Fender Skirts

As I was watching traffic on O Street in Lincoln, I noticed a small compact with something I had not seen since the 1950s – it had fender skirts.

I remember the family 1950 Chevrolet Sedan had fender skirts on the rear wheels. The idea was to make the car look more sleek and streamlined. Of course you could not put them on the front fenders because the front wheels had to turn. Not only General Motors products had vender skirts, but also Ford and Chrysler models.

The skirts were metal sheets that filled the rear fender opening. They attached to the car by some clips that engaged a slot on the...