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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
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 believe the ‘38 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 had the first Caddy tail fins, albeit incorporated into the rear fender mounted tail light housings. Check it out!
I don’t know if this qualifies as a fin car, but I love 59 Chevys where the “fins” are almost horizontal.
I can’t believe that you didn’t have a single Studebaker Silver Hawk, or Golden Hawk in there.
The best, the 1957 Golden Hawk, less than 4300 made.
I have one and a 1957 Silver Hawk.
Your average person has never seen a Studebaker, let alone these. People tell me that all the time.
My favorite was my 56 Imperial Crown. The taillights were on top of the fins and had a small red lense you could see in the rear view mirror so you could tell the lights we’re working. Also the right film opened for the gas cap.
Don’t forget the 1956 Plymouth!
Now that we covered all the great fins of the late fifties, I want to nominate the worst….I say ’58 Oldsmobile with ’59 Ford as a runner-up!
Being in the process of buying a 56 Imperial, I have to go with the Chrysler 300. Truely the best looking cars ever.
1959 Dodge Coronet. Not as obtrusive as the ’59 Cad.
For my fin choices, in order of my possession:
‘59 Plymouth Fury. It had been totaled and put back together…badly! But the fins survived, proudly!
‘57 Chevy Bel Aire. Loved that car. Only sold it because my Air Force recruiter said Airmen couldn’t have cars on base. Tried to buy it back when I got to my first base and everyone had cars…lying schmuck!
‘59 Oldsmobile 88. The fins sat kinda low, but the oval taillights on top of the fin brought it up to a proper height. With a Rocket V8 engine and power steering, it was the best car for long-distance traveling ever!
Google Ferrari 410 Superfast.
My first year 1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer in metallic gold had thoes beautiful spaceage fins, rocket inspired taillights, push button transmission, satellite bubble clock, sparkle resin steering wheel, pivoting two toned sparkle seats when doors opened, and classic chrome cow grate front grill. Felt like a rocket ship inside. The Mopars had the styling back then!
I’m going with those early 50s Caddys like the one pictured. They represent Earl’s sketched original idea after viewing the P-38 aircraft tail. These were the GM fin concept in it’s original form. And they are beautiful automobiles. By 1959 they were just silly. Styling should be an all around concept with each component complementing the rest. All anyone ever comments on a ’59 Caddy are the fins.
1958 Packard 2 door hardtop J8. Dual fins and cathedral taillights.
I am partial to the 1956 Ford fins. The fox ears held the backup lights and the large round bullseye taillights were just beautiful. I loved how the fins were incorporated into the quarter panels and were curved into the trunk lid. A rocket that was modest in its styling, but had a commanding presence. The front end of the car also had beautiful eclipse turn signals and the eyebrow hoods over the headlamps were graceful. The proportions of the car were tasteful. I was almost born in the front seat of my parent’s ’56 Ford Customline Fordor that was in our family for 32 years. Still miss that car! Diamond blue with a Colonial white top and a two tone blue interior.
Aside from all that, I also love the wildly creative designs Virgil Exner came up with over at Chrysler. Those fins he came up with were awesome throughout the whole company lineup. The torsion suspension was terrific and gave superb handling characteristics for big cars. I currently have a ’65 Imperial LeBaron that was restyled by Elwood Engel in ’64, but still was based off Virgil’s ’57 Imperial. That suspension is marvelous. I can take curves in that car without so much as a minor complaint from the tires.
My neighbor owned a 60 Buick. She was 1960s glamorous, her daughter – even as a kindergartener – was gorgeous. Their car with it’s sweeping lines and supersonic fins was spectacular. I don’t recall ever saying ‘no’ to a drive to school with them. Even as a schoolboy, riding with them was living the dream