1950 Cadillac Series 60 Special Fleetwood Sedan 4-Door

Engine: 331 cu. in. (5.4L) Cast-iron block, OHV, V-8
Output: 160 HP @ 3,800 RPM
Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic Hydra-Matic
Wheelbase: 130 in.
Overall Length: 225 in.
Weight: 4,136 lbs.
Top Speed: 98 MPH
No. Produced: 13,755
Original Price: $3,797
Manufacturer: General Motors

Frank Hershey, chief of Special Car Design Studio, worked with his team on his 60-acre farm in Rochester, MI, developing the tailfin design. It was based on the P-38 fighter plane that he and Harley Earl had seen on a trip they took to Selfridge Air Force Base. Looking at the plane’s twin tail rudders, it struck him that fins were creations of nature, sleek, streamlined, symmetrical – everything a modern automobile should be.

GM moved up the introduction of the first fully redesigned postwar Cadillacs to 1948, utilizing this new design. It first appeared on the 1948 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe DeVille and was carried over mainly unchanged through 1954 on the Cadillac line of cars. This was the start of a new era of vehicle design; the Fabulous Fin era had begun. The 1950 Series 60 Special is easily identified by the eight louvers on the rear fender door cap and offers distinguishing features such as luxurious comfort, practically unlimited visibility in any direction, and increased trunk space.