Much of the United States in the 1950s was brimming with optimism. World War II was over, the economy was growing, and the Baby Boom was on. Interstate highways rolled out across the landscape, and newly formed suburban communities made automobiles as important as ever to American life.

The cars that American manufacturers produced grew in size, stature, and significance, with more chrome trim, more visual embellishments, and of course taller and taller tailfins. These vehicle style cues define American cars from the 1950s, and are used as common cultural reference points whenever this part of history is portrayed.

Today, 1950s cars from Cadillac, Ford, Buick, and Chrysler capture nostalgia for millions of people, but they also have a loyal following from car enthusiasts who weren't even alive in the 1950s, thanks to these cars' tremendous visual presence.

Here are a few models that are popular among car collectors today: