With the abundance of
information regarding every aspect of car ownership, maintenance, and lore
available at a moment's notice, it's become increasingly difficult to tie both
new and meaningful narratives to the history of the automobile. From Henry Ford's
Model T and the beginnings of a middle class, to the alternative-fuel Prius and
its barrage of Hollywood drivers, most of the facts have become common
knowledge, the type of thing that doesn't take a history book or a manual to
learn. By acknowledging the difficulty in crafting a non-academic study of
cars, Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen
Cars by the Pulitzer-Prize winning Paul Ingrassia is the perfect text
for a shallow study of 20th century car culture.
For example, the
chapter on Cadillac tackles the rise of Chrysler's designer Virgil Exner and
his creation of sleek tail-fins, the ultimate status symbol that was later
adopted by General Motors to create one of the most iconic symbols of post-war
prosperity and a nod to the Cold War space-race. Weaving through references to
literature, television, and film captures what made car-culture appealing to
both teenagers and their parents, from the appropriation of a German people's
car (originally commissioned by Adolf Hitler) by Grateful Dead-loving hippies,
to the excesses of John DeLorean's quintessential 80's drug-trafficking vessel
popularized by the Back to the Future franchise. More than
mere references, the book strays from being overtly preachy or detailed to
provide brief snapshots of American culture, whether economic, social, or just
a glimpse at the evolving nature of marketing tactics, while avoiding the
incomprehensible jargon of automobile aficionados. While most likely unhelpful
to experts, the book caters mercifully to the casual curiosity of readers who
enjoy seeing where cultural paths cross with their Automobile 101 certificate
in hand. In Engines of Change, Ingrassia tackles not just fifteen
of the most well-known cars in North America, but their legends as pop culture
icons.
-Anna
