The Automobile: Revving Up Car Culture in the 1950s

874 Words2 Pages

As James Flink points out in The Automobile Age, the village store and the local banks were the businesses most vulnerable to the new competition (47). Robert E. Wood, former vice president of Sears, explains how businesses moved to the suburbs, "When the automobile reached the masses, it changed this condition [the funneling of consumers into the town centre] and made shopping mobile. In the great cities Sears located its stores well outside the main shopping districts, on cheap land, usually on arterial highways, with ample parking space (Wollen 13)." Thus city centers came to be seen as sites of congestion, whereas the surrounding areas were regarded as accessible and convenient. The rapid proliferation of shopping complexes outside of the city center in the 1950s left down town a crime-ridden wasteland of vacated stores. City centers no longer featured traditional shops; instead they contained gas stations, parking lots, and inns whose focus was on the travelers and their cars (Wollen 13). Car culture had caused some serious headaches for city planners in the 1950s. They had not anticipated the added traffic when building cities and were forced to adjust their plans with mixed results. There were many side effects to the restructuring of the city, and most were not good for the city center. Business and customers were no longer funneled into the now crowded city center in favor of the more spacious and convenient periphery. Community life as well as business in the city center really suffered as a result of suburbanization caused by the car. Jane Jacobs says in her chapter called "Erosion of Cities or Attrition of Automobiles" in the book Autopia, "Today everyone who values cities is disturbed by automobiles (259... ... middle of paper ... ...eedom to explore America's new interstate highways. While the car offered many benefits, there were plenty of downsides as far as the city was concerned. As suburbanization took hold of the middle class, the city tried to accommodate to the millions of new cars on the road. Streets were widened, sidewalks narrowed, and the city center became crowded, congested, and perceived as unclean. The downsides of car culture did nothing to dwindle the massive influence it had on the popular culture of the time. Rock and roll became closely linked to the emerging car culture of the 50s due to their shared attitudes of freedom, easy going fun, and life in the fast lane. The car culture of the 1950s has impacted every aspect of the lives of the American people including the media they consume, the places they live, the music they listen to, and of course, the cars they drive.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Car Country: An Environmental History By Christopher Wells

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Christopher Wells’ book Car Country: An Environmental History he starts by speaking about his experience over the years with automobiles. He describes how happy he was to own his first automobile. Mr. Wells goes into detail about the inconveniences of driving in towns where everything is fairly accessible, and the necessity of an automobile in major cities. Although Mr. Wells enjoyed his first car, his local surrounding helped shape the attitude he has towards motor vehicles to this day. Mr. Wells also argued that car dependence in America is connected with the landscape. Wells rejects the notion that America ‘s automobile landscape emerged as a byproduct of consumer’s desires for motor vehicles or as the result of conspiracies to eliminate

    Read More

  • Revitalizing Downtown London Ontario

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creation of highway networks outside the city and subsequent growth of suburban communities transformed the way citizens worked lived and spent their leisure time. Downtown businesses closed or moved to malls inducing a reduction in downtown shopping and overall downtown commercial traffic.

    Read More

  • Interstate 15 and California 60 Freeway Interchange

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    We take them for granted when driving miles to the closest mall. We are unconscious of their usefulness when traveling to see a distant relative by car. We can't take a moment to stop and admire their beauty and usefulness; the architectural wonders that are highways and their interchanges; which have such a rich history embedded in the American suburbia of today. Let's go back to the early 1900's, when the automobile was starting to become a dominate part of the American life (Morton, 2014). Around this time; a shift began to occur towards private transportation over public by influencing policies in their favor (Nicolaides and Wiese, 2006). One of these polices was created by the Federal Aid Highway of 1925; the United States Highway System which basically expanded the highways across the United States connecting one another, creating new opportunities for growth in many areas (Weingroff, 1996). This had many effects on different factors of the American way of life; specifically suburbia (Morton, 2014). After the war, the private home that was a luxury a few years prior, was now becoming affordable for many thanks to low interest rates and flexible payments through the National Housing Act of 1934, created by the Federal Housing Administration (Fishman, 1987). Perfect example of a policy acting towards private over public was the Los Angles Master Plan of 1941, which pushed the direction of private automobiles and singles households: there being 1.16 million cars (2.4 people per car) and having 31 percent of the city land dedicated for single family homes, this was really solidifying the post suburbia lifestyle (Fishman, 1987). In Los Angeles alone around this time, 900 square miles were transformed to tract development homes ...

    Read More

  • Muscle Cars: An Era of Roaring Machines and Audacious People

    1775 Words  | 4 Pages

    Looking up, you see that it is almost your turn. After getting off the hood of the car, you open the door, and sit inside the vehicle. As you firmly grasp the wooden steering wheel, the scent of unleaded gasoline fills the air, the rigid feel of the leather racing seat brushes skin, and the warm touch of chrome on the shifter radiates through the car. Sliding the key into the ignition, you turn it and hear the low grumble of the HiPo 302 cubic inch engine. You shift the car into first gear and begin to creep forward to the drag strip. You pull up to the starting line and wait. Looking over to the right and seeing your opponent eagerly awaiting the race in his red 1968 Camaro brings excitement. Overhead on the loudspeakers an announcer calls, “Up next, is a 1968 Camaro going against a 1965 Mustang Fastback. The Camaro is fitted with a 327 cubic inch engine and puts out about 210 horses while the Mustang has a 302 cubic inch high powered engine which cranks out 230 horsepower. This, ladies and gentlemen, will be a race of the ponies.” A shift into first gear sends a shiver of anticipation. You look at the light tree ahead and wait for it to turn green. It starts to count down. The first set of lights goes up. You begin to rev the engine to 2000 RPM’s. The second set of yellow lights goes up. The engine revs up even more. The car shakes slightly and the engine growls even louder. The third set of yellow lights goes up. The engine revs to 5000 RPM’s. The green lights go up. A quick dump of the clutch and the engine roars like a lion as it sprints down the track. The front end of the car lifts up and slams back down as the speed rapidly increases. The car screams as you shift into second gear. Looking over to the right, you glimpse the...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Traditionalists And Traditionalism In The 1920's

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler surfaced as the “Big Three” auto companies heading into the 1920’s. The invention of the automobile revolutionized transportation; by the 1920’s cars made places easier to access to people. Many of the traditionalists did approve of the automobiles, but some of them just favored the old way of walking places. The traditionalists were fearful of car accidents with the upbringing of the automobile. During the 1920’s a driver’s license was not needed in most states, and there weren’t really any “rules of the road” quite yet. No signs, signals, or traffic guards, and the roads were not ready for automobiles or pedestrians yet. Some traditionalists were not for these life risking ways of automobiles, but they were accepted among most for an increase in transportation and their easy access to even those who were not rich. The modernists at this time were known to want the exciting new changes and risks, so they were all for the automobiles. This rebellious group knew the advancement of technology with automobiles meant transportation to explore, and not be stuck in the same places within walking distance. The 1920’s

    Read More

  • Cars and their Enemies

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wilson begins his article with a hypothetical scenario in which the proposition for the mass production of the automobile is being raised today as a current issue. Within this fictional scenario, he explains that many aggressive predictions and complaints regarding the negative effects of cars on society would be made and that due to such strong opposition, the personal car would probably not be created. Wilson returns to this scenario later on in the article, explaining that people living in a carless nation would be forced to have small homes, located in large, highly dense cities where the streets are congested by pedestrians, trucks, and buses (Wilson 22). He also insists that travelling in such a country would be hard, and that when you did, the only places you would be able to travel to would be crowded areas which were able to support a nearby train stop (Wilson 22). Wilson insist that living in such a nation would be unpleasant, having many serious problems, unlike the trivial ones used by anti-car critics to discourage car usage now.

    Read More

  • Rock and Roll's Influence on Life in the 1950's

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1950’s was a decade of traditionalist, middle-class, suburban white family values. At the time, the standard household consisted of a man to work and provide for his wife and children, and a stay-at-home mom who managed cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids. The 1950’s could very well be compared to the television programs of the day; dull. It was rock and roll that added a vibrant splash of color to mid-20th century American society and continued to impact the world for years to come. It affected our social livelihoods; how we talk, how we dress and interact. Politics were also affected by the music. Decisions regarding the Vietnam War and also formation of new regulatory agencies occurred in part or whole by rock and roll. Many will also argue the influence it had on, as well as the influence it drew from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s.

    Read More

  • Youth Rebelliion In The 1950s

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the 1950’s there was significant social change taking place in America. Young people were dissatisfied with certain conservative aspects of society and their conduct reflected this. They embraced the rock and roll culture, the new style of music and also the new styles of dancing and dress that were associated with it shocked the older more conservative people. Young people were also quick to protest against the controversial issues of the 1950’s. Civil Rights, the Vietnam War and general politics provided fuel for an already blazing fire. Mass production meant cheaper motorcycles and cars, providing the young people with freedom that was previously not with in their reach. A barrier formed between the older and younger generations due to a lack communication. This was extended by the media’s inaccurate portrayal of the young people. All of these factors left the older generation trying to understand their children’s behaviour.

    Read More

  • The American Culture of the 1950s

    1884 Words  | 4 Pages

    As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the American way of life.

    Read More

  • Rock And Roll In The 50's Essay

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1950’s were one of the most influential decades in American history. In an era where communication was moving at a snails pace, compared to today’s standards, views and attitudes of America’s youth grew and spread faster than ever before, because of the popularity of a new type of music called rock and roll. Rock and Roll was like no other music that was heard before and in the mid 50’s it exploded. Rock and Roll in the mid 50’s changed America for the better in bringing up issues of race, war, and freedom of expression.

    Read More

  • The 1920's and the Automobile Industry

    517 Words  | 2 Pages

    on a car as it passed them. A skeleton of a car went in and after each

    Read More

  • Rock 'n' Roll

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    After WWII played out, population shifts occurred in the US. With southern traditions, and music, coming into contact with new urban based music, the audience that followed it, and mixing the sounds of the “boogie woogie” of rhythm and blues, the soulfulness of gospel, and throwing a dash of country twang in there, the recipe for Rock ‘n’ Roll was finished, and a whole new genre created. “The sound of the city”. Although an exciting new period for a lot of 1950s youth, “th...

    Read More

  • The Roaring Twenties

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first alluring aspect of the Roaring Twenties is that it was when cars were first introduced to the public on a large scale. When Henry Ford’s “Model T” rose to popularity in the 1920’s, people could get in an automobile and go wherever they pleased for a reasonable price. In 1914, a Model T cost about $490. By 1921, Ford had lowered the price to only $310. Through this, cars transformed from a privilege to a commodity. As cars gained popularity, common people were freed from the limitations of their location. The automobile created mobility on a scale like never before in human history, and the resulting effect on living habits and social customs is endless. If I lived in the 1920’s, I would enjoy the new freedom that comes along with this revolutionary feat.

    Read More

  • The Hippie Counterculture

    2095 Words  | 5 Pages

    The nineteen fifties was a decade of prosperous times in America, but the average lifestyle of an American seemed extremely dull. The average American conformed to social norms, most Americans in the nineteen fifties dressed alike, talked the same way, and seemed to have the same types of personality. Music is what started to change the conformist lifestyle in America. Teenagers started to rebellion against their families by listening to Rock-n-Roll...

    Read More

  • Drive Ins In The 1960s

    323 Words  | 1 Pages

    Imagine sitting in the front seat of a car, watching a movie, eating popcorn and other good food, and running into other friends and family members. This was a common occurrence with drive-in movie theaters during the 1960s.Teenagers mostly went to the drive-ins because they would see how many people they could fit into a car trunk to lower the admission price. Families with younger kids enjoyed going to the drive-ins because it was a major convenience for them. For some people they went to the drive-ins to get away from their families and friends. Drive-ins were a popular form of entertainment during the 1960s.Drive-ins were designed to give people more room rather than be crammed into seats in a traditional

    Read More

More about The Automobile: Revving Up Car Culture in the 1950s

Open Document