Commentary: The Automobile at America's 250th Birthday
Ever since the first automobile was assembled in this country some 130-plus years ago, we weathered a lot of change in this industry.
Amid the thunder, lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, and fireworks was a marking of history.
The United States of America celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I wish I could parse out my feeling about the leadup and the day itself, but I’m keeping it private. By now, those thoughts have moved on.
As divided as this country is, as polarizing a lot of have become – the American experiment yielded a lot of good things that we still believe in. Yet, those good things have been through a lot of machinations in the past several years.
Notwithstanding, our automotive industry.
Ever since the first automobile was assembled in this country some 130-plus years ago, we weathered a lot of change in this economic driver that keeps our country moving. Companies and brands have come and go. Plants were built, bulldozed, and rebuilt. The faces of the personalities behind the automobile have changed frequently.
In my lifetime, we lost Studebaker and AMC. Dealer signs for Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Mercury, Imperial, and Eagle were taken down. We even lost import brands, such as Renault, Peugeot, MG, Triumph, Rover, Suzuki, Daewoo, Saab, Citroen, Lancia, Opel, Geo, and so forth.
The ebb and flow of this industry somehow can evolve through scalability. Yet, we still manage to deliver 15 million or more automobiles, trucks, and so forth onto our roads every year.
We did a lot in our country’s history regarding this industry. We witnessed the development of the assembly line, standardization in parts, advancing operational technology, creating leading edge design, and evolving every part of the machine we crafted for our people.
There had been some challenges along the way. Economic events that almost knocked down entire companies and industries. The reckoning of organized labor movements that helped strengthen the industry. Fear of foreign competition. Cults of personality masquerading as industry leaders.
Still, the automotive industry remains resilient and evolutionary. As we are.
Our country reveres the automobile. We created icons – domestic and foreign. We drive them with pride.
We live in a country where the privilege of holding a driver’s license is a precious thing. It speaks to the freedom of mobility, the want of adventure, and the responsibility one must have when operating – and owning – a motor vehicle.
And, yet, we are living in interesting times.
Without diving into the meaning behind that sentence, here is something I know about us. As divided as we area, we always find common ground. The automobile is a form of common ground. When a beautiful piece of metal (or fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc.) pulls up to a crowd, watch everyone’s reaction. It varies from eyes wide open, dropped jaws, even disdain and disgust. An automobile will elicit a response of some sort. No other portable item can do that.
Also, an automobile will catch someone’s attention. It is a universal feeling shared by many different humans. We must forget about labeling a vehicle to a specific group of people. The common ground we share is that we recognize an automobile for what it is – mere transportation with a little extra added.
If you’re looking for a way to fly your flag proudly, get in your vehicle start it up, and drive.
That is what America is all about – freedom.
All photos by Randy Stern