Despite having a headstart on the other companies the three GM divisions produced only a small number of the cars in '49, compared to the numbers that would soon be spewing out of the factories as Chevrolet and Pontiac were given versions for 1950 (Belair & Catalina respectively). Also that year Chrysler who had built seven prototypes (similar to the GM ones except without wraparound rear windows), narrowly missing the opportunity of going down in history as the originator of the style, introduced the Chrysler Newport, De Soto Diplomat. Not long afterwards came the Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Belvedere also from Chrysler.

Other models came quick and fast then but surprisingly Ford was the last of the majors and then only in the Ford line (Victoria) arriving at last in '51, waiting to the corporate wide redesign for '52 before Lincoln and Mercury got theirs.

GM then played around with the idea of four door hardtops and displayed one at the 1954 Motoramas, the Cadillac Orleans. It had rear doors hinged at their trailing edges leaving no central pillar at all, but when the idea came to production the '55 Buick Century and Oldsmobile 88 Super had a conventionally hinged rear doors with a strong B pillar reaching up to the window sills, a much better compromise.

Again the new design spread quickly not only around GM but elsewhere too and by '56 most other US makers had scrambled to produce them where possible, even when they had to make do with only minor changes to the conventional sedan design, just so they had one.