finned cars

["Greg and Russell" <65luxuryliner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi finned car entusiasts!

Although I don't currently own one I love the fins too.  I was just
wondering and thought I'd ask the fin experts which Imperials or other
Chrysler/Dodge/Pltymouth models had canted fins? When I think of canted, I
think of the headlights on the '62 Chryslers.  As for canted fins, I think
of the '59 Impala or the '60 Ford cars.  I will be eager to be enlightened!

Greg (no finned car yet but wishing for one)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan Harper" <alan__harper@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 21, 2002 3:31 AM
Subject: IML: finned cars


>
> >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
>
>
>