In 1959 America was in a postwar boom cycle. Gas was cheap, jobs were plentiful, optimism was at its peak, and there was barely enough chrome to go around to meet demand. It was the era of tailfins ...

In the late 1950s, the American automotive landscape was defined by "Jet Age" optimism—a time when fins were sharp, chrome was plentiful, and engineering ambition knew no bounds. Perhaps no car ...