I have been quite fond of classic American cars for most of my life. My grandfather was a race driver in the 1920s and '30s and a civilian mechanic at the Fort Dix Army base outside Pemberton, New Jersey for 50 years after that. He was a huge fan of the Cadillac brand and had an early '60s Sedan DeVille he would occasionally allow me to steer while sitting in his lap.
I am comfortable admitting this now because I am certain the statute of limitations for driving without a license is far shorter than the 45 years or so since this transgression. My gramps also handed down to me a wealth of knowledge about auto repair, and after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, I took on a project restoring a field of about 200 classic cars. I spent countless hours around and underneath these vehicles, many of which had the sharp tailfins common among many American cars from the 1950s and '60s.
The feature wasn't exclusive to domestic models, although it was on the easels of just about every Big Three designer during the Jet Age. These are some of the coolest classic cars with tailfins and why they're so special. [Featured image by Charles01 via Wikimedia Commons |Cropped and scaled| CC-By 3.
0 ] One of the first cars to be graced with large tailfins originated in Italy, although its fins were nowhere near as dramatic as the ones Detroit would draw up a few years later. The 1947 Cisitalia 202 was unveiled at car shows in Milan and Paris and won a design award that same year. The 202 was.