Harley Earl Tailfins and the P-38

[wmrae]

I'm helping with research for an article on the history of tail fins and I'm having difficulty with one part of the story that Harley Earl and key members of the design team visited Selfridge Field to see the Lockheed P-38. There is a wide range of published dates for the trip and while it seems like 1941 is most likely from the published history of the aircraft I was hoping someone here might have some additional information or a reliable source.

"months before pearl harbor" - Detroit News
"in 1940" - Hemmings
"1941 sighting of the P-38" - Hagerty
"a day in 1941"-Autoweek
" in 1941 at Selfridge field" - Old Motors

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

The story that I have read is that the Cadillac tailfin was invented by a GM designer named Frank Hershey. Hershey put fins on a styling model. When Harley Earl saw the model with the tailfins, he told Hershey to get rid of them. Before Hershey could do so, several GM bigshots saw the model and loved the fins. Earl was glad to take credit for them and they ended up on the 1948 Cadillac. Hershey soon left GM and went to Ford, where he headed the design team for the 1955 Thunderbird.

I suspect that the story about Earl and the P-38 was concocted by the GM publicity department or by Earl himself. By the 1940's his best work was behind him and he was coasting along on the considerable talents of his underlings like Bill Mitchell, Frank Hershey, and others.

[Clewisiii]

The Cadillac Legacy of Leadership claims the Earl team got to see a "Secret" P38.

I dont know why he or they would have. Not being engineers but surface designers. And not giving a lot of thought to aerodynamics at that point.

This book claims it was Earl and Julio Andrade

[Clewisiii]

[Lexi]

This Hagerty's article notes some other sources of information for your research. Frank Hershey's name again, has come up. Clay/Lexi

https://www.hagerty.com/media/archived/cadillacs-game-changing-tailfins/#:~:text=Conventional%20wisdom%20credits%20Harley%20Earl,automobile's%20most%20memorable%20styling%20feature.

[Lexi]

In Roy Schneider's reference work; "Cadillacs of the Forties", (3rd edition 1996), there is a very interesting & detailed discussion of the origin of the Cadillac tailfin on pages 123 - 124. If you have not checked this book out, best to have a look. Among other things, Schneider reports that Earl knew the Commandant of Selfridge Field as recalled by Bill Mitchell who added that he arranged for GM brass to visit the air base. There they saw the 13th P38. A fascinating discussion follows, with Earl assigning Hershey to create automotive forms based on this plane. Lots of interesting facts and other names noted here. Hope this helps. Clay/Lexi

[wmrae]

Fantastic information everyone - really appreciate the help

[z3skybolt]

Take it from an old aviator. But that Cadillac inspires visions of a P-38 about as much as I inspire visions of Rock Hudson.   None the less it is a nice story. I appreciate legends regardless of their validity.

Enjoy,

Bob R.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Harley Earl had a reputation of taking credit for others' ideas.

[wmrae]

I have my own feelings about tail fins, planes and cars! The stories are definitely interesting though when you dig into where designers took (or claimed to take) inspriation. 

[cadillacmike68]

The Cadillac Legacy of Leadership claims the Earl team got to see a "Secret" P38.

I dont know why he or they would have. Not being engineers but surface designers. And not giving a lot of thought to aerodynamics at that point.

This book claims it was Earl and Julio Andrade

What "secret P-38. That aircraft was in combat in early 1942, there were no more "secrets" about by 1947-48