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The Rise of the Automobile.
An obvious but central component of the impact of the automobile on American culture was the drastic increase in car production. At the close of World War II, "domestic production of automobiles had been virtually suspended for three and a half years. "However, after the end of World War II, production levels quickly reached those of 1940, as American factories that had been converted for war quickly converted back. In 1941, the United States had 29.5 million automobiles registered, by 1950 49.3 million were registered and at the close of the decade some 73.8 million automobiles were on the streets. This dramatic increase in car production and sales coupled with the styling and performance changes would directly lead to the automotive overhaul of American society. Much of the rise of the automobile and the rise culture associated with it can be attributed to the automobile styling that began to take place at mid-century. By 1950, Detroit had caught up with demand following the switch from war production and stopped offering "drab, clunky, warmed-over, pre-war designs and automakers decided to give Americans what they assumed they really desired- "big, powerful, flashy new cars-not next year-now!" Over the next two decades Detroit flooded the automobile showrooms with cars that had "flair and individuality, "it is this time period alone when cars would be unique and sought after for it. Designers knew that although the "responsible" adult customer" when asked would say that "economy, durability and reliability "9 dictated their auto purchases, in reality what mattered was "adult toys, with pizzazz and sex appeal." The pressure of conformity was strong in almost every other aspect of their lives, but "on the road Americans longed to experience fantasy". After the factories were back online and the pre-war remakes had calmed the immediate demand of the market which rushed to buy replacements for their worn out pre-war automobiles, "Detroit made them larger, more powerful, and more colorful.
