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A CARography > episode FLCAR-113
During the first 50 years of the 20th century, we witnessed a tremendous evolution of the automobile. By the end of WWII, the automobile was not only a symbol of prestige, but it also reflected an era of forward thinking and innovation.
In America, a new era of prosperity, optimism and consumerism emerged during the 1940s, and the automobile industry worked to convince the American public that "You are what you drive." But one man, Preston Tucker, dared to challenge the conventional thinking. He hoped to revolutionize the way cars were built, and the safety innovations in his automobiles—among other things—made Detroit apprehensive. The "Big Three" didn't consider Tucker to be a serious threat to their sales, but they were concerned about his technological advancements. They felt that if they were to incorporate the new technology into their own production processes, the costs would be considerable. And they weren't willing to bear these costs, or to pass them on to their consumers.
In Germany, Volkswagen was re-born after WWII. Using scrap materials left over from the war, Volkswagen went from producing a few hundred cars in 1946 to making more than 46,000 in 1949. In 1949, the first year of its introduction in America, only two vehicles were sold.
America wanted larger cars—cars that represented power, status, wealth and upward mobility. After the war, Europe didn't share the same optimism as in America. With little money to spend and severe shortages of gasoline and materials, the few cars that were built were nothing more than basic transportation. European cars were designed to navigate through the small streets and road networks that were initially developed to accommodate horses and carriages more than 500 years ago.
The European cars were lighter than American cars and mainly used 2- or 4-cylinder engines.
Flashing one's wealth in Europe was seen as offensive. A French tax on luxury items was introduced in the mid-'50s, and it was immediately felt by the automotive industry. Some independent coachbuilders—Figoni & Falaschi, Pourtout, Franay and the like—were forced out of business.
By the mid-'50s, Americans were embracing the space age, and it seemed that cars were made to fly, with rocket ship themes and large fins. A new highway system allowed for a mass exodus from overcrowded cities to the suburbs, and the automobile was primarily responsible for the phenomenon. After WWII, numerous European-built sports cars were making their way to America, many in the hands of returning servicemen. It wasn't long before sports-car racing became front page news, and the sport developed rapidly.
Americans responded to the European sports cars by introducing such models as the Corvette and the Thunderbird. They also began developing their own competitions. Stock car racing, drag racing, land speed trials at Bonneville, and hot rodding became very popular. With the popularity of drag racing in the '60s, Detroit began building lightweight cars with large, powerful V8 engines—vehicles that would soon become known as "muscle cars."
The 1973 OPEC oil embargo sent a shocked free world into its first energy crisis, and Detroit was completely unprepared for the rapid change in the marketplace. During this time the Japanese, who had for decades improved on American methods of production, began offering smaller, inexpensive, reliable, fuel-efficient cars—and Americans wanted them. With growing pressure from American car manufacturers, labor unions and Washington legislators, the Japanese automobile companies built plants on American soil to assemble their cars.
Supercars are considered to be the flagship vehicles of car manufacturers. Built in small numbers and sold at hefty prices, supercars represent dreams, technology and prestige. Cars like the McLaren F1 and the Saleen S7 combine powerful, fuel-efficient engines with the comfort of a luxury car.
The automobile industry is now going through a period of global consolidation. For example, Ford now owns Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin; BMW has redesigned the famous MINI Cooper. Throughout the history of the automobile, one thing has remained constant. Cars are continually being reshaped to meet man's quest for personal mobility.
Tucker and VW Facts:
- In 1949, American car manufacturers produced more than six million automobiles.
- In 1946, Tucker Corp. started to produce automobiles in a former Dodge aircraft plant in Chicago.
- Of the 51 Tuckers built, 49 still survive today.
- The first Volkswagens were painted black and nicknamed Beetles.
- No Volkswagen Beetles were sold to the German public before WWII.
'50s Facts:
- Falaschi, from the Figoni & Falaschi coachbuilder firm, went back to Italy and became a hotel owner.
- The Federal Highway Act of 1956 provided funds for a national highway system.
- During the recession, automobile sales dropped more than 30 percent.
- From 1958 to 1960, Ford lost more than $300 million with its ill-fated Edsel model.
Muscle Car Facts:
- The 1940 Ford Business Coupes were tremendously popular with moonshine runners.
- The first organized Bonneville speed trials were held in 1949.
- America's 78 million baby boomers started to reach legal driving age around 1961.
- From 1964 to 1973, Ford sold almost three million Mustangs.
'70s Facts:
- The OPEC oil embargo lasted from October, 1973 to March, 1974.
- By the end of the '70s, a quarter of the cars sold in the US were Japanese.
- Of the half-billion cars in the world, one third are rolling in the US.
- The McLaren F1 supercar costs more than a million dollars and has a top speed of over 230 mph.
- Approximately 100 McLaren F1s have been built.
Fast Car Facts:
- Ferrari spends more than $100 million per year to race on the Formula 1 circuit.
- Traditionally in grand prix racing, the car's color is determined by the nationality of the manufacturer. National colors usually can be found in combinations on the body, hood and numbers.
- Briggs Cunningham was the first American racer to use blue stripes on his white 1950 C-1. Afterward, blue stripes over a white car became standard US racing colors.
- Racing cars are still primarily distinguished by assigned numbers in white circles called "meatballs."