Engines of change : a history of the American dream in fifteen cars Cover Image

Engines of change : a history of the American dream in fifteen cars / Paul Ingrassia.

History of the American dream in fifteen cars (portion title)
History of the American dream in 15 cars (other title)

Summary:

Chronicles the history reflected by fifteen iconic car models to discuss how automobiles reflect key cultural shifts as well as developments in such areas as manufacturing, women's rights, and environmental awareness.

Record details

ISBN: 9781451640632
ISBN: 1451640633
ISBN: 9781451640649
ISBN: 1451640641
Physical Description: xx, 395 pages, 32 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Edition: First Simon & Schuster edition
Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 373-375) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

When Henry met Sallie : car wars and culture clashes at the dawn of America's automotive age -- Zora, Zora, Zora : a Bolshevik boy escapes the Nazis and saves the great American sports car -- The 1959 Cadillacs : style, status, and the race for the biggest tail fins ever -- Volkswagen's Beetle and Microbus : the long and winding road from Hitler to the hippies -- The Chevy Corvair makes Ralph Nader famous, lawyers ubiquitous, and (eventually) George W. Bush president of the United States -- Turning a "librarian" into a "sexpot" : the youth boom, the sixties, and the making of the Mustang -- The brief but glorious reign of John Z. DeLorean and the Pontiac GTO -- Ohio Gozaimasu : Godzilla, Mr. Thunder, and how a little Japanese car became America's big Ichiban -- The Chrysler minivans : baby boomers become soccer moms and a, um, driving force in American politics -- The BMW 3 series : the rise of the yuppies and the road to Arugula -- The Jeep : from war to Suburbia, or how to look like you're going rock climbing when you're really going to Nordstrom -- The Ford F-series : cowboys, country music, and red-meat wheels for red-state Americans -- An innovative car (the Prius), its insufferable drivers (the Pious), and the advent of a new era.