Car Talk From The Main Street of America

Time travel is possible. All you need is a vintage car or truck, and a stretch of two lane highway such as iconic Route 66. On today's episode of Car Talk From The Main Street of America, we talk about blurring the line between past and present, and the American  love/hate relationship with the automobile that has spanned more than 120 years. 

In a mere dozen years or so, the proverbial blink of the eye, old Dobbins was put out to pasture, the draft horse went to the glue factory, and the teamster, mule skinner, and wagon master were unemployed. They had been replaced by Buick and Maxwell, Ford and Mack. And almost every town in America from Enid, Oklahoma to Jackson, Michigan, from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Auburn, Indiana was vying for the title of "Motor City."  Changing times that continue to this day came to America with the dawn of the 20th century.   

They pushed the limits of man (and woman) and machine. They pushed back against the limits of technology, of mechanical endurance, of distance and of even prejudices and societal norms. They were pioneers that changed the world on two wheels and on four. And with few exceptions, most of these daring adventures are less than historic footnotes today. But this is Car Talk From The Main Street, and this is where stories of inspiration, of forgotten pioneers, and of a world in transition are shared. 

It was a brief moment in time, just a few short decades. And yet in the proverbial blink of the eye the world was forever changed. Teamsters moved from freight wagons and mule teams to gasoline powered workhorse manufactured by Mack, Jeffery, and FWD. Dusty trails became highways. The truck began to replace the train. On this episode of Car Talk From The Main Street of America sponsored in part by Visit Tucumcari, America's storyteller author Jim Hinckley shares a tale of exciting transition, of innovation, and the dawn of a brave new world. 

It was the quintessential American success story. They were German immigrants with skill, talent, ambition and little money. They built an empire. Studebaker was the largest manufacturer of wheeled vehicles in the world - in the 1880s. They were a pioneer - in the manufacture of electric vehicles, in the use of diesel engines in trucks, and in automotive styling innovation. The Studebaker story is the American dream made manifest.

In an interview Montgomery Ward noted that the automobile was a fad children should see before it passed. A leading automobile manufacturer once paid for full page advertisements warning about the dangers of new hydraulic brake systems. Four wheel brakes were once an option. The future is never easy to predict. Glimpses of the future can be unnerving. On today's program it's a few future history stories, and a glimpse at the innovation that is making the future possible,

Are you having trouble adapting to a world transformed at the speed of light by technology? You are not alone and this is not new. Your grandparents suffered with the same anxieties. On today's program we look back to the dawn of the auto industry when people were making the transition from stirrup to throttle, and even the most remote community could become "Motor City."

Route 66. The US highway system. The American auto industry. They were all built on the bicycle mania of the 1890s. Today's episode of Car Talk From The Main Street of America brought to you by Visit Tucumcari NM is the story of innovation, the League of American Wheelman, and a fellow named Louis Chevrolet. 

On today's program sponsored in part by Visit Tucumcari NM, America's storyteller talks about the surprising origins of Porsche, shares a few car stories sent by listeners, and provides information about a Route 66 event that you won't want to miss. It's another adventure with author Jim HInckley from the Main Street of America, legendary Route 66.   

Never forget the past. But don't let fond memories and nostalgia keep you from being excited about the future. On this episode of Car Talk From the Main Street of America sponsored in part by Visit Tucumcari NM, America's storyteller author Jim Hinckley talks about the testing of embed technology in the pavement that can charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven, Studebaker and Thomas Edison, Tesla and hybrids built in 1916.