XKR Stirling Moss
#24
#25
Attachment 63374
Had to post one more pic. He is the coolest and the jag doesn't hurt! Why don't our actors today look this cool?? I could see Daniel Craig in this pic!
Had to post one more pic. He is the coolest and the jag doesn't hurt! Why don't our actors today look this cool?? I could see Daniel Craig in this pic!
I remember when she took us all for a ride in one like this.
For a little country boy, it was like getting a ride in a space ship.
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SVR 575 (03-04-2023)
#28
#31
#32
I think that I read somewhere that the fins were an outgrowth of the beginning of the jet plane era. It wasn't until there were jet planes that they had those swept back wings like the fins on the cars were imitating.
In fact, the first time that I saw an XKE, there was a certain aircraft looking design about it. Perhaps a bit more tasteful than the wings on the American cars however.
OK, after I posted that, I went and did a search and found this.
http://autos.aol.com/article/tail-fins/
Thirty vintage rides with eye-catching fins were on display, including a 1956 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, '57 Chevrolet Bel Air, '60 Desoto Fireflite, '60 Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible, '58 Ford Thunderbird, '58 Packard Hawk, '58 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, '57 Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible and a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
And I'm here to tell you, some of these fins were so high and long and "wing-like" that that it appeared they could help launch the cars into the clouds. And that seems as good a place as any to start with my below list -- let's call it "Six Interesting Things About Tail Fins That You Might Not Know."
1) Inspired by the Jet Age
Getting back to the notion that these tail fins, in many cases, looked like they could help the vehicles go airborne:
"The first tail fins, and the ones that followed for several years, were a response to America's post-war fascination with the jet age," said Jeff Leestma, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame. "At that point, air travel had evolved from using propellers to jet engines, and everyone was fascinated with this new jet age. And the stylists at the car companies, particularly at General Motors and Chrysler, really embraced that sensibility in terms of their designs."
Last edited by Kevin D; 11-21-2013 at 04:50 PM. Reason: more info
#33
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#34
giandanielxk8,
Before you criticize all American Car designs, just think of some of the brilliantly sculpted bodies of such cars as a 1963 Corvette, or a 1968 GTO, or even a 2013 CTS coupe. There have been many memorable designs, and by the way, the Europeans put fins on their cars of the same era as well. They might not have been as big and gaudy, but their cars were certainly as ugly or uglier.
Before you criticize all American Car designs, just think of some of the brilliantly sculpted bodies of such cars as a 1963 Corvette, or a 1968 GTO, or even a 2013 CTS coupe. There have been many memorable designs, and by the way, the Europeans put fins on their cars of the same era as well. They might not have been as big and gaudy, but their cars were certainly as ugly or uglier.
#35
I think that I read somewhere that the fins were an outgrowth of the beginning of the jet plane era. It wasn't until there were jet planes that they had those swept back wings like the fins on the cars were imitating.
In fact, the first time that I saw an XKE, there was a certain aircraft looking design about it. Perhaps a bit more tasteful than the wings on the American cars however.
OK, after I posted that, I went and did a search and found this.
Tail Fins: Six Things You Didn't Know About The Iconic Automotive Shape
Thirty vintage rides with eye-catching fins were on display, including a 1956 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, '57 Chevrolet Bel Air, '60 Desoto Fireflite, '60 Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible, '58 Ford Thunderbird, '58 Packard Hawk, '58 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, '57 Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible and a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
And I'm here to tell you, some of these fins were so high and long and "wing-like" that that it appeared they could help launch the cars into the clouds. And that seems as good a place as any to start with my below list -- let's call it "Six Interesting Things About Tail Fins That You Might Not Know."
1) Inspired by the Jet Age
Getting back to the notion that these tail fins, in many cases, looked like they could help the vehicles go airborne:
"The first tail fins, and the ones that followed for several years, were a response to America's post-war fascination with the jet age," said Jeff Leestma, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame. "At that point, air travel had evolved from using propellers to jet engines, and everyone was fascinated with this new jet age. And the stylists at the car companies, particularly at General Motors and Chrysler, really embraced that sensibility in terms of their designs."
In fact, the first time that I saw an XKE, there was a certain aircraft looking design about it. Perhaps a bit more tasteful than the wings on the American cars however.
OK, after I posted that, I went and did a search and found this.
Tail Fins: Six Things You Didn't Know About The Iconic Automotive Shape
Thirty vintage rides with eye-catching fins were on display, including a 1956 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, '57 Chevrolet Bel Air, '60 Desoto Fireflite, '60 Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible, '58 Ford Thunderbird, '58 Packard Hawk, '58 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, '57 Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible and a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
And I'm here to tell you, some of these fins were so high and long and "wing-like" that that it appeared they could help launch the cars into the clouds. And that seems as good a place as any to start with my below list -- let's call it "Six Interesting Things About Tail Fins That You Might Not Know."
1) Inspired by the Jet Age
Getting back to the notion that these tail fins, in many cases, looked like they could help the vehicles go airborne:
"The first tail fins, and the ones that followed for several years, were a response to America's post-war fascination with the jet age," said Jeff Leestma, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame. "At that point, air travel had evolved from using propellers to jet engines, and everyone was fascinated with this new jet age. And the stylists at the car companies, particularly at General Motors and Chrysler, really embraced that sensibility in terms of their designs."
#40
Doug
Last edited by SeismicGuy; 11-22-2013 at 12:16 PM.