It was a time when Americans who has grown up in the Great Depression and has won World War II dreamed big dreams. Anything was possible. Rockets reached for the stars. Television opened a new window to the world. The suburbs grew and small towns changed. And everyone drove cars and trucks that reflected their lifestyle. It was a fantastic and colorful era. And these are the fantastic and colorful icons?the Cars of the Fantastic '50s.

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Cars of the fabulous fifties; Consumer guide.

The 500 period automobile photos, publicity stills, advertisements, and billboards in "The Fabulous 50's" illustrate the human experience in American between 1950 and 1959. Fact-filled captions explain how the people, products and philosophies of the period took everyone from railroads to rocket ships.

While automobiles serve as its hub, Cars of the Fabulous '50s is more than a mere "car book." Instead, it's a spirited romp through a period that's filled with fond memories for those who lived it. Classic 1950s cars like the Lincoln Cosmopolitan, Cadillac Coupe de Ville, Plymouth Belvedere, Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Montclar, Chevy Bel Air, and the original Corvette exemplified the spirit of those times: They were brawny and proud, hopeful and boastful, strong and special. Practically every page of this handsome leather-bound book is overflowing with brilliant chrome, magnificent tail fins, and vibrant paint jobs. You'll find: • Hundreds of incredible photos of vintage cars • Year-by-year summaries of each major manufacturer from the 1950s, including Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, Nash, AMC, Crosley, and Kaiser-Willys • Lively original ads and promotional illustrations • Informative essays about what was happening with cars and the culture at large during every year in the 1950s • Fascinating trivia, anecdotes, and quotes relating to 1950s cars Whether you're a diehard gearhead or you're simply interested in American history, Cars of the Fabulous '50s is a book that you'll return to again and again.

The flamboyant styling of 1950s American cars still captivates enthusiasts. But these fondly remembered designs weren't dreamed up overnight. This picture-rich book features rare drawings and photos of styling-studio mock ups that show how many of the decade's cherished cars got their look-and how they might have turned out differently! Professional auto designer Jeffrey Godshall and the editors of award winning Collectible Automobile? magazine team up to tell the stories of the trends and the people behind American car styling in the Fabulous '50s. Hundreds of fascinating "behind-the-scenes" photos of cars under development and of the finished versions. Concise overviews of each manufacturer's styling written by a veteran "Big Three" designer

Now revised and updated, this book tells the story of how the automobile transformed American life and how automotive design and technology have changed over time. It details cars' inception as a mechanical curiosity and later a plaything for the wealthy; racing and the promotion of the industry; Henry Ford and the advent of mass production; market competition during the 1920s; the development of roads and accompanying highway culture; the effects of the Great Depression and World War II; the automotive Golden Age of the 1950s; oil crises and the turbulent 1970s; the decline and then resurgence of the Big Three; and how American car culture has been represented in film, music and literature. Updated notes and a select bibliography serve as valuable resources to those interested in automotive history.