The tailfin era of automobile styling defined the 1950s and early 1960s, peaking between 1955 and 1961, and became a global trend originating from American design. While General Motors' design chief Harley Earl is often credited, Franklin Quick Hershey is recognized as the actual designer who introduced small fins on the 1948 Cadillac, drawing inspiration from the P-38 fighter plane's twin rudders.
The style soared in popularity with Chrysler designer Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" and escalated as manufacturers embraced the public's fascination with the Space Race, leading to fins increasingly resembling jet aircraft and rockets. However, the most extreme and often-exaggerated designs, epitomized by the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, eventually faced public weariness and increased manufacturing costs, leading to their decline throughout the early 1960s, though some brands offered functional justifications.