FINS: FORM WITHOUT FUNCTION

When thinking about the 1950s, images of poodle skirts, leather jackets, sock hops and soda shops usually come to mind. It’s also an era in which the cars had spectacular tailfins—inspired by a post World War II fascination with the jet age. The Petersen Automotive Museum’s newest exhibit, “Fins: Form Without Function”, examines fins and cars, a design intended to resemble a contemporary jet fighter or space rocket’s tailfin and engine sections. The exhibit, which will run through Feb. 2, 2014 will feature more than a dozen vehicles ranging from icons like the 1959 Cadillac to the 1937 Delage Aerosport.

“Fins have an interesting history in that everyone knows about them, but no one is quite sure of the specifics,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Curator, Leslie Kendall. “The tailfin design, which is widely credited to General Motor’s design chief Harley Earl, is most frequently associated with the 1950s, though early designs began showing up as early as the late 1930s and early 1940s. While the design had no real function aside from aesthetics, tailfins were well received in the United States and their popularity expanded worldwide.”