Media | Articles
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
Marketplace
Buy and sell classics with confidence
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
I can’t believe you left off the Forward look ‘57-60 Chryslers. Nobody did fins better. Lower longer and better looking than the Tri five Chevies in my opinion. My dad was always a Mopar man and he had a ‘57 Desoto convertible followed by a ‘60 Chrysler. Beautiful cars.
1959 Cadillac, fin the best.
Glad you got the 1959 Caddy, my first pick. I was surprised to find cars I have never heard of or seen. I also really liked the 1957 Plymouth Fury. Chrysler Corp. did some great fins back in the ’50’s.
I agree on the 55 chevy. But the 61-63 T-birds are also fantastic. In your selections I also saw the Volvo P1800 which I always thought were a beautiful car. They also have the record for the most miles on a car at over 3 million MILES not kilometres.
1958 Packard (Packard-Studebaker) Golden Hawk
S/P had some of the best fins in the marketplace. The 1956 Golden Hawk had a very stylish minimalist fin. The rest of the Hawks had neat and flowing full fins and some of the 1958 Packards had those really outstanding double fins. Industry leading design.
The notable GM designer Dave Holls, who passed in 2000, and I agree that his most elegant fins were those he sculpted for the 1960 Cadillac, precisely why I purchased, restored, and still cherish the series 62 convertible edition of that car.
I agree: There were many finned Beauties. But the 1960 Cadillac is one of the most beautiful GM cars ever produced. And it is more elegant than the overstyled 59. I am born in 1960.
1959 Cadillac is my choice for best fins.
1960 Buick : elegant and understated yet evocative of the fin era
1959 Chevrolet The ENTIRE trunk lid consisted of trunk-space invading tail fins. Yikes!
You had to be careful you didn’t hurt yourself washing those things.
1959 Buick. Loved those fins- loved enough to have owned three.
1959 Buick convertible, best looking car I ever had.
Agreed, 59 Buick best fins coming and going…
Who can ever talk fin without a nod to the double fin on the 1958 Packard? What it lacks in grace, in makes up for in excess. https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_7766.jpg
Also. The 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk revealed a subtle fin with a cut-off as it blended into the door. A favorite of mine!
Anybody remember J C Whitney offered fiberglass fins to “up-date” your ’53-’54 Starlight and Starliner?
Although not as pronounced and sharp edged as the late 50’s into early 60s of most GM ,Chrysler and Ford models , the early 50s Henry J intriqued me .The rounded swept back , fastback style of the rear window trunk area that was boxed in by more rounded off sweeping fins and moulded in tailights spoke of early soft aerodynamics especially when these cars were made into drag cars or these days restomods with those smooth curves. Mellow sexy i would call it
I still cannot believe it that the genious design of the Henry J is not known enough. One of the best American designs ever!
I agree with that: my father owned two- first a rusty red colored one and than a shiny black one with white walls: a small caddy…I slept as a toddler on the rear window sill while my brother and sisters sat in the rear seat with my parents up front: it pulled 6 people around but going up a mountain we had to get out because the engine was underpowered…it was the first car I drove sitting in the lap of my mother and still remember that white steering wheel in front
My ’58 Cad will out fin most of these…
I have to take umbrage with some of your choices as “fins”. The most egregious offender is the 89 Deville. A fin should rise above the belt line at minimum and the 89 is actually the opposite.What it really has are fish tails. Remove and replace with the 57Bird you left off. The same logic applies to the 55Chevy, do the right thing and replace with the 57. The 56 300b while technically fins are too subtle from the side view and should be replaced by the 57 300C, also a very striking design with real fins. The Alfa certainly qualifies but was only a concept 1 off for each design. How about the 57 Imperial with the gunsight taillights?