'50s Cars Facts That All Automobile Enthusiasts Will Adore

The '50s is considered the golden age for all kinds of cars.

The decade was still changing from war-related industries. Everyone turned to the automobile industry and started enjoying innovating new features for cars.

The era brought countless new features in cars. Some of them were not only new advances in terms of technology but also in terms of safety measures which have stood the test of time.

The production reached a new point and brought revolutionary results leading to small independent automakers going out of business, and by the end of the decade, the industry was in the hands of AMC, Studebaker, and the Big Three.

Read on to know more about cars of the '50s and if you like this article, then also check out 1954 facts and '60s cars facts.

Iconic Cars Of The '50s

The '50s was the decade when cars started getting much more improved technologies. It gave us some of the most classic cars that have even endured the test of time. Some of the iconic inventions of the decade were made by Jaguar and Ford.

Jaguar made two iconic, unique cars in the '50s. The first was the XK120 which was a roadster sports car that was made as a limited edition car in the beginning, but its popularity skyrocketed, and their production volume had to be increased owing to the high demands of car buyers.

The second was the XK150 which was also a sports car with a British style and superior design. It's considered as one of the best Jaguar has ever made.

Ford Thunderbird was a personal luxury car with the then-new 5.1-liter V8 engine of 245 horsepower. Ford Motor Company redesigned the car a few times, and it had many variations, including four, five, and two-seat convertibles, five-passenger pillared coupe, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and more.

Citroen DS was one of the most advanced American cars of the decade made in the '50s. The car had a semi-automatic gearbox, advanced hydraulic suspension, disc brakes, and the then-latest style of the steering wheel that helped with better grip and handling.

One of the perfect examples of the iconic cars of the '50s was the Cadillac Eldorado. It was a pricey car that had a shiny and long chrome body with pointy tail fins, conical Dagmar bumpers, and white-wall tires. The tail fins were the longest ever to be put on a production car.

The Chrysler Corporation came out with two of its most iconic cars in the '50s. The first was the Plymouth Fury which had a shiny body, large tail fins, and elegant curves.

The redesigned models had V8 engines that had twin four-barrel carburetors, bumper wing-guards, and special interiors.

The second was the Imperial Crown which had the look of a luxury car along with a similar price tag. It not only had a huge Hemi engine, but it was also the first American car to have circular signal lights installed on a chrome grille and disc brakes.

Shiny exteriors were all the rage in the '50s. The Chevrolet Bel Air had one of the more shiny car bodies, along with a V8 engine containing an overhead valve engine that could produce 162 horsepower. It even had an upgrade with 180 horsepower that was called 'the power pac'.

American Automobile Industry In The '50s

The '50s was one of the most pivotal decades in the American automobile industry, owing to the emergence of ranges of new technology, greater designs, mass production, and the monopoly of large car manufacturing companies.

The automotive industry became the largest in the United States after World War II. The auto industry changed from manufacturing war-related goods to consumer goods, and by the end of the decade, around one in six working Americans were working directly or indirectly in the industry.

Many of the teens drove sedans and convertibles with a significant amount of population in cities like New York shunned public transport and bought cars.

This was the era of innovations in the industry, like rack and pinion steering systems, automatic transmission, seat belts, unibody chassis design, power steering, power seats, power windows, fuel injection, suspension system, air conditioning, overhead Valve V8 engine, unassisted hydraulic brakes, automatic shift, and more luxurious items.

The inventions like the V8 engines and the automatic transmissions were installed in almost half the new cars in America. The era also introduced concept cars, most of which were never made.

However, each concept car model succeeded in bringing good car sales to the companies. One of the most important such show cars was the General Motors Le Sabre. The General Motors Le Sabre had heated seats, an aluminum and magnesium body, and more.

This was also the decade Formula One started and got its popularity. The very first world championship race occurred in 1950 in the United Kingdom at Silverstone Circuit. Many American car companies started making new models for racing, and many built cars keeping speed in mind.

'50s Compact Cars, Campers, Trucks And Electric Cars

The '50s was a revolutionary decade for cars like campers and trucks as huge progressing changes were being made in the cars. It was the decade when the United States started coming up with compact cars, and electric cars were given thought and materialized later.

Compact cars had been introduced in the world far before the '50s, but in the United States, the companies were still building large sedans.

However, when these foreign cars started to roll around the roads of America, the American car manufacturers started opening their eyes.

George Romney, the head of the former American Motors Corporation, stated cars with a wheelbase of 100 in (2.5 m) or less were 'compact cars'. There were many cars that fell into that category, but the first true compact car of the United States could be considered the Nash Rambler from Nash motors.

From then on, compact cars started coming - the Henry J by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation, Studebaker Lark, Plymouth Valiant, Chevrolet Corvair, and more.

Campers or RVs had been in the market for a long time, but they started getting luxurious and technological upgrades in the '50s, like the introduction of two-story RVs with separate bedrooms. Shasta trailers were introduced much earlier but gained popularity in the '50s. They were shaped like a canned ham with decorating wings on both sides.

Winnebago is a famous motorhome even today. The first Winnebago RV was first produced in 1958. They were recognizable through the 'W' written on the exterior of these vehicles.

The cars of the '50s were a pinnacle of beautiful designs, and the trucks got new designs as well. These trucks had beautiful exteriors with sloping lines and real wood bed liners.

Some of these trucks were: Ford F100 that had wraparound windshields, panoramic rear windows, and seat belts; the Chevrolet Task Force and Chevrolet Advance Design, Chevy Flatbed, and more.

The idea of electric cars started in the '50s, and by the end of the decade, new electric cars started being produced by car manufacturers. Lektro was producing electric golf carts in 1954, and by 1959, the Henney Kilowatt came out in 72-volt and 36-volt configurations.

The 72-volt cars could achieve a speed of 60 mph (96 kph). It had the ability to travel almost for an hour with a single charge, but it was quite expensive, so the model didn't really succeed.

'50s Family Cars, Sedans And Station Wagons

Family cars, sedans, and station wagons were all the rage in the '50s. These were the most popular cars, and car manufacturers wanted to bring more and more advancements to give the customers more of what they wanted.

Family cars, like the spacious Morris Minor Series II, had the classic British look with a flatulent exhaust note. The 1954 Standard Vanguard had the first British car with a factory-fitted diesel engine.

Ford Anglia 100E and Ford Popular were robust cars with independent front suspensions and hydraulic brakes that were quite the hit of the roads. Rover 60, 80, 90, 95, 100, 105, 105R, 105S, and 110 of the P4 series.

These were mid-sized had leather and wood interiors. The Vauxhall Cresta and the Vauxhall Velox were six-cylinder cars with wraparound rear and front screens, whitewall tires, long tail fins, two-tone paint jobs, and large, comfortable interiors.

Sedans were the cars that the manufacturers worked their best on. The '50s sedans came in every color, shape, size, and technology. The Citroën Traction Avant cars were four-door sedans with four or six-cylinder engines, rack and pinion steering, and a crash-resistant monocoque, unitary body.

The Chrysler Saratoga had a Hemi-headed FirePower V8 engine that could produce 180 horsepower. It had the ability to go 0- 60 mph in 10 seconds. The Lancia Aurelia B10S was a sports car, the brainchild of the legendary Vittorio Jano.

It was the world's first car with a V6 engine. The 60-degree overhead-valve engine was made of alloys. The advancements made in the department of sedans are quite conspicuous.

There may not be any Station wagons now, but they were pretty popular back in the day. They weren't inherently the coolest cars, but the faux-wood paneling, long frames, and wayback seating can surely make a person nostalgic.

The Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari, Rambler Cross Country, Buick Century Caballero Riviera, and Oldsmobile Super 88 Fiesta were the perfect examples of '50s station wagons.

These hardtop station wagons came in two and four doors with engines that could produce 120-300 horsepower. They came with quite a big price tag of between $2300-$3200.

'50s Luxury Cars

With the end of World War II, the '50s brought more and more new technological advances to cars. Each year features like power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, safety measures, and more were being introduced, and all these came with large price tags.

One of the classics among the luxurious cars of the '50s was the Cadillac Coupe de Ville. The original price of the car was set at $4600. It had a V8 engine that could produce 325 horsepower, smooth, wraparound decline, an iconic shape, and a classy body to show for it.

The Buick Roadmaster Skylark came on the occasion of Buick's 50th birthday with a price tag of $5000 USD. This attractive reef blue shade car had power brakes and windows, full carpeting, a white interior, a 5.3-liter Nailhead V8 engine, and a 12V electrical system.

Most of the exterior of the car, including its trunk lid, hood, and convertible tub, was handmade.

The Pontiac Chieftain Catalina Coupe rolled out as a luxury car with a price tag of $6000 USD for its amazing features. This included an eight-cylinder rose engine, under-seat heaters, temperature indicator with 160,180, and 220 F mark, ammeter, a petrol gauge, and more.

The Ford Motor Company car, the Continental Mark II, rolled out into the market with a price tag of $10000 USD. This four-seater coupe had a 6.0-liter V8 engine that could produce 285 horsepower, air conditioning, and standard leather upholstery interior.

One of the first sports cars manufactured by BMW postwar was the BMW 503 Cabriolet which had the price set at $17000 USD. Most parts of this icon of luxury were mostly made up of aluminum. The 3.2 l V8 engine of the Cabriolet could help the car get up to 118 mph (190 kph) and more.

One of the most popular and most coveted luxury cars of the postwar era remains the Bentley R-Type Continental with a whopping price tag of $18000 USD. This flashy, lightweight car had a 4.6 l V6 engine that could produce 130 horsepower and helped the car get to 101 mph (162.5 kph).

It also had a four-speed manual transmission with a matted engine which guaranteed a better and smoother driving experience.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for '50s cars facts then why not take a look at 1956 facts, or '50s fun facts.