As part of MotorTrend’s 75th anniversary, we look back at some of history’s most significant cars. A complete list would fill a book, so for each decade we select five notable cars that helped shape automotive history.
Introduction to the 1950s
Today, the 1950s are seen as a golden age by many, a time of postwar prosperity, television, rock and roll, and McDonald’s. But Americans also faced the Cold War and its threat of nuclear annihilation, struggles for racial equality, and a young generation ready to rebel. The optimism of the time was reflected in the cars of the era, which emphasized size and style over technical innovations. Still, much was brewing under the hood as the foundations were laid for the horsepower race coming in the 1960s.
1956 Chevrolet Corvette
When Chevrolet’s two-seat Corvette made its debut in 1953, it was a curiosity: a fiberglass roadster body draped on sedan mechanicals and powered by a slightly souped-up Blue Flame six with a two-speed Powerglide automatic. The Corvette got an optional V-8 for 1955, but it wasn’t until 1956 that the two-seater really came into its own with a standard V-8 engine and a hot new body. For the first time, the Corvette looked and sounded like a serious sports car. Although sales were slow for ’56, they began a steep ascent in 1957 that never abated. Chevrolet continued to add performance options and racing wins, cementing the Corvette’s position as America’s sports car. Thus, it is no surprise MotorTrend readers chose it as the most iconic car of the past 75 years.
1957 Chevrolet
Building on the body style of the 1955–56 Chevys, which introduced Chevrolet’s legendary small-block V-8, the ’57 Chevys had hooded headlights and tall tail fins, plus safety upgrades like “crash proof door locks,” seat belts, and shoulder harnesses. Chevrolet dropped the wheel size from 15 to 14 inches in order to lower the car and introduced tubeless tires (an innovation that may have actually hurt sales, as buyers were wary of this new feature). Styling- and technology-wise, the Chevrolets were arguably inferior to their Chrysler competitors (see below), but in the intervening years the 1957 Chevrolet—particularly the two-door Nomad wagon and the top-of-the-line Bel Air—became famous creations from one of the 20th century’s most colorful decades.
1957 Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, and Plymouth
“Suddenly it’s 1960!” screamed the ads, and while the 1957 Chevrolet may be more closely associated with the era, it was the sleek 1957 Chrysler Corporation cars—longer, lower, and wider, with tail fins that reached for the skies—that stunned the buying public and sent Ford and GM scrambling to revise their near-future styling plans. The lineup included the Chrysler 300C, which MotorTrend called the “hottest of the hot crop of supercars.” A roadgoing version of Chrysler’s NASCAR racers, this 300C had a 392-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) hemi-head V-8 with dual carburetors, tuned for 375 hp in standard trim and 390 hp in its high-output version. Air scoops under the headlights provided cooling air for the front brake drums, while the suspension was stiffened for better handling. The 300C helped kick off the muscle car craze of the 1960s, while the full lineup fueled Chrysler’s image as America’s most technically innovative automaker.
1958 Edsel
Most of the cars we’ve highlighted were significant in their success, but the Edsel was significant in its failure. Intended to grow Ford’s dealer base and expand its offerings in the lucrative midprice market, the Edsel suffered nearly every problem a new car can face: questionable styling, ruthless cost-cutting, poor build quality, economic recession, and corporate infighting. Sales were disappointing: Newly recruited dealers lost their shirts, and anti-Edsel factions within Ford found reason to slash features and content. The 1959 Edsels were little more than glorified Fords, making them even less desirable. After losing some $250 million ($2.7 billion in 2024 dollars)—or about $1,800 per car—Ford killed the division in November ’59, just as the first 1960 Edsels were being built. “Edsel” became a synonym for failure and corporate hubris, a genuine tragedy as Edsel Ford, son of Henry, father of Henry II, and for whom the division was named, was one of Ford’s great innovators.
1959 Cadillac
A last ode to 1950s excess, the 1959 Cadillac threw restraint to the wind, trading the 1958 Cadillac’s upright design for a massive body that lowered everything but the tail fins, which grew to unheard-of dimensions and sprouted twin rocket-plume taillights. A 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V-8 produced up to 345 hp, while the ride was cushioned by an optional air suspension. Cadillac offered 11 models, including the new-for-59 Eldorado Biarritz and Eldorado Seville, as well as the eight-passenger Fleetwood Series 75 limousine. With all the customization options, there were 106 possible interior combinations. But this opulence would not last, as presaged by one 1959 Cadillac model, the Eldorado Brougham. Its smaller, less prominent tail fins would spread to all Cadillacs for 1960, as the definition of luxury changed, and Cadillacs adopted progressively more subdued styling. The 1959 Caddys were a pinnacle for the brand—if not in prestige, then certainly in flamboyance.
MotorTrend thanks Matt Anderson, automotive historian and curator of transportation at The Henry Ford Musem of American Innovation, for his assistance with our Most Significant Cars of the Decades series.