| Long and sleek! With Elvis as the hero of the day | | | | became aggressive in their creativity. By 1957 and |
| during the 1950s, whatever he drove become the | | | | 1958 the designers produced disastrously |
| car of the day. And Elvis loved the glamour that | | | | overblown responses. Sharp clean fins reached in |
| shiny new tail-fins exhibited. His fans loved them, | | | | all directions. They were streaked with chrome, |
| too, which led to over thirty heart-stopping | | | | and somewhere in the middle a body was grafted |
| models being designed during the 1950s. No one | | | | into them. Bright yellows! Passionate reds! Baby |
| cared back then whether cars were gas-guzzlers | | | | blues! And regardless of the weather where one |
| or whether the paint job would last, or whether | | | | lived, convertibles were in, even if you never |
| the shiny chrome that protruded out the back | | | | lowered the top. |
| begged to have dents inserted within the first | | | | The intense competition among the car |
| few weeks. | | | | manufacturers meant that each model became |
| The appeal of cars during the 1950s was more | | | | extinct quickly. Planned obsolescence meant the |
| than just Elvis. It was prestige and glamour for | | | | customers had to choose between buying a new |
| even the average working person. The feeling of | | | | car each year or being a social leper. Because of |
| luxury seeped into one's feelings and emotions, | | | | the expense of redesigning all models every year, |
| and romance bloomed with respect while riding in | | | | the manufacturers took to keeping the inner |
| these elegant vehicles. | | | | workings of the cars basically the same and only |
| The Chrysler Town & Country Newport | | | | changing the outward look. |
| coupe which came out in 1950 didn't have fins | | | | By 1958 some models,such as the 1958 |
| (they started creeping into the design around | | | | Oldsmobile, were beginning to be called 'ugly.' |
| 1952). Yet it wasn't the typical car of the 1940s. | | | | Some even said it looked like a brick with a |
| Almost a dinosaur compared to today's styles, | | | | hardtop sitting on it. However, the indented |
| the Newport featured distinctive, external wood | | | | chrome on the doors still caught one's eye of |
| framing (referred to as being a 'Woodie') and | | | | respect. |
| strongly appealed to the hunter and sportsmen. | | | | All systems self-destruct from within. The era of |
| Pontiac had a mascot - an Indian Chief- whose | | | | the glamour cars had outdone itself and common |
| unsmiling face formed the base of the front hood. | | | | sense dictated that what would follow in the |
| His headdress consisted of streaks of chrome | | | | 1960s would be based on performance, a concern |
| sliding back over the hood and being picked up | | | | for the environment, and conservative packaging. |
| again on the trunk. Sleek looking! Everyone | | | | During the 1960s people weren't impressed with |
| wanted a car with a personality, and the Indian | | | | external appearances to the exclusion of what |
| Chief gave the Pontiac one. | | | | existed underneath. This attitude was reflected |
| Because the cars of the early 1950s had a | | | | towards both people and cars. Yet, who will ever |
| somewhat dowdy appearance but reflected the | | | | forget Elvis? Or the glamour cars of the 1950s? |
| potential of sparkling glamour, car designers | | | | |