Zac's US Autos 1950

FINS AND CHROME

Long ago and far away, there was a carefree time in US history.It was the era of the malt shop, blue suede shoes, the drive-in movie, and pony-tails.It was a time when 'Rock and Roll' was really Rock and Roll, when a house in the suburbs and a two-car garage was the ultimate, and cost 15,000 dollars.It was a time when every-one was young, and Americans had a great love affair with the auto-mobile.

It was the Fabulous Fifties!In that decade, after a long dark period, America celebrated its youth, prosperity and vigor with an automobile.They were vivid, these cars. Never to be forgotten in their glowing colors and chrome. Never to be equaled in their speed and luxury.They were brilliantly innovative with automatic transmissions, torsion bars, powerful engines, power steering, power brakes, (the country was power mad) and air conditioning. What was more, they were fun to drive - even easy to drivel.lf anything symbolizes the cars of the 50s, it is the fin - the tailfin dripping with chrome. The cars were designed, many of them, to suggest a racy look.The best were long and sleek with sharp, clean lines.The worst were heavily chromed, garishly colored, and had huge fins.They were, however, memorable for their performance, for the real joy and pleasure they gave their owners.How many kids grew up polishing the family car, and dreaming of Saturday night at the drive-in ?How many hung around the local garage just to study what was under the hood ?How many hours were spent arguing whether a Chevy would outrun a Buick in a drag race ?

That was the love affair.The cars of the 50s: ask anyone who remembers them.These were the stuff of dreams, they’ll tell you.

 Ransom E. Olds

Oldsmobile was a brand of American auto-mobiles produced for most of its existence by General Motors.Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897.In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory.When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American auto-mobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Daimler, Peugeot and Tatra.