Tailfins were a prominent automotive styling feature, inspired by jet aircraft and the Space Age, that were popular primarily in American cars from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. The design was largely an aesthetic trend and was discontinued due to changing styles, manufacturing costs, and concerns over practicality.

Description: Tailfins were upward projections on the rear fenders of an automobile, intended to evoke the vertical stabilizers of an airplane.

Aesthetic Motivation: The design was a direct result of the "Jet Age" styling, with cars featuring grilles resembling jet intakes and taillights designed to look like rocket engines.

Perceived Functionality: While some manufacturers like Chrysler marketed fins as "stabilizers" that could improve high-speed handling and stability in crosswinds, their primary purpose was style.

Design Evolution: Introduced modestly by Cadillac in 1948, the fins grew increasingly exaggerated as a design competition between manufacturers intensified during the 1950s. The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado featured the most extreme and iconic examples of the design.

Discontinuation: The tailfin era ended rapidly in the early 1960s. Several factors led to their disappearance:

Changing Trends: Public and press opinion shifted, and the exaggerated fins came to be seen as excessive and impractical.

Manufacturing and Cost: Tailfins added complexity and cost to the design and manufacturing processes, making simpler designs more attractive to car makers.

Safety Concerns: Lawsuits in the 1960s raised concerns that the sharp points of the large tailfins could injure pedestrians, contributing to their removal.

Newer Styles: They were replaced by new design trends focused on sportier, sleeker styles.