The Automobile and American Life

This blog will expand on themes and topics first mentioned in my book, "The Automobile and American Life." I hope to comment on recent developments in the automobile industry, reviews of my readings on the history of the automobile, drafts of my new work, contributions from friends, descriptions of the museums and car shows I attend and anything else relevant. Copyright 2009-2026, by the author.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Fender Skirts & Frank Lockhart

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Apparently, Frank Lockhart was the first to coin a term for the fender skirt, naming it "pants" in his remarkable 1928 Land Speed ...
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I need a new snow blower -- this time with some guts!

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Hi folks -- thanks to my friend Peter Haigh for this story. We had another 7 inches in Dayton, Ohio yesterday, with another 1-2 inches toda...
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Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Origins of the Demolition Derby -- More from Tom Wolfe's "The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby"

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More great fun reading Tom Wolfe. See chapter 2, "Clean Fun at Riverhead," where we are introduced to Lawrence Mendelsohn, who w...
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

George Barris, Ed Roth, and Tom Wolfe's "The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby"

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Ed Roth at his craft One of Roth's custom cars A young George Barris, at the start of what would become a fabulous career Barris'...
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Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Learner's Permit -- youth now free !!!

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A pretty girl out to have some fun on her own! Miley Cyrus, 2008 When do Learner's Permits become commonplace at state licensing offices...
Thursday, February 4, 2010

Car Collecting in 1952 -- what I could buy for $3000!

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Note: $3000 in 1952 is equivalent to 24,447.06 in 2010. Hi folks -- lately I have been looking through 1952-3 issues of Motor Trend , for no...
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John Heitmann
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