Early 1950s American Car Culture -- Advertising and some Surprises

Hi folks -- these ads were taken from Motor Trend, September and October 1952 issues. My point of inserting these ads is rather simple. Namely, the 1950s is often depicted by auto historians (and historians in general) as a decade dominated by affluence, consumption, waste, youth culture, Detroit Big Three hubris, tail fins and chrome, etc. etc. Yet, there is something else going on in the decade as well, as many individuals were still practicing "Depression Psychology" virtues of thrift, savings, economy, etc. Note that the ad for seat belts appears well before the 1956 Ford safety campaign or the early to mid-1960s impulse that was led by Ralph Nader. Why were the Mobilgas Economy Runs so popular in the 1950s? Precisely because not every American perceived him or herself to be big spenders, ready to dispose of hard-earned income. Indeed, the 1950s, this Golden Age of the automobile in America demands a serious reexamination that goes beyond "buff" historical accounts or interpretations influenced heavily by the present.