Cadillac Cyclone Concept Original Advertisement Print Art Car Ad J908

This Cadillac advertising print shows the typical design style of American cars during the postwar period. This style of car design was influenced by fighter aircrafts and rockets, which represented speed and aggressive combat. One of the most famous and the most popular motifs of car design is shown in this print: is the combat- aircraft- style tail fin. The advertising illustration further amplifies the speed and power of the vehicle by showing a rocket blasting along above the car. This image uses linear forms and motion blurs in the background to exaggerate the speed of the car. All of these characteristics demonstrate the desire for speed in automobiles at the time as well as reflecting the American cultural ideology— the constant and bold pursuit of innovation and leadership status. The city background implies that the car can bring elevated status to the people who drive it, as seen in the formal dress of the two people in the car. Cars were an important status symbol and a marker for self-identity. The rapid iteration of updating cars— and people's fervent love and purchase of cars made a great contribution to the American economy at that time. These themes reflect the belief in rising affluence and an expanding middle class in the U.S. after the war.

Bibliography

Marling, Karal Ann. “Autoeroticism,”  As Seen on TV, 128-164. United States: Harvard University Press, 1996.

Hine, Thomas. Populuxe,  83-106.. United Kingdom: Knopf, 1987.

Michael A. Rockland, “American Mobility,” Dominant Symbols in Popular Culture, 59-72.  Bowling Green, Ohio : Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1990