Back When Detroit Remembered How to Swim

Back when i was a kid, every year we'd go to the Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Arena. It was huge and grand looking to me, even in the late 70s, but grandpa used to tell me stories of how much *more* thrilling the auto shows were back in his own earlier years.  According to him, everybody flocked to the auto shows, one of the most grand spectacles, to see the latest great cars and what Detroit had in mind for all of our futures.  Looking at the above picture (1950 Paris Auto Show,) I completely understand that thrill. 

Nowadays, it seems like cars have evolved into bland, commodity tools--- and since a socket looks like a socket, people don't get so excited about them anymore. New cars aren't bold.  Aren't fresh every year. Detroit grew up.  Detroit's grown old.  Like BB King said, "The thrill is Gone."

Is rescue money really going to solve the problem?  Perhaps the auto industry folks need to study these pictures (early 50's auto show pics from LA, Chicago, Detroit, NY and Paris) so that they can remember what they were and recall how they used to lead the swim instead of crying for the lifeguard.

Load the family in and see how everyone fits!  (Los Angeles Auto Show)

Transparant power (LA Auto Show)

Back before people got offended about having Indians in logos (LA)

Free family pictures in the new shoebox convertible

You can check out all my old auto show pics on my flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notebooms/sets/72157609479613963/

-scott noteboom

Comments

[iowahawk]

Man, Scott, those are awesome... and sad. There was a display of old photos at the Chicago Auto Show last year and it was depressing to contrast the euphoric grandness of the shows from the 50s and 60s with the bland appliances on exhibit in the here-and-now.

[Scott Noteboom]

Thanks. By the way, here's where i found/stole these photos... Google partnered up with Life Magazine to scan and serve a huge number of old pics. It rules: http://images.google.com/hosted/life

-scott noteboom

[Chris Glick]

In the top picture, there's a sign for Skoda--Skoda!

Whether to subsidize or nationalize Detroit is easy for me to answer: no. I used to own a British Leyland product. It was a great when it ran, which was not often enough. In the early '70s, they were still using natural rubber seals and (in some places) gaskets. Twin SU dashpot carburetors (don't forget to top off the oil, laddy, when syncing them), electrical systems designed by some manager's kid who liked to draw lines that connected. At least by the mid-60s (maybe earlier) they were no longer building postively grounded electrical systems.