Cars

This year marks 50 years that I’ve been driving. In my growing years, I remember only two cars – the Austin Cambridge with its manual transmission and the Pontiac Laurentian station wagon with its automatic one – I learned to drive both while preparing for my licence.

When Larry and I got together, I owned a second-hand Volkswagen Beetle. He owned a small Mazda station wagon which he’d purchased brand new and which we drove until its engine blew apart some 12 years later – he donated it to the local fire department for practice with their new “jaws of life”, used to safely extricate accident victims from their mangled vehicles.

From that point on, although our second family cars were bought used, our primary ones have always been new and we keep them as they decline into all manner of deplorable conditions, which usually takes about ten years. As a result, each time we buy a new one we get to see a good example of car advances since 1960. Also, every new vehicle renders me useless for a couple of days until I figure everything out!!

The 1960s

For a wonderful run-down of changes in the 1960s, check out this site. It was a decade full of things that I’d guess most of you would give little thought to, let alone be thankful for, today – things like safety door latches, 4-way flashers, turn signals that can be seen from the side, windshield (…think about that word…) washers, defoggers, and seatbelts. The focus of the decade was on making smaller, safer vehicles with more appealing looks. Ummm – was the Austin more appealing? I certainly didn’t think so.

The 1970s

Purchases were considered less as per family and more as per person. More women were in the work force. Highways were bigger and better. Compacts were the most popular with the VW Beetle the leading import!, Attention was focused on emission control and fuel efficiency. Electric windows. Power steering. Cruise Control (read the fascinating story of its inventor here). Anti-lock braking systems. Digital dashboards. Better bumpers. Airbags. And 8-Track tapes! The back seat was always full of them.

The 1980s

Advances in car technology that Miss Average like me could not see and did not understand. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors lost vast amounts of money as Japanese imports soared. They fought back with the likes of the Minivan (my Caravan) and the Mustang.

The 1990s

The beginning of the computer explosion… better diagnostics, dashboard displays, phone connections, even crazy things like electromagnetic parking sensors. The downward trend in manual transmissions. Curvy instead of boxy looks (I thought they looked ridiculous!). SUVs as the main new design.

The 2000s – 2020s, and Beyond

Where to start? Maybe I won’t. You’re right there with me. Phenomenally quick advances in computers. Bluetooth. GPS. Facial recognition and personalized settings. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Reverse cameras. Side cameras. “Augmented reality overlays”. AIRBAGS OUTSIDE THE CAR!

The essence of cars themselves are changing. Electric. Hybrid. Self-driving. Maybe none at all? Yikes!

As for Larry and me, Larry now drives his beloved 20-year-old Mazda Miata convertible in the summer, and a nice, middle-of-the-road Toyota Corolla in the winter. I have my wonderful bright blue Toyota Tacoma truck. No one else at home, no major travels by road. The vehicles are always neat, clean, and in top running condition. And it only took us 30 years!