I Miss Cars with Fins

Is it just me, or are all cars starting to look alike? What ever happened to automobiles with style and personality? Where did they go?

I suppose if I were an auto manufacturer, I, too, would want to play it safe. Go for an efficient design that is going to sell to the greatest number of people. If you get all quirky, you limit your customer base.

And then there’s also aerodynamics. Fins weren’t particularly practical. Neither were cars that were blocky and appeared to be two miles long. But damn, they were cool.

I used to be able to tell a car’s make and model from a quarter mile away. But as we lost our fascination with the jet age, which inspired fins in the first place, those very fins faded into obscurity. Detroit had de-finned itself by 1966.

Now cars are becoming generic. No wonder tattoos have made such a comeback. You certainly can’t express much of your personality with the average automobile these days.

What we’ve gained in fuel efficiency, we’ve lost in panache. How sad.

[Image credit: plan59.com]
[Image credit: plan59.com]

Author: The View from a Drawbridge

I have been a bridgetender since 2001, and gives me plenty of time to think and observe the world.

12 thoughts on “I Miss Cars with Fins”

  1. I completely agree! I think it was in the mid to late 90s when I realized more and more cars were looking alike. I kept thinking, why would anyone pay tens of thousand of dollars for a Mercedes that looks like a Toyota? These days there are few cars that I know for certain what they are at a quick glance. Cars used to say so much more about personality. At least the PT Cruiser, Mini Cooper, and Beetle still stick out.

    Reply

  2. Maybe Teal…..
    by Elaine
    Where have all the purple cars gone?
    I thought as i looked down the row..
    Once bright blues, cheery reds,
    grass green and sunny yellows
    crowded the parking lots.
    Now people lose their cars,
    wandering here and there,
    pointing the car fob at random,
    hoping to see the lights
    of their personal limo.
    Black, silver, grey and pearl
    rank on rank of similar shades
    muted, somber and sedate.
    Some wear a symbol saying
    “Luxury here..be impressed”
    opulence on wheels.
    Others aged and well used,
    unkempt or well maintained,
    necessity on worn tires.
    Driving no longer the joy
    as seen in movies of the road;
    emissions, gas prices,gridlock
    all reasons to see the world
    from the sofa at home.
    Finally I locate my gray car
    and click open the door.
    Perhaps my next car………
    (c) 2010
    PS I jsut bought a green car 🙂

    Reply

      1. Oh I wrote poetry for a long time.. haven’t lately.. don’t have time 🙂
        Thanks for reading ..

Leave a Reply