Automobiles

Interesting facts: Automobiles changed considerably over the course of the 1950's. Cars were boxy and conservative in the first half of the decade, but they became lower, longer, wider, and sleeker. They had tail fins, chrome, and multicolor paint jobs that became very popular in the late '50s. It was the beginning of the end for the independent American auto manufacturers, which were crippled by the Ford-GM price war of 1953-1954. Ford's launch of the Edsel in 1958 was highly anticipated. This was also the decade when the popular sport Formula 1 started. Cost of a car in the 1950's: $1,750 Cost of gas in the 1950's: 27 cents a gallon

Historical analysis: The reason that people were able to purchase these types of cars was because after the war, people had so much money saved up that they didn't know what to spend it on. Also, many people in this time never had the luxury of having a car, so now that they could afford one and wanted it to look good and for the convenience of an automobile.

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