I just found out about an interesting book: Designing America's Cars: The 50's, by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide with Jeffrey Godshall.

http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Americas-Cars-Jeffrey-Godshall/dp/1412711576/ref=sr_1_1/190-9346201-3909604?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262019391&sr=8-1

You'll find many of the proposed designs for the cars of that period. If you think they were outrageous looking when they went into production, you should've seen them when they were on the drawing board.