1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria

Drop the top, and cruise like a movie star! It sounds like fun. But movie stars live in sunny California -- most of us don't. Convertibles may draw people into showrooms, but sedans take them home. In 1956, only about 2.6 percent of Chevy customers drove home in ragtops. Despite that fact, the carefree appeal of 1950s convertibles has made them a symbol of that era.

Luxury cars offered the greatest in comfort and the latest in technology. They also provided status -- a large part of their attraction. Builders like Rolls-Royce specialized in extravagant cars with corresponding prices, while mass-market manufacturers like General Motors and Ford offered Cadillacs and Lincolns for customers of more modest means. Sport sedans and SUVs may have replaced carriage-inspired Victoria bodies, but luxury still sells.

This car symbolizes 1950s America: a time of exuberance, self-confidence, excess, and self-indulgence. Cadillac designers drew on jet aircraft for ideas, from the sharp, swept-back tailfins to the front parking lights that resemble B-52 bomber air intakes. Under that jet-inspired skin is a 345 horsepower engine, air suspension, and a host of luxury options, including an automatic headlight dimmer. We are unlikely to ever see such cars again.