The Cars That Made America

[Don Ro]

The Cars That Made America Full Episodes, Video & More | HISTORY
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DirecTV History Ch. 269 ... 3 Part....
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Sun 8/13., Mon., Tues. 8/7 C ... PM

[asphaltgambler]

Thanks - just queued it up on my DVR!

[Don Ro]

Interesting...I knew that old man Ford was stingy but he was also psychologically abusive toward his son. An evil man...at some level.
Looking forward to Part 2.

[Nickshu]

Just set my DVR last night. Lots of talk about this show on the other forums I am on too. Excited to watch it.

[jcommin]

Watched it also. There is a book: "https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/books/review/a-j-baimes-arsenal-of-democracy.html?_r=0" It is a great read about Edsel Ford and Detroit during WWII. Henry Ford had issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Arsenal-Democracy-Detroit-Quest-America/dp/0547719280

[Don Ro]

Was news to me that the US Auto industry was the root cause of our middle class.
A crash course, this presentation...but informative, indeed.

[Don Ro]

"America changed itself to suit the car."

[wildthing]

I like the concept but did they really have to dramatize the events and put actors? I do realize there aren't really any footage of those early years obviously... I don't know...

[JackDidley]

Watching now. They keep talking about Delorean creating the GTO and showing him in a Buick. They could do better.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

Watching now. They keep talking about Delorean creating the GTO and showing him in a Buick. They could do better.

I think what they were trying to portray is that he put that 389 in a Buick and took it out to Woodward Ave. in order to impress the yoots and prove or test his idea that they'd be excited and ready to put money down on a car with a high performance engine.

[pwd72s]

Fun show for me so far. And yes, auto execs and engineers did mix it up with the locals on Woodward.

Car & Driver caused quite a stir with a "comparison test" of a '64 Pontiac GTO vs. a Ferrari GTO. They had the Pontiac "winning", although they never did actually test the Ferrari. Pontiac supplied the GTO...which was running a tweeked 426, not the 389. Sounds like something Delorean would have a hand in, doesn't it?

Sorry the show didn't mention that one.

Yeah, I was one of those "youths"...had both a '65, then a '66. Shoulda kept the '65, but that's another story.

[jcommin]

I didn't see the second installment but saw the 3rd. Disappointing. The 50's were the golden age of style - little or no mentioning of it. No Virgil Exner or Hraley Earl, fins, chrome, planned obsolescence or Mototramas, just horsepower. How did John Delorean get to be an icon? Three installments on the auto and only 1 hour of it from the early 80s to today

[T77911S]

been watching off and on

never really realized J delorean was responsible for the start of the muscle car era or so it seemed based on the show. (the GTO)

[nota]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Fun show for me so far. And yes, auto execs and engineers did mix it up with the locals on Woodward.

Car & Driver caused quite a stir with a "comparison test" of a '64 Pontiac GTO vs. a Ferrari GTO. They had the Pontiac "winning", although they never did actually test the Ferrari. Pontiac supplied the GTO...which was running a tweeked 426, not the 389. Sounds like something Delorean would have a hand in, doesn't it?

Sorry the show didn't mention that one.

Yeah, I was one of those "youths"...had both a '65, then a '66. Shoulda kept the '65, but that's another story.

no 426 inch indians they were 421 early 428 mid 455 last
the goats only officially got the 455 in 70 all before were 389 or 400

426 was the mopar number for a max wedge or hemi

my GTO a 68 was built with a 350ho motor
but by the time I got it had a 71 455ho block [super rare round port 455 hi comp]
that was only build by the factory in firebirds

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by nota

no 426 inch indians they were 421 early 428 mid 455 last
the goats only officially got the 455 in 70 all before were 389 or 400

426 was the mopar number for a max wedge or hemi

my GTO a 68 was built with a 350ho motor
but by the time I got it had a 71 455ho block [super rare round port 455 hi comp]
that was only build by the factory in firebirds

I stand corrected. The Gran Prix tri power engine was a 421...I thought my GTO was quick...and it was, until the 426 Hemi hit the streets. What's crazy is that today, my now considered slow 4.6 (281 cubes) Mustang would hang with the muscle cars of old in the quarter, and would have 'em for lunch in the twisties.

I preferred my '65 for the visuals...just thought it a cleaner design than the later models.

[jmaxwell]

Pretty Interesting, but I have to differ on their statement that the 49 ford shoebox was the first "modern" body style. Studebaker had them beat by 2 years.

[intakexhaust]

Being our family is involved and own very early brass cars, I take note and enjoying the series. Though its a crash history story for the rest. Inaccurate in some areas and much left out. Study and read up the old volumes of books and bio's and one gets the whole picture. Absolute fascinating and driven characters, from Seldon, the Dodge bro's to Ford.most of them SOB's..... major league.

[sammyg2]

They spent quite a bit of time showing how evil the unions are and how they use extortion to get what they want.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I stand corrected. The Gran Prix tri power engine was a 421...I thought my GTO was quick...and it was, until the 426 Hemi hit the streets. What's crazy is that today, my now considered slow 4.6 (281 cubes) Mustang would hang with the muscle cars of old in the quarter, and would have 'em for lunch in the twisties.

I preferred my '65 for the visuals...just thought it a cleaner design than the later models.

The radial tires we have now are almost as sticky as the slicks they had back then.

Bias ply plastic tires spun good but didn't provide a whole lot of traction.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

Inaccurate in some areas...

Yes. In a scene from ep. 1, where Ford first meets the Dodge boys in their shop, it looks for all the world like one of the latter is tinkering with a much more modern carburetor.