Long and sleek!

With Elvis as the hero -

of the day during the 1950s,

whatever he drove become -

the car of the day.

And Elvis loved the glamour that -

shiny new tail-fins exhibited.

His fans loved them, too,

which led to over thirty heart-stopping models -

being designed during the 1950s.

No one cared back then -

whether cars were gas-guzzlers or

whether the paint job would last, or

whether the shiny chrome that-

protruded out the back -

begged to have dents -

inserted within the first few weeks.

The appeal of cars during the 1950s –

more than just Elvis.

It was prestige and glamour-

for even the average affluent workers.

The feeling of luxury seeped into-

one’s feelings and emotions, and romance -

bloomed with respect while riding in these elegants.

The Chrysler Town & Country Newport-

coupe which came out in 1950 -

didn’t have fins -

They started creeping-

into the design around 1952.

Yet it wasn’t the typical car of the 1940s;

Almost a dinosaur compared to-

Today’s styles,

The Newport featured distinctive,

External ‘Woodie’ and

strongly appealed to the hunter and sportsmen.

Pontiac had a mascot – an Indian Chief–

whose unsmiling face

formed the base of the front hood.

His headdress consisted of streaks -

of chrome sliding -

back over the hood and-

being picked up again on the trunk.

Sleek looking!

Everyone wanted a car with a personality, and

the Indian Chief gave the Pontiac one.

The cars of the early 1950s –

had a somewhat dowdy appearance but-

reflected the potential of sparkling glamour,

car designers became aggressive in their creativity.

By 1957 and 1958 the designers -

produced disastrously overblown responses.

Sharp clean fins reached in all directions.

Streaked with chrome, and

somewhere in the middle –

a body was grafted into them.

Bright yellows!

Passionate reds!

Baby blues! And regardless of the weather -

where one lived,

convertibles were in,

even if you never lowered the top

The intense competition -

meant that each model -

became extinct quickly-

Planned obsolescence meant-

the customers had to choose between

buying a new car-

each year or -

being a social leper.

For the expense of redesigning-

all models every year,

the manufacturers took-

to keeping the inner workings-

of the cars basically the same and

only changing the outward look.

By 1958 -

some models,

1958 Oldsmobile,

called ‘ugly.’

Some even Called it like a brick -

with a hardtop sitting on it.

However,

the indented chrome -

on the doors still caught one’s eye of respect.

All systems self-destruct from within.

The era of the glamour cars had outdone itself and -

common sense dictated that -

what would follow in the 1960s-

Based on performance,

a concern for the environment, and

conservative packaging.

During the 1960s people weren’t impressed -

with external appearances -

to the exclusion of what existed underneath.

This attitude was reflected -

towards both people and cars.

Yet, who will ever forget Elvis?

Or the glamour cars of the 1950s?

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