One of the earliest depictions of automobiles in popular culture can be found in Kenneth Grahame’s children’s book The Wind in the Willows, published in 1908. In the book, there is a character named Mr. Toad who becomes obsessed with speed and driving. Mr. Toad’s first encounter with a motorcar is chaotic, as he, along with Mole and Water Rat, is knocked out of the way by a speeding vehicle. Despite the dangerous encounter, Mr. Toad becomes infatuated with cars and later steals one, leading to his imprisonment. But the character of Mr. Toad reflects the common stereotype of car drivers in Edwardian England, seen as loud, abrasive aristocrats who recklessly drove down public roads.

At the time the book was published, the automobile was still a novelty, with only about 100 automobiles in Britain. However, the popularity of cars grew rapidly in the following years. In 1903, the Locomotive Acts were lifted, which regulated steam-powered vehicles, and cars were allowed to travel up to 14 mph without a red flag man. This change was celebrated by rich drivers who held the first-ever London to Brighton rally. By the time Mr. Toad was written into existence, there were nearly 100,000 cars on Britain’s roads, mostly owned by the rich.

The rise of the car was not inevitable and took decades of lobbying by manufacturers, car enthusiasts, and planners to make it a normal part of people’s lives. In the early 1900s, there was significant opposition to cars due to their association with danger, noise, and pollution. Traffic accidents and the high number of fatalities caused by cars led to public outrage and demands for stricter regulations. However, the car industry was determined to overcome this opposition and launched campaigns to convince the public that cars were symbols of progress and freedom.

The car industry employed various tactics to promote cars as the future of transportation. They formed organizations such as Motordom, which lobbied for the rights of motorists and opposed speed limits and other regulations. They also launched news wire services to provide newspapers with pro-car news and data. The industry portrayed pedestrians as responsible for accidents and argued that cars were not the problem but rather the mismanagement of traffic. These efforts were effective in changing public opinion and shaping the narrative around cars.

In the United States, streetcars and trams were the dominant form of urban transportation in the early 20th century. However, the car industry saw them as hindrances to the growth of car ownership and successfully lobbied for their removal. General Motors and Standard Oil bought out tram companies and replaced them with buses and cars. Cities also began passing laws that made it illegal to cross roads without permission, criminalizing jaywalking. This shift in urban planning further cemented the dominance of cars and made it difficult for pedestrians to navigate cities safely.

The influence of the car industry and its vision of car-centric cities can be seen in the work of architects and planners such as Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier’s plans for rebuilding cities included wide roads and high-rise buildings, with little consideration for pedestrians or public spaces. His ideas were adopted and influenced the development of suburbs and urban infrastructure in the United States and Europe.

The rise of the car and the transformation of cities to accommodate cars came at a cost. Increased car ownership led to a rise in traffic accidents and fatalities. In the 1930s, traffic deaths in the United States reached 30,000 per year. Despite these dangers, car ownership continued to increase, and the car became a symbol of progress and freedom. Over time, cities were redesigned to prioritize cars, with roads and highways taking up space that could have been used for other purposes.

The rise of the car was not a natural or inevitable progression. It was the result of lobbying, propaganda, and a shift in public perception. The car industry successfully convinced people that cars were necessary for progress and that the inconveniences and dangers associated with cars were acceptable trade-offs. Today, cars continue to dominate our cities, but the negative impacts on the environment, public health, and urban spaces are increasingly being recognized. It is worth considering the historical roots of our car-centric culture and exploring alternative modes of transportation and urban planning for a more sustainable and livable future.

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