With the two exceptions of the printing press and the telephone, there has probably been no other invention with more impact on such a high percentage of the population than the automobile. The computer is gaining influence, but the automobile is still way ahead. Our lives are defined by our cars in a way that is unlike any other factor in our society today. The well-known Disney animation, in which Goofy's personality undergoes a complete transition when he gets behind the wheel, is not merely an entertaining piece of fiction. We recall it because it has the ring of truth. We are changed by our cars.
Much of the world has adopted the automobile as a necessity. With such an emphasis on our mobility it is no surprise that Americans, as well as mobile citizens the world over, have fallen in love with cars. The best and most memorable cars have produced the most vivid and lasting affections, and in America there is a rich tradition of fine vehicles that have defined the American way.
Little grey sedans and bubble-like transportation devices serve a functional purpose. But neither that purpose nor those vehicles address our affinity with the automobile. That predilection is nurtured by two features sorely lacking in the grey box and the bubble transport. Those cars typically lack performance and style.
In recent years the automotive industry has shifted its emphasis toward sport utility vehicles due in large part to less stringent governmental emission restrictions on these vehicles. Many vehicles of recent manufacture are substantially limited in performance due to required compliance with exhaust emission standards. As a class, the less-restricted SUVs are thus more popular despite their utilitarian appearance. Their popularity is a result of our fascination with vehicles that offer at least acceptable performance.
Cars with performance and cars with style are, and always have been, our favorites. And cars that happen to have both performance and style are the ones we cherish above all others. We watch them and drive them. We talk about them. We remember them. And ultimately we collect them as beautiful examples of a rich tradition.
