Lesson from the 1950s

The 1950s in Music

The 1950s marked the birth of the modern sports car and the dawn of the American muscle era. European marques like Ferrari, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz were building lightweight road racers that would become some of the most valuable automobiles in history, while across the Atlantic, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette and the seeds of the horsepower wars were being planted. Footage from this era is exceptionally rare — most of what survives comes from factory promotional films, newsreels covering events like Le Mans and the Mille Miglia, and the occasional home movie shot at local drag strips.