Tatra bought what he was selling and installed a single, center-mounted vertical stabilizer on the rear of its production models starting in 1931.

What happened to tail fins?

Tailfins descended throughout the early 1960s, even adopting a downward slope on the 1965 Cadillacs. Mostly they disappeared and were replaced with a new style of taillight, called lobster-claw taillights, although in instances a sharp-edged quarter panel meeting a downward sloping trunk created the illusion of fins.

What is a Series 62 Cadillac?

The Cadillac Series 40-62 is a series of cars which was produced by Cadillac from 1940 through 1964. The Series 62 was used to introduce the Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the Cadillac Eldorado which started out as special appearance packages that were later placed into production. …

What old cars had fins?

Examples of tailfin styling:

• Buick LeSabre, 1959–1963.
• Buick Roadmaster, 1955–1958.
• Buick Electra, 1959–1960.
• Cadillac Deville, 1959–1964.
• Cadillac Eldorado, 1948–1964.
• Chevrolet Bel Air, 1955–1960.
• Chevrolet Impala, 1958–1960.
• Chrysler New Yorker, 1957–1964.

What influenced the design of the 1959 Cadillac?

The most memorable design elements of the 1959 Cadillac are the soaring tail fins, the tallest to ever adorn any production car. Fins first appeared on Cadillacs in 1948, and GM tradition has it that they were inspired by the twin tails of the World War II P-38 fighter plane.

What cars have spoilers?

10 Best Cars with Rear Spoilers

• 2017 Toyota Prius.
• 2017 Ford GT.
• 2018 Audi TT RS.
• 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
• 2017 Honda Civic Si Coupe.
• 2018 Subaru WRX STI.
• 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R.
• 2017 Porsche 911 GT3.

What year did Cadillac have 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.

How much did a 1959 Cadillac cost new?

The price for a new Coupe DeVille in 1959 was $5,252, plus options. Cadillac built 21,924 of the 2-door hard-top coupes that year….Detailing.