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Automotive Brightwork on American Cars
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return to this page.FINS
I like to refer to the United States in the 1950s as Finland.
Fins reached their zenith on the 1959
Cadillacs. This Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz Convertible was the ultimate
space-age car of the 1950s with the highest tail fins ever put on an
American production car. Only 1320 of these vehicles, which originally
sold for $7401, were produced. Postwar auto styling often
combined two popular themes—aviation and sex. ...sex as one of
the most important “hidden persuaders” designed into autos. Keats
claimed that stylists consciously and deliberately designed into cars
sexual symbols, like penile hood ornaments, bosom-like bumper bullets,
and vaginal grilles.
(http://www.autolife.umd.umich.edu/Design/Gartman/D_Overview/D_Overview3.htm)
'59
Cadillac
'60 Cadillac
Cadillac
1950 Mercury
1957 Chevy with continental kit.
1957 Chevy Nomad
1964 Chevrolet Corvette
1955 Chevy aftermarket tail light lenses. Remember the "blue dot?"
Our 1956 Chevy 210 Delray
1956 Chevy Belair
Fremont St. Experience, Las Vegas, NV, 5/19/2006
1955 Buick
1959 Chevy convertible with continental kit.
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
1960 Chevy
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
1959 DeSoto
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
Imperial
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
1959 Cadillac
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
1957 Chevy Cameo Pickup
Chevy, 1951-2
Prior to the emphasis in the '50s on tail fins, some even more beautiful brightwork could be found on
Radiator Caps and Hood Ornaments
Model A Fords, Fremont St. Experience, Las Vegas, NV, 5/19/2006
Model A Fords, Fremont St. Experience, Las Vegas, NV, 5/19/2006
Pontiac with obvious influence of early 1950s jet airplanes.
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
Ford greyhound
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
Oldsmobile
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
Pontiac
Hot August Nights, 7/31/06, Reno, NV
1951 Studebaker, made in South Bend, Indiana
Hot August Nights, 8/2/06, Reno, NV
Stutz
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
Chief Pontiac
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/3/06, Reno, NV
Chief Pontiac
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/4/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/4/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/4/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/5/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/6/06, Reno, NV
Hot August Nights Auction, 8/6/06, Reno, NV
Some think taking the hood ornament (and bumper) off is best as on this 1937 Ford.
Another category of Automotive Brightwork is
Automotive Script
1957 Chevy Cameo Pickup
Chevy Malbu
Thanks for hanging in through all these photos.
Yours Truly at the Fremont St. Experience Car Show.
Carl "Not the Brightest Chrome at the Car Show" Morrison
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