This site is part of the Automobiles of the 1950s
Would you have believed that once the 1950s started, cars, which were by and large driven by low-compression sixes that needed tetraethyl lead for upper cylinder head lubrication, unless you used a light machine oil, and which looked more like ladder-frame bodies with fenders and quarter panels hung off them, would have ended the way it did?
At the end of the 1950s, you had vehicles such as the Chevrolet Bel Air that used a small-block V-8 that was available and the Caddy was the “King of the Road,” as they say, because it sported a big-block V-8 that cranked out a whopping 300 horsepower. For fans of American classic cars, these fifties autos typified the wonderful era.
Chevrolet Corvette
The big changes came when Chevrolet unveiled the ‘Vette in 1953 and clay mockups of later cars such as the T-Bird were circulating in the design studios of The Motor City. The 55/56 Thunderbird turned out to be one of the more thrilling automobiles of the 50s and while it wasn’t the greatest car on earth (a Ford Custom 6 chassis), it still looked good and yes it was just what the marketing departments had ordered. Without a doubt, it answered the call by many buyers for two-seaters, in addition to family roadsters. The need for the two-seat was established by the amount of vets who came back from Europe with visions of coupes dancing in their hearts.
The ‘Vette and the Thunderbird, though, led to a different need and that was a call for speed. Not only did folks want vehicles that looked as if they were fresh and modern but additionally they wanted automobiles that could perform. Few individuals probably understand that while the very first modern V8 powerplant was the 1932 Ford V8, the well known Chrysler hemi (hemispherical combustion chamber) debuted in 1951 and remained in the lineup until ’58. It was the engine of the famed 300M of the time. In actual fact, Chrysler and Dodge were hot competitors for Ford and General Motors and they did hold their own.
Initially, in the fifties, the motor industry was playing catch-up, the latter half, they were designing cars that people seemed to want. Features were transforming as quad front lights made their debut on the 1957/8 Cadillac and large fins, similar to the rudders and tails of the jet planes that were a modern marvel, thus you had the 1958/9 Caddy with its large fins. Chevy tried with a single fin and later on in the 50s turned the fin horizontal for the introduction of the ’59s, but by 1960, the fin had started shrinking, it was about extinct – that is the huge fin – smaller fins continued to make their appearances through the sixties and there were a couple that appeared in the 70s.
The Late Fifties
Maybe the biggest change of course in design, and with it a fresh school of designers, was shown by the ’58 Chevrolet Bel Air. The quad headlights were apparent as was the small-block 289, and they were the minor changes. The key modifications came in the lines where the tail became a smooth deck with taillights that weren’t just an add-on. Yes, Chevrolet did a fantastic job creating 1956 BelAir/Nomad however the 1958 highlighted how things were starting to change – smooth lines, quad headlights and rounded fenders and rear quaters.
Talk about an era of changes: from a under-powered six that turned into a monster 8 and from autos where things were just hung on by committee to designs that were real, the 1950s was an amazing decade.
