finned cars

[Alan Harper <alan__harper@xxxxxxxxx>]

>The Exner-era cars have a bad reputation, but it wasn't Virgil's designs that
>caused this it was the corporate big wigs at Chryslers. Virgil Exner was a
>meticulous designer. Today people mostly remember the decadent fins of the
>late fifties and equate them to Exner. The fin was only one of many design
>elements incorporated into these cars. All fins are not created equal,
>however. Exner actually tested models of his designs on a wind tunnel to get
>the most efficient aerodynamics. This is how he came to the conclusion that
>the canted fin was best. Unlike Exner, GM's designers tacked on inefficient
>straight up style fins on their cars. The casnted fin proved itself in wind
>tunnel test to have the best aerodynamics and ability to cheat the effect of
>cross winds. This is why Mopars have canted fins rather than straight up
>fins. The design that we know as "Forward Look" was originally slated for the
>1960 model year. As I mentioned before the big wigs wanted to push the
>production of these designs three years forward for 1957. While they did
>steal GM's crown, the rush of these cars into production meant poor quality
>control. This is the true reason why these cars rusted prematurely. The fin
>era ended as abrubtly as it started. While today nouveau folks think that
>winged cars are laughable. In the late 50's they pointed the way to a future
>that wouldn't arrive.
>
>                  Doug
>                  58 Crown coupe (Exner designed)

============

I always equated the finned car design to the public's attention to the new 
jet planes that were arriving on the scene.  The Canadian Avro Arrow CF-105 
was a very advanced plane in the late 50's.  I'm not all that familiar with 
the American ones, but that was the time when the sleek fighters first 
appeared with delta wings and various fins on them.

Even more attention-getting was the space program.  In 1957, I was 10 years 
old.  We didn't have a television yet, but I read the newspapers and 
listened to the radio.  Nothing, but NOTHING, was bigger news than those 
pesky Russians putting the first ship in orbit.  The space race was on and 
every launch was front page news, with pictures.  Those space ships all 
had, you guessed it, FINS!

That aerodynamic design, emphasizing speed and power with its fins caught 
the publics attention, big time, and that included car design.  The car 
companies built those fins on cars, because it sold cars.  Its what people 
wanted, at least for 3 or 4 years until the novelty wore off.

I remember reading a full page article in the Toronto newspaper, in 1957, 
which predicted that in 10 years, 1967, we would all be driving flying 
cars, and it had drawings of cars with fins and wings big enough for 
flight, flying all over the city.  Like Doug said, that future never arrived.

Anybody else notice that?

Alan Harper
64 Mercury 3/4 ton flatbed
69 Dodge D100 pickup
76 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
92 Ford T-Bird
alan__harper@xxxxxxxxx
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM