The Wedge era of automotive design began when car designers in the mid-20th century started creating futuristic and sporty designs that drew inspiration from science fiction and pop culture.
According to Davey G. Johnson of Car and Driver the transition from the rounded and bulging curves of sports cars past to the sharp edged and totally spacy look of the future began in 1968 with the Alfa Romeo Carabo.
Concept designs ranged from the hard edged "wedge" to the "one-box" design, which offered more interior space, but no matter which configuration they used Wedge era designers all created cars that looked totally futuristic.
Whether you agree the Wedge look is still the cutting edge of cool or you see it as an outdated look remember this- without the Wedge era the DeLorean DMC-12 never would have been made, and the Back To The Future trilogy wouldn't have been the same without that far out time machine...
See Doorstop Believin': 27 Incredible Concept Cars Of The Wedge Era here