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Our Two Cents: Peak Fin
As styling elements go, it’s hard to argue against the tailfin. The first fin on a production automobile appeared on the 1934 Tatra 77, a striking central element emerging like a dorsal fin from the roof’s trailing edge as a prominent feature of the sloping rear engine cover.
It wasn’t until the 1948 Cadillac, however, that we’d see a pair of small, subtle fins deployed aft of the fenders, the product of Harley Earl and designer Franklin Hershey, both of whom had been floored by the appearance of the Lockheed P-38 fighter plane they had seen just before the war. The design was a hit, and the prominence of Cadillac’s tailfins soared, with ever-larger, ever-sharper fins the perfect accompaniment to the rise of the jet age. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit, each with its own take on this distinctive, entirely superfluous feature.
For this week’s installment of Our Two Cents, we asked Hagerty Media staffers to give us their idealized version of the fin. After some confusion, we made it clear that Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas were off the table—cars only please—and here’s where we landed.
NASCAR Champagne
I was always a fan of the 1956 Chrysler 300B, especially the ones raced by Carl Kiekhaefer to a couple of NASCAR championships. These fins say, “Hey, I have fins, but I’m surprisingly cultured.”—Steven Cole Smith
The Double Nickel
I’m gonna go with the 1955 Chevy. I think I might be in the minority when it comes to my favorite Tri-Five fin, but I like the subtle fin over the larger ’56 fin and the bombastic ’57 flipper.—Cameron Neveu
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BATman
Gotta be the Alfa Romeo BAT cars for me. Three cars—BAT 5, BAT 7, BAT 9—all designed by Franco Scaglione at Bertone. They’re all wild and they all have fins for days, but I think the middle child, BAT 7, is the prettiest, and certainly the finniest, with massive blue appendages that from the back look like a stingray or large fish ready to power through the water.—Andrew Newton
Form AND Function!
I’m going with the 1989 Cadillac DeVille, for two reasons: 1) The floor-to-ceiling taillights made their way onto any customized GMT-400 truck worth a damn; and 2) They were sleek and streamlined as if tuned by a wind tunnel, but they were also long and flowing, as they should be for a Caddy. Bonus: They were tailfins that withstood a 5-mph impact! What more could you possibly ask for?—Sajeev Mehta
Form. Just Form.
For me, it’s the ’59 Cadillac. When it comes to fins, it’s all about the ’50s, and these are the biggest, most bodacious fins of them all. They’re tall, they’re lined in chrome, and smack in the middle of EACH fin is a pair of enormous torpedo taillights. (Or lipstick tubes.) Are they functional, you might ask? To which I’d reply, have you SEEN them? Who the hell cares?!—Eric Weiner
Stjärtfenan
America may have invented, inflated, and even perfected the tailfin, but I’ve always liked the far more subtle approach taken by the Europeans (Alfa BAT cars notwithstanding). Sunbeam Tigers and W111 Mercedes sedans did them well, but the real standout for me is the Volvo P1800, whose rounded, chrome-capped fins began just after the door and led into the small, separate taillights. I also appreciate that Volvo slyly incorporated the fins’ outline, if not the entire appendage, into the back end of 1800ES wagon.—Stefan Lombard
Thundercougarfalconbird
The first-gen Thunderbird is a beautiful car, with elegant lines that aren’t cluttered with overwrought design elements that would come with the four-seater model that followed innediately after. The 1957 model got a nice, subtle fin that was angled and sharper than its predecessors, and it’s one of my favorites. However, I think the best evolution of that theme came with the third-generation “Bullet Birds”. The fins look great on the production cars next to the afterburner taillights and sculpted bumper, but they shine on the Thunderbird Italien concept paired with the swoopy hardtop.—Brandan Gillogly
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Forward look Chryslers deserve a mention.
59 Chev lineup.
I agree on the 55 chev being the best design of tri-five.
59 Pontiac fins win it for me, but I am partial to Pontiacs.
Nailed it. 59 Pontiacs!
1959 Rambler 6 station wagon with the fins starting at the front edge of the back door and flowing to a peak just beyond the tailgate. The roof with luggage rack is lower over the cargo area giving an image of the fins and roof line working together.
My 59 alfa romeo Giuletta Spider has the best looking fins but I am spoiled because I love my car
I would agree as I also have owned a 59 Alfa spider for over 50 years; nothing quite like it and I’ve owned well over 100 vehicles over the years.
59 Cadillac’s have arguable the best fins in this game. All models, Eldorado too!
Agreed, the 59 Caddy FINS are the BEST !!
👍
Yes, the ’59 Cadillac are the best!
100% agree the ’59 gets the nod from this ‘ol fella. I was 12 years old and remember there being a H U G E billboard in our little town of Willow Springs, Mo. advertising them when they were available at our local Cadillac dealership. They blew me away. All these years I have an all original 1984 ElDorado Biarritz under a cover in my garage with 47,780 original miles that sees the streets ONLY on bright sunny days – which are few in Olympia, Wa – but I enjoy showing it to folks when I can. Fins? I suppose in a way this model ‘kinda’ has fins but NOTHING compares to those of the 50’s and 60’s. CADILLAC RULES! 🙂
I agree that the little Giulietta is a cutie as we have a ’58 750F but there are other, better fins out there. Seemingly Chevy and the Cadillac series have a monopoly.
Looking at my paperwork yours is a Veloce, 1 of 835 made. I’m a bit jealous they produced 1338 of mine
Tail fins are OK. Nothing beats fins with sparrow strainers and the first million dollar forward look car.
Read my mind! I was going to say a 1960 Classic. The fins were toned down a little. I had 60 Classic 6 cylinder in high school that I swapped in a 61 Ambassador 270 HP Rambler 327, overdrive 3 speed and 3:54 rear. Got it all done and my dad thought I’d kill myself, so had to sell it.
My Dad had a 59 dodge. In my opinion the 59 dodge and plymouths had the most beautiful tailfins, but they were all very cool cars
I agree. My folks bought a 1957 Belvedere 9 passenger station wagon. That was the beginning of my lifelong love affair with cars. I was only 5 at the time. I so looked forward with great anticipation to the annual fall rollout each year after that.
Perfect1
These guys only list one (1) Mopar!!!
One of my HS rides was a ’57 Plymoth Fury with two four barrels on what Dad said was a tarantula intake. Liked the fins almost as much the horsepower.
I agree with Paul. I own a 59 dodge coronet 4 door and it’s just awesome all around.
I am amazed that someone seems to have a very similar taste: I would ad two cars to the list, the 59 Buick and the 1960 Cadillac.
I own two 65 Pontiac fullsize, (a 65 Bonneville convertible and a Catalina 2d ht) and three 63 Chevies.
The 59 Pontiacs and the 65 models cannot be beaten.
I have a flair for the GM Sedanette cars of the Fourties as well.
I would stray from GM for a 59 Dodge or a late Fiftes Chryselr 300 if I could find one I could afford. But this will never happen.
I tend to agree. For me the 1960 Chrysler 300-F tail fins with those awesome ‘boomerang’ tucked-in tail lights are beautiful and simply elegant.
And the 59 Buick had fins front and rear!
I agree with you on the ’60 Cadillac! One of my favorite year Caddies.
Absolutely right about the Chryslers! Those cars made the fins integral to the design.
My light green 4-door 1957 Plymouth was an ugly car with very cool fins!
Agreed, best fins are on the 59 Pontiacs.
Of the tri-fives, I prefer the 56. No fuel door in the quarter panel.
59 Caddy were the biggest and best, but also like 57 Ford Galaxie as being more refined. All the others are good choices.
The 59 Caddy was by far the best!!, wondering how the 59 Chevy Impala was not on the list that wa a true classic as well!
when we were kids, a friend was leaning on the back of the 59 Caddy fin and another kid ran up to grab him. Friend moved out of the way and Kid #2 impaled himself on the Caddy fin. drew blood and had a nice black and blue for awhile around the sternum. a little to the left and might have hit the heart. Whew!
Haha, About 5 years old, I dropped my metal, friction motor 1960? Toy Cadillac. It was on the top shelf of all my toy cars. Fin first landed on my toe. Broken nail, blood and bruise still remember it well when I see this era of Caddies!
I totally agree on why no 59 Impala, or El Camino for that matter!!
Love tail fins! At the start of the Detroit Fin Era, the late 40s Cadillacs were tastefully nice looking. To add to that the 51 Mercury. It has a similar flowing shape. Before all the excess of late 50s early 60s. Which are all beautiful in the I’m shocked 😲 but can’t look away!!!
Same here. Subtle twin fins that create a perfect wedge profile.
59 Invicta is pretty saucy
Mopar during the 50s and 60s were the epitome of fins and knew how to do them best!
Love the fins on the Volvo P1800, along with its many other design pluses. I bought a 1970 P1800 about thirty years ago, sold it to a guy in San Diego in 2010, he flipped it within two weeks, selling it to a guy in Ohio. A year ago (‘24) the family of the Ohio owner called me to see if I wanted to buy the car back. (The owner had passed away; the family found my name and phone number on his work bench). I ended up buying ‘my’ P1800 back and had it shipped to CA. It’s sitting in my garage today! My personalized plate on the car is: BMRRANG
I have a Red with Black interior 1964 P1800 back in 1975, I sold it to a friend of mine in 1977 and used the proceeds to buy a 1972 P1800ES Green with Tan interior. I never really thought about either one having tailfins until now.
Rick, you are fortunate that your P1800 found its way back to you.
The 55 and 56 like the 56 Chrysler 300B pictured hardly qualified as a real fin. But when that 57 Chevy came out it was a real attention grabber. While I liked the more conservative look of the 55 and 56’s the one I would add to my collection given a choice is a nice 57. By the way hated the 58 and 59 Chevy rear end look.
Agree! The ’57 was a beautiful car, the fins making the biggest impact. No doubt what year it was when you saw it.
The 59 Chev El Camino does “it” for me. That tailgate is a miracle.
Nail-on-head with the Forward Look line-up. For my dollar, the ’59 Plymouth models get the nod with their long, smooth, slightly outward-canted fins. Gorgeous cars.
The ’57 hard top convertible was the dream car for those of us who came of age in the 50’s and 60’s. I did have a ’56 Bel Air hard top convertible equipped from the factory; 256 Cu.” V-8 stick shift with dual 4 barrel carburetors and a 456:1 rear end. It was quick out of the hole and great for street drag racing. I only found out recently how rare that car is given the fact it came from the factory as a stock model car.
Hardtop convertible? Can you say oxymoron?
I wondered about that (hardtop convertible) too. Then I read that the early hardtops (absent of a B pillar) were built on the convertible’s frame.
Mystery solved.
I’ve been trying to ID a car I saw in photos online that just captivated me. After looking up “1959 pontiac” out of curiosity from your comment, that was it. Thanks!
The 59 Impala fins. Lying horizontal a lot of folks liked them because they were unique. 1960 the Chev fins were starting to go away,, by ’61 gone completely from Chevrolet.
Automobile tailfins weren’t with us but a few years BUT for their brief visit they made a BOLD statement,, the “SPACE AGE” was here!!
How about the 59 and 60 Impala?
Ditto on the 59 Chevy
My dad bought me a 1959 Dodge Coronet, two-tone Pepto-Bismol pink to drive in high school in the late 1960s. I can’t say I loved that car. It was like driving the Queen Mary and a horror to parallel park, but it was certainly eye-catching. (I had my eye on an Austin Healey.) It rivaled the Caddy above for tail fins. I would have chosen this Volvo of the ones mentioned, though the fact one of the ministers at my church at the time (who must have been AT LEAST 70 ;D) had a black one that had us scratching our heads!
Growing up, my parents had a “Christine” (’58 Chrysler Winsor), later I had a ’65 Tiger, Fins were still hot.
How can you not include 57-8-9 Mopar cars! Desoto, Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth! Plus 57-8 Buick plus others . More cars & pictures should have been included!
My mother had a ’57 Desoto Firesweep 2-door hardtop – black over white/black interior. Fins were in, for sure! They started just behind the door handles and soared in a straight line to about half the height of the roofline.
Plus it had three stacked round taillights on each side that (especially at night) gave the illusion of the afterburners being lit on that big ol’ spaceship of a car. Oval fake exhaust ports similar to T-Birds gaped out below the taillamps. This was way before the Barris version on the TV show, but I called it the Batmobile.
After reading MPH302’s comment below, I’m gonna correct my post to say that Mom’s car was probably a Fireflight, not a Firesweep, ’cause it was definitely a full-size car!
Agreed. We had the same car in gold and white. Great looking vehicle, terrible car.
I was working for a dealer in Ft Worth. Remember top of the line “Adventurer”? Whoooweee!
Lots of power, terrible car x 2. And the list left out the ’58 Plymouth tailfins. An even worse P.O.S. (My Dad bought one for an “airport car”, and my younger brother wrecked it one night driving too fast on a curvey road).
All good choices but Brandan Gillogly wins for the Futurama reference.
62 Imperial Crown convertible. Fins plus chrome gunsight bullet lamps. Ethel Merman said it best in the car chase in “It’s a Mad Mad Mad World” – How come if we’re in the Imperial, we’re last????
I agree [since I have one!] With the Buck Rogers taillights on top and bulbous headlights, that year Imperial is the most outrageous AND the most luxurious of its class.
Bingo!
I was also dismayed to see the early 60’s Imperials didn’t make the cut. The Ghia Crown Imperials were (to me) among the most elegant cars ever built.
I’m not sure how the amazing Bugatti Bolide should have escaped mention, except that, if not for their illuminated trailing edges, are almost lost in the confluence of sharp leading and trailing edges everywhere.
Likewise, the Cadillac GTP/Hypercar’s tail lights; a beautifully-extended extrapolation of the distinctive vertical lamps from their ’89 DeVille.
The iconic ’59 Cadillac is the recognized epitome (allowing it to meet the qualifications of a high-profile vehicle), so how should the dual piggybacked ’59’s of the Gigahorse from Fury Road be classified?
I always thought the ’48-’56 Cadillac’s bulbous tail lights almost appeared as though they were marker beacons, perched on their distinctive protuberances, to warn anyone encroaching upon its perimeter, but definite predecessors to the full expression of tailfins.
The understated, minimalist fins of the ’61-’68 M-B W110 could be mentioned, also, since it had no other styling feature that emulated aerospace styling, so to me, they were merely forced, conciliatory afterthoughts, in a reluctant attempt to be a participant, and placate market perceptions.
How could you not mention the gullwing 59 and 60 Chevys? Are wings also (horiznttal) fins when applied to a car? No altitude, but lotsa longitude–and they added lift to the rear end above 85 or so (ask me how I learned that?)
Besides appearance, what amazed me was the stamping process that produced those wings/fins–that was deep drawing steel, as I believe they were stamped in one piece.
Agree completely about 59 & 60 Chevys. Owned a 59 out of high school and have a 60 in my garage today!
Oregon, 1975. Approaching chicken road runway in 1960 Chevy.
Tower, request clearance for takeoff.
Love the 60s…but my pick is the somewhat copycat 1960 Ford Fairlane/Galaxie/Sunliner/Starliner full size cars! Give me the Starliner with the 360 HP 352 engine!
The 1961 Ford Galaxie Starliner fins are my favorite. I am also a little prejudice in that opinion since the one I own now has been owned by my dad and now me since 1970.
I’m kinda guessing this question was inspired by the Harvey Earl ( Firebird I ) Daytona trophy and maybe the recently featured Jag D- type works car. Best fin? The lesser of all evils on a production car. I’d unbolt the ones Studebaker tacked on to the Hawk. So I’ve got to go with the shark fins used in F-1, IMSA, etc. At least they really do have a purpose.
Agreed; besides the two primary appendage types observed in nature of either: purely functional, to enhance high-speed aerodynamic stability, or, aesthetically decorative, to enhance a driver’s fragile ego, the 3 GM Firebird concepts, as well as several Batmobile iterations, bring to mind several sub-species specializations:
Singular-dorsal: nominally positioned on the central or long axis (also allows for redundant multiple-dorsal mutations).
Singular-offset: following unilaterally behind the vehicle operator’s likewise offset position.
Dual: positioned symmetrically on the trailing edges of the rear fenders (tracing inspiration from the highly-successful twin-boom Lockheed P-38).
Multiple (any quantity exceeding dual, following symmetrical guidelines or not): appearing anywhere, according to the designer’s whim (a disadvantageous specialization generally resulting in the extinction of the sub-species, epitomized by the Firebird III, combining all of the above mutations).
Paul, I must respectfully disagree about the Hawks. I know the original ’53 Studebaker is revered for its timeless design, and rightfully so, but to this kid who saw his first Hawk from the back seat of his parents’ Ford Galaxie sedan in the late ’60s, it was love at first sight. To this day, the fins of the ’57-61 Hawks perfectly balance the car in my eyes. I would also suggest the fins-on-fins of the ’58 Packards, but I’d lose all credibility.
it”s ok. Studes never get credit for greatness, but i love’em!
’59 Cadillac is peak fin style but that Alfa Romeo BAT series of cars might be peak finnage. It’s all the fins!
The 59 Cadillac had the biggest most attention getting fins, no doubt about that. However, that doesn’t make them the best designed, functional or top aesthetically attractive fins. To me they look like a stuck on afterthought. I think they are ugly and that disqualifies them completely from my list of beautiful designs. I like most of Chrysler’s 50s and 60s designs. They seemed to be integral to the overall car design. A bit over the top , however, still passable. As for foreign, I agree the Volvo P1800 is a winner. They flow subtly following the lines of the car without jumping out at you waving its arms and shouting “look at me!”.
57-58 Chrysler, with 57-58 DeSoto Firedome and Fireflight coming a close second.
Agree. All these are good choices, but the Mopars, especially the DeSotos , are my choice for #1.
Virgil Exners awesome limited edition high performance 1957-58 DeSoto “Golden” Adventurers had smooth flowing fins and stacked triple tail lights. They had “gold” turbine wheel covers and only came in white/gold or black/ gold paint with gold lame interiors. They were stunning looking Detroit Iron Mopars powered by a 345 CID dual quad Hemi.
With their impressive good looks and powerful Hemi engines the 1957-58 DeSoto Adventurers ruled the streets and roads across the country.
59 Plymouth changed the angle of the Mopar fin slightly…..
Had a “57 300 C.
Awesome car. Terrified my friend chasing him in his TR 3 on Mt Tamalpais. That aggressive grill in his rear mirror really freaked him out.
Was actually a bit embarrassed by the size of the fins at the time but looking back, they were great!
1957 Lincoln
Yes! If only they were more bold and made the fins like the ’55 Futura concept car!! I have a ’57 myself and that is what I am going to do. I am also putting ’57 Ford fins onto a ’56 Victoria.
57 LINCOLN BEST CAR WE HAD NICE FIN TOO
The ’59 Caddy is the one for me. I’ve always loved those massive fins. To go along with the massive car.
My parents knew a doctor who didn’t think his ’59 Caddy was ostentatious enough–so he added a THIRD fin smack in the middle of the trunk lid. He would have his answering service send fake “emergency” calls, so he would appear to be in demand, ready at a moment’s notice to rush in and save a life. Truth was, he specialized in unnecessary procedures and inappropriate prescriptions. He even wrote his own obit, in which he claimed to have been a heroic cross between A.J. Foyt and Edmund Hilary.
62. El Dorado.
Where’s my Dad’s ’59 Fury? As a kid, I used to poke my eye out every time I walked into the garage.
A bit obscure, but the 1961 Chrysler wagons had a sweeping fin that started in the front door. Over 10 feet of fin, ending with simple taillights to mark the end of the Exner Excess Era. And hardtop wagons were just so cool.
I can’t believe this is the first mention of the 61 or 60 Chrysler fins. The canted fins with the boomarang tailights was the best. Top that off with the crossram 413 of my 1960 F and youv’ve nailed it!
1959 Imperial…great fins and a fake spare tire thingy embossed onto the trunk. What’s not to love?
My Grandfather had one of those when I was 8-10 years old, quite the fins and the embossed tire added to the striking appearance!