The height of the tailfin era; the 1959 Cadillac

Another view of the 1959 Cadillac tailfin

Not fintails, but "sight lines" on a Mercedes 190D

A British finned car, the Vauxhall Cresta PA

Late 1950s Dodge Coronet

For the tail fin of an aircraft, see vertical stabilizer.

The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1958 and 1960. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the American automobile industry. Tailfins on a 1959 Cadillac. ... Tailfins on a 1959 Cadillac. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 45 KB) de: Heckflosse eines 190D Baujahr unbekannt sv: Pejlkant på en 190D en: Mercedes-Benz W110 190D fintail File links The following pages link to this file: Raggare ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x864, 45 KB) de: Heckflosse eines 190D Baujahr unbekannt sv: Pejlkant på en 190D en: Mercedes-Benz W110 190D fintail File links The following pages link to this file: Raggare ... Vauxhall Cresta The Vauxhall Cresta was probably the most elegant British car of the late 1950s even though it was not sufficiently upmarket for it to be driven by those that considered themselves the elite of British society. ... The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the divisions highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. ... The vertical stabilizer or fin of an aircraft is found on its tail, generally pointing straight upward. ... Car redirects here. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... Jan. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Harley J. Earl (November 22, 1893–April 10, 1969) was an automotive stylist and engineer and industrial designer. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cadillac is a brand of luxury automobile, part of the General Motors corporation, produced and mostly sold in the USA; outside of North America, they have been less successful. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... P-38 redirects here. ...

Some sub-models of the 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood, which predates the P-38, also contained hints of tailfins via projecting tail-light "paddles", although it is unclear if this influenced later fin designs. [1] The 1941 Cadillac Series 63 4-Door Sedan also had a form of jutting tail-lights, although milder than the 1937 Fleetwood. Even though the 1948 model was the first conscious effort at fins, the earlier partial occurrences may have made the concept more acceptable to consumers and designers. (The war produced a gap of Cadillac model production between the early 40s and late 40s as factories turned to military goods production, interrupting the development of the fin concept.) 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; 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. The Fleetwood name was used on the top of the Cadillac line since 1927. ... The Chrysler Corporation was a United States-based automobile manufacturer that existed independently from 1925–1998. ... Virgil Ex Exner (September 24, 1909–December 22, 1973) was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. ...

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. (However the German-made Amphicar had slightly higher tailfins.) 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. Vestigial tailfins remained on American cars into the 1980s, with the sides of the quarter panels often being raised above the trunk lid and the corner sharp-edged, or at least raised. Cadillac was one of the last makers to phase raised edges out, with vertically-arranged tail-light assemblies as well, on all of their products (except the Allante) all the way to the early 1990's. The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mercedes used something similar to fintails (nicknamed "heckflosse" in German), but they claimed that these were not fintails but "sight lines" to make it easier to determine the corners of the vehicle.

Examples of Tailfin Styling:

• Buick LeSabre, 1959-1960
• Cadillac Eldorado, 1948-1966
• Chevrolet Bel Air, 1957
• Chrysler Imperial, 1955-1963
• Chrysler New Yorker, 1956-1961
• DeSoto Fireflite, 1956-1960
• Dodge Lancer, 1955-1959
• Fiat 2100, 1959-1961
• Lincoln Capri, 1955-1957
• Moskvitch 408 - Moskvitch 412
• Peugeot 404, 1960 - 1975
• Plymouth Fury, 1956-1960
• Vauxhall Cresta PA, 1957 - 1962

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Tailfin