Hello List,
This discussion of fins possibly reappearing on future new models is too
interesting for me not to jump in with a couple of things that might be
of interest.
Several years ago I recall reading a statement made by a Japanese
designer at Mazda. When asked what kind of project he would most like to
work on if given a choice, he relied a modern tailfin car.
Here in northeastern Oklahoma, famed customizer Dale Starbird has a
museum. One of his creations is a Mark VIII Continential with big fins
that curve slightly outward. The front was entirely redone and strongly
reminds me of the mid-1950s Dart showcar from Chrysler that was later
turned into the convertible Diablo. I have photos of the Starbird
creation and will e-mail them to Dave Stragand so he can post them on
the club site if he thinks they're of interest. My opinion is the car is
surprisingly successful and proves that fins could be incorporated into
aero designs.
On the down side, during a visit to the Chrysler Tech Center with the
WPC in 1996, a Chrysler engineer commented that manufacturing cars with
fins today is too impractical. I never understood his reasoning. Since
Chrysler did such a good job with the Chronos of revisiting early
Exner/Ghia showcars, maybe the next homage will be to the Forward Look.
We can dream.
Bruce in Tulsa
1960 DeSoto Fireflite
1967 Imperial Crown Coupe
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