Master LLCE Anglais Perspectives Cars in the US US Civilisation “Driving Society” Charles C....

Master LLCE AnglaisMaster LLCE Anglais

Perspectives

Cars in the US

US CivilisationUS Civilisation““Driving Society”Driving Society”Charles C. Hadley

http://charleshadley.net

50s & 60sEnd WW2 to end VN war

• 1950s ≈ Eisenhower era

• Conservatism & conformism

• GI bill (1944)

• Cold war - Fears for Freedom (McCarthy)

• Protest / non-conformism

• Civil rights movement (Brown vs Board)

• Beatniks

• Economic boom

• Lit & the Arts

• Beatniks (e.g., Kerouac)

• R n R

• Chuck Berry

• Elvis Presley

• TV / Hwd


Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.net1950s

• Highway development: "Eisenhower interstates"

• Political choices

• Coalitions ("strange bed-fellows")

• NYC: Robert Moses

• e.g., Cross-Bronx Parkway

• Suburban growth

NYCNYC

BronxBronx

HarleHarlemm


Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.netInterstate highways

Interchange I-5 (LA)Interstate in Houston TX

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Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.netThe Big Three

1. General Motors (Alfred Sloan ... Roger Smith, Rick Waggoner, etc. . )

• Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac

• (watch this space☺)

• "planned obsolescence"

2. Ford (Henry Ford - Edsel Ford)

• Ford, Mercury, Lincoln

3. Chrysler (Walter Chrysler)

• Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler


Perspectives

Cars in the US



1949 Cadillac

Evolution in Design

• Chrysler AirFlow (from 1934)

• Harley Earl - Tailfins

• Chrysler

1959 Cadillac

1955 Cadillac

Sophia Loren & Jayne

Mansfield 1955

Chrysler AirFlowChrysler AirFlow

Chevrolet 1957


Perspectives

Cars in the US



Expanding product lines

• Station wagon

• Sports cars

• Chevrolet Corvette 1953 - present

• Ford Thunderbird 1954 - 2005

• Mustang 1965 ... 2009

• "Muscle cars" Pontiac, Dodge, Ford (Mustang)

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Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.net60s

• JFK - LBJ - RMN

• Civil rights movement (eg WDC 1963) & legislation (Also, incidentally, Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique 1963)

• VN & student protest

• Environmentalist movement

• Rachel Carson 1963[!] Silent Spring

• Pop Culture

• Beatles (Baby, you can drive my car...)

• Beach Boys (Fun, Fun, Fun) [1964]

• Auto industry

• improved safety features

• smaller, less expensive cars (“compacts”)

➡ Ralph Nader 1965 Unsafe at Any Speed

Well, she got her daddy's carAnd she cruised through the hamburger stand nowSeems she forgot all about the libraryLike she told her old man nowAnd with the radio blastingGoes cruising just as fast as she can now

And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away

Well the girls can't stand her'Cause she walks, looks and drives like an ace nowShe makes the Indy 500 lookLike a Roman chariot race nowA lot of guys try to catch herBut she leads them on a wild-goose chase, now

And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away

Well, you knew all along thatYour dad was gettin' wise to you now(You shouldn't have lied, now you shouldn't have lied)And since he took your set of keysYou've been thinking that your fun is all through now(You shouldn't have lied, now you shouldn't have lied)But you can come along with me'Cause we gotta a lot of things to do now(You shouldn't have lied, now you shouldn't have lied)And we'll have fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird away(Fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-bird away(Fun, fun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird away)Fun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird awayFun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird awayFun, fun now that daddy took the T-bird away


Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.netCompact Cars

Corvair

Ford Pinto


Perspectives

Cars in the US



Consumer Protection: Safety Concerns

• Ralph Nader: Unsafe At Any Speed 1965 (Corvair…)

• Ford Pinto 1970




Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.netPony Cars

• Ford Mustang 1965


Perspectives

Cars in the US


http://charleshadley.netMuscle Cars

Pontiac GTO

Dodge Charger

Ford Mustang


Perspectives

Cars in the US



Consumer (& other) Movements& Legislative response

• 1963 Clean Air Act

• 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

• 1967 Air Quality Act

• 1970, ’77, ’90 Clean Air Act Amendments

• 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act

Master LLCE Anglais Perspectives Cars in the US US Civilisation “Driving Society” Charles C....

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