The Automobile An American Cultural Icon
David Ritchey Headline Books, Inc. Terra Alta, WV
The Automobile An American Cultural Icon by David Ritchey Š2018 David Ritchey All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books, Inc. To order additional copies of this book or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Books, Inc. P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 www.headlinebooks.com Tel: 304-789-3001 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com ISBN: 9781946664310
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018941400
P R I N T E D I N T H E U N I T E D S T AT E S O F A M E R I C A
Thanks to those who taught me to drive safely when I was an adolescent... and also to those who now drive me safely at times when I am unable to do so myself.
Contents Preface.............................................................................v Introduction................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Forerunners of Modern Automobiles..........11 Chapter 2: Veteran Era Automobiles.............................15 Chapter 3: Edwardian Era Automobiles.......................21 Chapter 4: Vintage Era Automobiles............................27 Chapter 5: Early Classic Era Autos...............................37 Chapter 6: Late Classic Era Automobiles.....................47 Chapter 7: Modern Era Automobiles............................63 Chapter 8: Future Era Automobiles..............................79 Index.............................................................................97 Books By David Ritchey..............................................99 About The Author.......................................................112
Preface Various groups of enthusiasts and collectors have divided the history of the automobile into a number of eras, and numerous criteria—such as means of propulsion, styling, size, utility, and year of production— have been applied. Distinctions are commonly made between antique cars, vintage cars, classic cars, and so on. The classification criteria vary, but consensus within any country is often maintained by major car clubs such as the Classic Car Club of America and the Antique Automobile Club of America. The chart below provides an illustration of the distinctions I have made for the purposes of this writing. Although some may define the years or the names of the eras slightly differently than I have, my purpose here is simply to suggest what the different eras mean and to provide a general sense of the timing for each.
Automobile Eras Chart v
The eras, as I have defined them, are as follows: • Antique Era: This covers the time frame from the initial development of experimental automobiles up until 1919. It is also called the “Brass Era” because of the many brass accessories that were included in each vehicle. The Antique Era includes both the Veteran Era and the Edwardian Era and commonly refers to cars more than 100 years old. o Veteran Era: This includes automobiles built before 1905. o Edwardian Era: This includes automobiles built between 1905 and 1919. • Vintage Era: This period following World War I lasted from 1920 until 1940. Although there were over 500 automotive companies in 1910, by the time of the Great Depression of 1929, only 60 had survived, and 12 years later, there were fewer than 20. • Early Classic Era: This covers the time period from 1940 to 1959. Some sources divide this into the Pre-War Era (1940–1941), the War Era (1942–1946), and the Post-War Era (1947–1959). During the War Era, civilian car manufacturing was suspended as the automakers produced war supplies. • Late Classic Era: This covers the time period from 1960 to 1979, and encompasses the Muscle Car Era (1964–1972) during which manufacturers produced a number of vehicles with extremely powerful engines. • Modern Era: Currently, this describes the period from 1980 to the present, but many sources define the Modern Era as the 25 years preceding the current year. It appears that automobiles built vi
between 1980 and 1999 are part of a relatively coherent era that has not yet been defined, and it is likely that a new era, one that begins in 2000, will eventually be defined. • Future Era: We don’t yet know for certain what the future will bring. There probably will not be a lot of major changes by 2020, but by 2030, all bets are off. The main focus of this book is on American automobiles, primarily “family” cars that comprise the bulk of the market. Foreign cars are only occasionally mentioned prior to the point at which they became a major factor in the American auto market—beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the Modern Era. Similarly, sports cars and “trucks” (primarily in the form of SUVs) receive little attention until they, too, became major factors in the American family market. Over the years, hundreds of automobile manufacturers have come and gone. In the United States alone, there were at least 1,800 manufacturers between 1896 and 1930. Very few survived, and only a small number emerged after that period. The history of America’s cars has been dominated by Detroit’s “Big Three”—General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler—and, to a lesser extent, the smaller, now-defunct American Motors Corporation (AMC). With numerous automobile makes and countless models thereof, it can be difficult to keep track of all the names. The current American automobile brands of General Motors are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC; former American brands include Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Hummer, and Saturn. The current American automobile brands of Ford are Ford and Lincoln; former American brands include Continental, Mercury, and Edsel. The current vii