Remembering a Head-Turning, Neck-Snapping Year for Cars

Tuesday, November 30th, 2004

In Remembering a Head-Turning, Neck-Snapping Year for Cars, Ralph Kinney Bennett looks back at 1955:

Detroit would produce almost 8 million cars in the ’55 model year, a whopping 44 percent increase over 1954. Luxury extras like automatic transmissions became more commonplace, ordered in 7 out of 10 new cars. Sale of air conditioned cars (an almost unimaginable luxury to most people at the time) would more than triple, although the 184,027 thus equipped were still a small fraction of total sales.

What I most remember is how old previous model cars began to look once the ’55s came out. Take a look at a 1999 car now, or even a ’95. They don’t seem that outdated in comparison to today’s models. But take a look at a 1955 Chevy and a 1949 model. You’ll see what I mean.

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