Tailfin
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Tailfin
The height of the tailfin era; the 1959 Cadillac.
Not fintails, but "sight lines" on a Mercedes 190D.
The tailfin era of
automobile
styling encompassed the
1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1958 and 1960. It was a style developed in the
United States but spread its influence worldwide, as cars designed in all parts
of the world picked up styling trends from the American automobile industry.
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.
The style was incredibly popular and its use spread to other models in the
General Motors family of brands. Soon it was adopted by other manufacturers;
Chrysler's
Virgil
Exner in particular took the tailfin idea on board. As confidence grew in
the styling trend, the fins grew larger and bolder as manufacturers competed to
have the best-looking, most striking vehicle.
The most extreme tailfins appeared in the late
1950s. Many consider the fins on the 1959 Cadillac
Eldorado to be the largest and most outrageous ever fitted. Those fins were too
much for many customers, however, and the tailfins shrank after that point.
Within a couple of years, tailfins had become much less prominent, and by the
mid 1960s, they were gone on many models. However, vestigial tailfins remained
on American cars until very recently, with the sides of the quarter panels often
being raised above the trunk lid and the corner sharp-edged. Mercedes used
something similar to fintails (nicknamed "heckflosse" in German), but they
claimed it wasn't fintails but "sight lines" to make it easier to determine the
corners of the vehicle.
Examples of Tailfin Styling:
Cadillac Eldorado, 1948-1966
Chrysler Imperial, 1955-1963
Lincoln Capri
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