General Motors Le Sabre

The General Motors Le Sabre is a 1951 concept car. Possibly the most important show car of the 1950s, it introduced aircraft-inspired design elements such as the wrap-around windshield and tail fins, which became common on automotive designs during the second half of the decade. The Le Sabre is owned by the GM Heritage Center, and still occasionally appears at car shows. This was GM's first use of the Le Sabre name, which would be later adopted by Buick for a new production model in 1959. History The Le Sabre was the brainchild of General Motors Art Department head Harley Earl. The design was Earl's attempt to incorporate the look of modern jet fighter aircraft into automotive design. As jets replaced prop-driven aircraft in the late 1940s, they symbolized the very latest in design and engineering, and Earl had hoped to carry this concept into automobile design. The project was a follow-up to Earl's famous 1938...