Cars from the 1950s

Even after more than half a century cars from the 1950s continue to capture the popular imagination. We see these vehicles in movies made or set during the 1950s and they continue to inspire us.

The United States was the biggest producers of cars on planet during this period, particularly around Detroit, Michigan. Michigan was the home to General Motors, which was not only a mighty car manufacturer, but also the biggest industrial company in the world.

So what is it about cars made between the years 1950 to 1959 that continues to enthral us? The answer is plain and simple, it is about looks. Cars manufactured in the 1950s look big and brash, and the vehicles manufactured in the United States during that period even more so.

The leader of the free world had the strongest economy on the planet and that was reflected in its cars.  The demand for cars had eased because of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the years of war during the 40s. But that was all to change with the affluence of the 50s as the demand for cars stateside rocketed.
 
Cars from the 1950s boasted chrome, lots of it, and the vehicles’ designers were influenced by the air and train industries, which explains some of the fantastic car bodies during the decade, complete with wings, tailfins and after-burner tail lights, and covered in three-tone paint.

The revolution is car styles actually occurred before the 1950s with the launch of the Studebaker in 1947. But it was to prove to be the template for the rest of American car makers during the next decade.

As cars became bigger and brasher, the demand for smaller vehicles hit the doldrums as the likes of Kaiser and Willys went to the wall. The 1950s was also a great time to buy cars. More and more cars in the United States were bought on credit and competition forced prices down.

Competition also spurred the manufacturers to come up with new innovations such as automatic transmission, automatic dimming headlights, power steering, fuel injection and retractable hardtops in convertible models.

Marketing during the 1950s also helped boost the popularity of cars. The launch of a new model became a major event. And each new launch demanded innovations in both style and mechanics.
 
From this period came the cars that are revered to this this day. These automotive works of art include the Buick Roadmaster, the Pontiac Chiefton, and the Ford Thunderbird, names of cars from the 1950s which remain burned into the public imagination.

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