By JIM WATKINS
Guest Columnist
Leaving the grocery and heading to my car one day I could not help but notice three white, fairly new four-door sedans parked in close proximity to my car. They all looked so similar. I thought perhaps they were company cars, but I saw no logos. Somewhat of a car nut, I immediately saw that they were three different brands. The lights on one of them blinked. I laughed to myself. They probably didn’t remember which one was theirs.
Driving home I passed a two-tone 1956 Oldsmobile hard-top parked out in front of a local establishment with a for sale sign on the windshield. That reminded me of course of the greatest decade in American car manufacturing, the 1950s. No one would confuse that Olds with any other car.
And that was true throughout the decade. For instance, the two best sellers, Ford and Chevy, were unmistakable. Starting especially with the ’55 models. No mistaking the two new models, the Ford Fairlane and the Chevy Bel Air. It was the blossoming of the great two-tone model era. Each color is separated by beautiful chrome strips.
Speaking of chrome, the 50s sparkled like no other decade. Google the 1958 Buick Riviera. If you like chrome that’s your baby. You probably don’t want to face one coming at you in a late low-hanging afternoon sun on a two-lane highway. You would probably have to pull over until your eyes recovered.
Okay, now let’s talk about tail fins! The late 50s and early 60s was the tail fin era. I guess it had something to do with the space race. Chrysler products, which included Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler, with their so-called “Forward Look” pretty much led the way starting with their 1956 models.
Everyone was on board by 1957 but there was no mistaking the Chrysler products with the most outlandish fins. They even had designs with fins that allowed their cars to have three colors!
Overall, I think I am correct in saying that the Chrysler products were the most outlandish but really there is no denying what Cadillac did in 1959. The General Motors’ boys pretty much said, “Hey, top this!” They put out a car with tail fins that made everyone say “Hey this has got to stop.” Get on Google again. 1959 Cadillac El Dorado. Make sure you check out the pink ones. There were some garages that were just not long enough. You would drive by and all you could see were these ginormous fins protruding through the open doors.
Even the staid Mercedes designers tried the fin look putting out the W 110 with wispy little fins that would satisfy one part of the car market. A friend had one. He could not sell it. A couple of years later I saw it in his garage. The rear quarter panels were rounded off. No more fins. It sold. I guess it was the end of an era — dang!
Jim Watkins is a Brown County resident who was a public school teacher for 42 years and has special interest in history. He is also a member of the Brown County Historical Society. He can be reached at [email protected].
