As American Culture has evolved, inventions have paralleled its alterations. From the automobile's humble beginnings as a "horseless carriage" in the late 1800's, Henry Ford made the coach for the everyday man (Tshimanga). Because of this invention, the generations in the 20th century were put into motion, literally. Through the years, the automobile has evolved to become what we know today. From designing the Model T, to the Thunderbird and the Tiburon, the automobile industry has responded to meet cultural trends as well as to meet cutting edge technologies. Some examples of the trends that the industry paralleled are: the Art Deco movement during the American Great Depression, America's space program in the 1960's, the gas crisis in the 1970's, and the growing computer world in the present day. The car also has shaped society through associations such as NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing), NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) drag racing, and the loyal following of car collectors and enthusiasts. For the more popular music has used cars as a symbol, and marketers have fueled the influence cars have on pop culture.

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The American car was big; it was a boat on land. The Chevys and Fords that ruled the roads seemed slow and gaudy compared to the British sports car that these men who were in the war had been exposed too. The first to come out with a new, bold statement as a response was Chevrolet with their Corvette in 1953 (Fig. 3), a two door, two seater, convertible, with an entirely fiberglass body. It was said that while the designers were making the first fleet of Corvettes to hit the streets, that not a single wife could bake brownies because the design team had bought all of the spatulas from every store in town and surrounding areas to hand make the bodies (Car and Driver). The Corvette assumes many qualities that a car such as the '32 Ford Coupe exhibits. It has a subtle front line as well as soft tail fins that suggest a slightly raised height to the back of the car. This styling is refined and very European along with aspects such as the round headlights that conform to the bodies' shape. The grate across the headlights was a European racing touch added as well as the wrap around windshield. Immediately following the Corvette's release was Fords answer: the Thunderbird released in 1955 (Fig. 4) (Buckley 146).

After this time, the death of the muscle car came, and a part of American design came to an end. The combination of the gas crisis and the passing of the first clean air act (many more amendments came afterwards) opened up the market for European and Asian cars that were easier on the environment and more fuel-efficient. Even though the market has changed from where it was in the late 1960's to now in the dawning of our new century, American design has mostly remained the same. Cars are still marketed to everyman, cars are still designed to create an illusion of speed, and there is still a strong competition for new technology, even though it has changed from construction materials to technological innovations such as like GPS (Global Positioning System) and fuel injection systems. The car continues to parallel out changing technologies and out American character as well as leading our society into the future.

These guiding rules mentioned sway the car's designs and styling. As a result cars utilized sheet metal. The standard black color of the model T was changed to a vast palette of colors in which buyers could order their cars. Designers had figured out that they could use the cosmetics, appearance, and styles to promote marketing and interest (Armi 10-29).

character of an American more than that of any other country in the world. From the massive tail-wings of the Cadillacs, borrowed from the space program, to the massive size and intimidation of the SUV's of today, cars also lend in the development of Americans' personalities. A person who wants to display power or to intimidate may drive a Ford Excursion or a Suburban because of its grandeur. The automobile reflects fame, fortune, power, and who we are. The automobile plays a prominent role in American media; the automobile is on TV in races, in movies, in advertisements, and in general programming. Many celebrities are defined or recognized by the cars they drive: James Dean was known for his 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder in which he died (Bayley 55); David Hasselhoff is known for his black Trans Am that he drove in the popular 80's TV show Knight Rider. Constant exposure to something, as in the case of the automobile, creates a loyal following and obsessive interest.

In addition to the new emergence of this new family lifestyle, soldiers who had returned to their homes from World War II gained exposure to a new genre, the European sports car. This new experience that the soldiers had was to a smaller, sportier car that greatly contrasted the "land yacht" Fords, Chevys, and Packards in America. The British MGs and Triumphs sparked an American demand for a coupe convertible style car to be manufa

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Approximate Word count = 5120
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page double spaced)