Auto culture
Observing the ‘frictional violence of speed’
“As anyone who has broken down on the motorway will know, to stand at the side, waiting for rescue, is a revelation. Nothing better conveys the frictional violence of speed. Whatever impression you may get […]
Lamm and Holls’s ‘A Century of Automotive Style’ is epic but uneven
(UPDATED FROM 3/23/2023) A Century of Automotive Style was first published in 1996, so it is a fairly old auto history book. Nevertheless, I would rank it as important enough to be updated. I say […]
Unofficial road signs were better than the real ones
A few years ago residents of a Lake Quinault neighborhood posted a number of do-it-yourself, speed-limit signs. However, when I drove through this neighborhood last summer I didn’t notice any of the signs. If they […]
1953-73 Chevrolet Corvette ads gingerly showed changing gender roles
(EXPANDED FROM 6/10/2022) One of the more common types of clickbait on auto history websites is to post an old-car ad and throw in a few paragraphs of background. Cranking out lots of short, breezy […]
Silent night (mostly)
(UPDATED FROM 12/24/2021) At pretty much all hours of the day and night I can hear the relentless drone of automobilia in the Seattle-area suburb where I live. Thus, it’s a real treat to visit […]
Port Townsend: The American dream’s new — and old — end of the road
(EXPANDED FROM 5/28/2021) Some say that the American dream ends in the sun-drenched surf of California. That may have been the case in years gone by, but not anymore. In 2020 California recorded a net […]