Next time you buy a new car…
Think about this: One of the most significant events of the Twentieth Century was the invention of the automobile. The car itself has only been around for a little over a hundred and yet this one invention has done more to change the face of the earth with its humble horse-power than centuries of horse drawn carriages.
The invention of the car allowed people to travel further away from families and neighborhoods in which they had spent their entire lives. Road trips became a popular vacation and new pathways to the future were built. The great big world became much smaller yet, in an interesting contradiction, there was a lot more of the world to explore.
The car served two functions in society. The first role was that of a tool and a resource to improve the life of the owner. The second and, in some cases, the more important role was that of a status symbol. Car ownership was synonymous with success. The type of car owned showed exactly where the owner fit in society's hierarchy. The status symbol aspect of the car hasn't changed much in the past hundred years. We still look at the Jaguar or Mercedes or BMW with awe and respect as it slides past us at the stoplight. We covet and sacrifice to make sure we have a cool set of wheels.
The car changed the fabric of America. Pre-car America was dotted by "Watering Holes". Small towns with a Stage Coach Stop, a hotel, a restaurant and a few other tiny shops. These "Watering Holes" were only a few miles apart and were measured by how long it would take the Coach to make it from point A to point B. Other small towns were growing around the ends of railroad spurs. Town developers would guess where the trains might stop and built little towns with many of the same amenities as the watering holes. With the invention of the car. trips that would usually take months were now whittled down to just a few weeks. Instead of towns springing up around watering holes the town centers were built around gas stations.
Previous to the invention of the car the only place travelers had to stay was in a hotel or boarding house. The day-tripper's brought about the construction of an entirely new type of lodging. This lodge was named with what Lewis Carol dubbed a portmanteau word. By taking part of the word "motor" and part of the word "hotel" the new type of lodging became the "motel". Instead of a large, multi-level building with a lobby, a bell boy and a concierge, the day traveler could pull up to the "motel" park their car in front of their room and have immediate access to a bed and a bath. The motels and the towns were built the distance it would take a traveler to drive from one to the other in about eight hours.
Cars changed the way we worked. Henry Ford was credited with the organization of the assembly line. The American made product and the pride in working for a living became an iconic symbol of what it was to be an American. The symbolism is something that stays with us even now. Many people question if America is going to be able to pull itself out of the recession. I believe as long as we maintain our pride and love for what it means to be an American and remember the American work ethic built with the building of the car, we will always be a blessed nation.
The invention of the motorized vehicle gave rise to the industrial revolution, the space program, industrialized farming and the computer revolution. I personally believe the car is one, if not the one, invention that changed to world and allowed us to have the lifestyle we have today.
The car is this week's defining moment.
