New York Times:
50 Candles for a Breakthrough Chevy
By DAVE KINNEY
Published: July 25, 2005
EVERYTHING in Detroit seemed to change for 1955, as if the entire auto industry awoke at once and shook off the last remaining traces of its cautious postwar mind-set.
In a short span, car designs transformed from the complex multiple curves drawn in the 1940's to clean, modern sweeps of sheet metal that reflected a new era of American optimism. With the economy booming, a horsepower war that would last more than a decade began to escalate, and even the cars' electrical systems joined the revolt against the status quo.
This sea change was most apparent at Chevrolet, where a new car riding on a new suspension and powered by a new V-8 engine made its debut. Car buyers concluded that Chevrolet got it right in 1955 - it was Chevy's best year to that point - and a half century later, collectors still laud the '55 models as watershed designs. Sales set a record that was not eclipsed until 1960.
Traditionally, Chevrolet's role within General Motors had been to build low-price vehicles for practical-minded buyers. The approach was conservative, but in the years just after World War II Detroit sold every car it could produce without the need for bold designs or aggressive promotions. A vehicle shortage, created when factories were diverted to the war effort, resulted in pent-up demand that took years to satisfy.
By the early 50's, demand and supply came into balance once again, and automakers returned to selling cars rather than just taking orders for whatever the factory could build....It all changed when Chevy introduced its '55 models. Though the new car was about the same length as its predecessor, it was more than five inches lower. With a wraparound windshield and fenders that fit flush to the body shell, there was no way to confuse it with earlier Chevys....
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/automobiles/25CARS.html 
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