The Classic Fin Trendsetters

It was the Jet Age. Test pilots and astronauts were flying ever higher and faster, and America was reaching for the stars. Automotive designers infused their creations with aircraft-inspired names and styling cues, but the trademark feature from 1957 to 1961 was the tailfin, and nobody did it better than Chrysler’s Virgil Exner, whose “Forward Look” designs convinced Chrysler president Tex Colbert to adopt Exner’s daring vision. The ads said it all: “Longer, Lower, Wider.” Chrysler delivered on those promises with cars sporting massive steel wings that seemed ready to carry them into flight, and technical innovations that made them, as Chrysler also promised, “three years ahead of their time.”
Mecum invites you to visit the Classic Fin Trendsetters Collection, five incredible Exner designs inspired by America’s race to space.

• Lot S121 Star
• 1957 Desoto Adventurer Convertible 345/345 HP, Automatic

• Lot S122 Star
• 1957 Desoto Adventurer Hardtop 345/345 HP, Automatic

• Lot S123 Star
• 1957 Chrysler Imperial Convertible 392/325 HP, Automatic

• Lot S124 Star
• 1958 Desoto Firesweep Convertible 350/280 HP

• Lot S125 Star
• 1960 Chrysler 300F Convertible 413/375 HP

Dana Mecum's Original Spring Classic Auction - 24th Year
The World's Largest Collector Car Auction
May 17-22, 2011
Indiana State Fairgrounds 1202 E 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN