The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1955 and 1961. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry, where it was regarded as the "golden age" of American auto design and American exceptionalism.[1]
The tailfin was first introduced on the 1948 Cadillac
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,[2] who at the time the 1948 Cadillac was being designed was chief of the GM Special Car Design Studio.[3] It was Hershey who, after seeing an early production model of a P-38 at Selfridge Air Base, thought the twin rudders of the airplane would make a sleek design addition to the rear of future modern automobiles. [4] Tailfins took particular hold on the automotive buying public’s imagination as a result of Chrysler designer Virgil Exner’s Forward Look, which subsequently resulted in manufacturers scrambling to install larger and larger tailfins onto new models. As jet-powered aircraft, rockets, and space flight gained public recognition through the Space Race, 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.
Plymouth claimed that the tailfins were not fins, but "stabilizers" to place the "center of pressure" as far to the rear as possible and thus "reduce by 20% the needs for steering correction in a cross wind",[5] while Mercedes-Benz called its own tailfins Peilstege, sight lines that ostensibly aided in backing up.
Automobile engineer Paul Jaray added a center fin to his prototype designs in the 1920s for aerodynamic stability. Influenced by his patents some car producers made streamlined prototypes with one center positioned tailfin. For example, the Audi F5 Stromliner prototype, Kdf-Wagen prototype, Tatra T77 production car or Fiat Padovan prototype.
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.[6] 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. (World War II produced a gap of Cadillac model production between the early 1940s and late 1940s as factories turned to military goods production, interrupting the development of the fin concept.)
Tailfin era
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.
The most extreme tailfins appeared in the late 1950s, such as on the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and the 1959 Imperial Crown sedan. The 1959 Cadillac fins looked like jet airplane vertical stabilizers with sharp points and twin bullet-shaped taillights. 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. 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. Vestigial tailfins, however, remained on American cars into the 1990s, at least as far as the 1999 Cadillac Deville.
Mercedes-Benz introduced a modest tailfin on its 1959 W111 series of sedans, which gained the nickname "Fintails". In company terminology, they were Peilstege, sight lines that aid backing up. In 1997, Lancia introduced the Lancia Kappa Coupé with similar rear "sight line" augmentation.
Safety issues
The 1959 Dodge Coronet shows the fin as a separate assembly added to the tail
Cadillac tailfins had started to turn downward already by 1965, here seen vestigially a quarter century later on a 1990s Cadillac Brougham d'Elegance
2013 Hindustan Ambassador. Since the Ambassador's exterior design remained virtually unchanged for nearly sixty years, the tailfins were retained for the duration of its production
Nissan Cedric Special
Toyota Crown
Facel Vega HK 500 coupé
Tailfins have been criticized as a safety concern, even as a parked vehicle. In Kahn v. Chrysler (1963), a seven-year-old child on a bicycle collided with a fin and sustained a head injury. A case of the same era, Hatch v. Ford (1958), is also prominent in the study of personal injury from parked vehicles. In both of these cases, children were injured by sharp protrusions on parked cars.[7] The plaintiffs lost in both cases. In "Kahn", the court found that Chrysler was not responsible for anticipating "all the possible ways in which a person may injure himself by falling against an automobile."[8] In "Hatch", the plaintiff attempted to rely on a law governing the size and protrusion of radiator caps and grills, which the court said did not apply to tailfins.[9]
In 1999 Cadillac launched the Cadillac Evoq concept to lead the marque’s new design language, known as Art and Science. Recent Cadillacs have continued the tradition of the brand's signature vertical taillamp tailfins. Cadillac's designers call the current Cadillacs's styling evocative of tailfins. In 2010, the Cadillac SRX styling incorporated the trademark vertical taillights sculpted into tiny tailfins projecting from the rear. This was also done with the Cadillac XTS, which launched in 2012, and with many other models in later years.
In 2009 Trabant introduced the Nt concept with distinct tail fins projecting from the rear similar to the earlier models made the Trabant company.
The Chrysler 300 from 2011 to the present has subtle, but noticeable tailfins.
Though not officially mentioned by the manufacturer, reviews from the media compared the sharp angles of the fourth generation Toyota Prius tail-lights similar to tailfins. This is better seen when the tail-lights are lit.[10]
^Jain, S. Lochlann "'Dangerous Instrumentality': The Bystander as Subject in Automobility". Cultural Anthropology 19:1 (February 2004): pp. 61–94.
^"Kahn v. Chrysler Corporation, 221 F. Supp. 677 (S.D. Tex. 1963)".
^"FindLaw's California Court of Appeal case and opinions".
^"Tailfins, edge and dictionaries: What people are saying about Toyota's redesigned Prius". 9 September 2015.
March 08, 2023
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The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s peaking between 1955 and 1961 It was a style that spread worldwide as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry where it was regarded as the golden age of American auto design and American exceptionalism 1 The tailfin was first introduced on the 1948 Cadillac The tailfin at its apex on the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Another view of the 1959 Cadillac tailfin Tailfins Peilstege on a Mercedes Benz W110 sedan A finned British Vauxhall Cresta PA 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 2 who at the time the 1948 Cadillac was being designed was chief of the GM Special Car Design Studio 3 It was Hershey who after seeing an early production model of a P 38 at Selfridge Air Base thought the twin rudders of the airplane would make a sleek design addition to the rear of future modern automobiles 4 Tailfins took particular hold on the automotive buying public s imagination as a result of Chrysler designer Virgil Exner s Forward Look which subsequently resulted in manufacturers scrambling to install larger and larger tailfins onto new models As jet powered aircraft rockets and space flight gained public recognition through the Space Race 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 Plymouth claimed that the tailfins were not fins but stabilizers to place the center of pressure as far to the rear as possible and thus reduce by 20 the needs for steering correction in a cross wind 5 while Mercedes Benz called its own tailfins Peilstege sight lines that ostensibly aided in backing up Contents 1 Background 2 Tailfin era 3 Safety issues 4 Legacy 5 Subtle reintroduction into car styling 6 See also 7 NotesBackground EditAutomobile engineer Paul Jaray added a center fin to his prototype designs in the 1920s for aerodynamic stability Influenced by his patents some car producers made streamlined prototypes with one center positioned tailfin For example the Audi F5 Stromliner prototype Kdf Wagen prototype Tatra T77 production car or Fiat Padovan prototype 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 6 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 World War II produced a gap of Cadillac model production between the early 1940s and late 1940s as factories turned to military goods production interrupting the development of the fin concept Tailfin era EditThe 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 The most extreme tailfins appeared in the late 1950s such as on the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and the 1959 Imperial Crown sedan The 1959 Cadillac fins looked like jet airplane vertical stabilizers with sharp points and twin bullet shaped taillights 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 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 Vestigial tailfins however remained on American cars into the 1990s at least as far as the 1999 Cadillac Deville Mercedes Benz introduced a modest tailfin on its 1959 W111 series of sedans which gained the nickname Fintails In company terminology they were Peilstege sight lines that aid backing up In 1997 Lancia introduced the Lancia Kappa Coupe with similar rear sight line augmentation Safety issues Edit The 1959 Dodge Coronet shows the fin as a separate assembly added to the tail Latent tailfin on the compact Lancia Kappa Coupe Cadillac tailfins had started to turn downward already by 1965 here seen vestigially a quarter century later on a 1990s Cadillac Brougham d Elegance 2013 Hindustan Ambassador Since the Ambassador s exterior design remained virtually unchanged for nearly sixty years the tailfins were retained for the duration of its production Nissan Cedric Special Toyota Crown Facel Vega HK 500 coupe Tailfins have been criticized as a safety concern even as a parked vehicle In Kahn v Chrysler 1963 a seven year old child on a bicycle collided with a fin and sustained a head injury A case of the same era Hatch v Ford 1958 is also prominent in the study of personal injury from parked vehicles In both of these cases children were injured by sharp protrusions on parked cars 7 The plaintiffs lost in both cases In Kahn the court found that Chrysler was not responsible for anticipating all the possible ways in which a person may injure himself by falling against an automobile 8 In Hatch the plaintiff attempted to rely on a law governing the size and protrusion of radiator caps and grills which the court said did not apply to tailfins 9 Legacy EditExamples of tailfin styling Auto Union 1000 Sp 1958 1965 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 Chrysler Valiant 1962 Chrysler Windsor 1956 1960 Cisitalia 1947 DeSoto Adventurer 1957 1960 DeSoto Fireflite 1956 1960 Dodge Dart 1960 1961 Dodge Lancer 1955 1959 Edsel all models 1958 1960 Facel Vega FVS Facel Vega Excellence Facel Vega Facel II Fiat 2100 1959 1961 Ford Anglia 105e 1959 1968 Ford Consul 1951 1962 Ford Fairlane 1957 1963 Ford Galaxie 1959 1961 Ford Thunderbird 1957 1963 Ford Zephyr 1951 1966 Holden FB amp EK 1960 1962 Imperial 1955 1961 Lincoln Capri 1955 1957 Lincoln Continental 1957 1960 Mercedes Benz Fintail 1959 1968 Mercury Comet 1960 1964 Mercury Meteor 1961 1963 Mercury Monterey 1957 1964 Mercury Park Lane 1959 1960 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser 1957 1958 Morris Major Series II amp Elite 1959 1964 Morris Oxford Farina 1959 1971 Moskvitch 402 Moskvitch 407 1956 1965 Moskvitch 408 Moskvitch 412 1964 1976 Nissan Cedric 1960 1965 Oldsmobile 98 Oldsmobile 88 1957 1959 Opel Kapitan 1958 1963 Packard Caribbean 1955 1958 Packard Clipper 1955 1958 Packard Patrician 1953 1958 Peugeot 404 1960 1975 Plymouth Fury 1956 1960 Plymouth Valiant 1960 1962 Pontiac Star Chief 1959 1960 Pontiac Catalina 1959 1960 Saab 95 1959 1978 Skoda Octavia 1959 1971 Studebaker Packard Hawk series 1957 1961 Studebaker President 1957 1958 Studebaker Commander 1958 Sunbeam Alpine 1959 1968 Triumph Herald 1959 1971 Toyota Corona 1960 1964 Toyota Crown 1955 1962 Trabant 1957 1991 Vauxhall Cresta PA 1957 1962 Volvo P1800 ZIL 111 1959 1962Subtle reintroduction into car styling EditIn 1999 Cadillac launched the Cadillac Evoq concept to lead the marque s new design language known as Art and Science Recent Cadillacs have continued the tradition of the brand s signature vertical taillamp tailfins Cadillac s designers call the current Cadillacs s styling evocative of tailfins In 2010 the Cadillac SRX styling incorporated the trademark vertical taillights sculpted into tiny tailfins projecting from the rear This was also done with the Cadillac XTS which launched in 2012 and with many other models in later years The 2000 2005 Buick LeSabre s rear styling included subtle delta fins as a homage to the early LeSabres In 2009 Trabant introduced the Nt concept with distinct tail fins projecting from the rear similar to the earlier models made the Trabant company The Chrysler 300 from 2011 to the present has subtle but noticeable tailfins Though not officially mentioned by the manufacturer reviews from the media compared the sharp angles of the fourth generation Toyota Prius tail lights similar to tailfins This is better seen when the tail lights are lit 10 See also Edit1950s American automobile culture Googie architecture Empennage Spoiler sides of which may resemble tailfinsNotes Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tailfin pbs org Gantz Carroll Hershey Franklin Frank Q industrialdesignhistory Knoedelseder William 2018 Fins First ed New York NY Harper Collins pp 176 177 ISBN 9780062289070 Cadillac history 1948 Archived from the original on 2001 06 22 Allpar com Cadillac history 1948 Archived from the original on 2001 06 22 Jain S Lochlann Dangerous Instrumentality The Bystander as Subject in Automobility Cultural Anthropology 19 1 February 2004 pp 61 94 Kahn v Chrysler Corporation 221 F Supp 677 S D Tex 1963 FindLaw s California Court of Appeal case and opinions Tailfins edge and dictionaries What people are saying about Toyota s redesigned Prius 9 September 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Car tailfin amp oldid 1092502045, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
