​Riding in Cars

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By 1928 there was 1 car for every 1.4 households in the United States. The most popular vehicle of the time was undoubtedly the Model T Ford, which came in a variety of body styles. Its purchase price dropped from nearly $1,000 in 1908 to under $300 by 1927, causing the automobile to become more of a necessity for the masses rather than just a toy for the wealthy (Price Davis). The Depression, however, saw a drastic decline in the production and purchase of automobiles. Only one-third as many cars rolled off the assembly lines in 1933 as in 1929 (Kennedy). (The rapid decline of the automobile industry caused the unemployment rate in Detroit to approach 50% in 1932 (Kennedy).) During the early thirties, the majority of citizens could no longer afford to own and/or maintain automobiles, often turning old cars into “hoover wagons” (or “hoover carts”) by removing the engines and strapping on horses (Price Davis 6).

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Automobiles became an important part of teen life in the 1920s. Driving cars allowed teens to leave the home easier and experience more freedom when spending time with friends. Access to an automobile was a major factor in teen popularity, especially among young men who bore the primary responsibility of picking up young women for dates and other social events (Palladino). By the end of the 1920s nearly one-fourth of America’s college students owned a car, and most of those who didn’t have their own car typically had access to a family car (Fass).

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Parents and authority figures, however, often felt that riding in automobiles led to other unmoral behaviors in teens, like drinking or smoking (Palladino). Next to drinking, motoring was perhaps the student activity that alarmed school officials the most in the 1920s. Most colleges began to create rules that banned automobiles on campus. Bans on automobiles kept students on campus, thereby giving the school more supervisory power over their social lives. See rule #5 under “General” in the ASTC student handbook, exhibit b., which states “Young women are not expected to ride in automobiles, except in going to and from home. They are not expected to stand by automobiles for extended conversations.” Also, see rule #4 under “Campus”: “Students do not drive cars through campus or about dormitories.” The ASCT rules are a perfect demonstration of the strict bans placed on student driving.

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In the 1930s riding in cars was linked with rebellion in the eyes of parents/authority figures and teens alike. Jane writes about she and her high school friend Doug driving around a rural, forested region south of her hometown of Kings Mountain for “the entire afternoon.” The pair eat junk food and attempt to fish by what we can only assume is some strange, unorthodox means. The fact that they didn’t catch anything doesn’t matter, however, because the girls are clearly just fooling around. Jane writes, “I’ve never had so much fun!” The sense of freedom automobiles gave teens in the thirties is especially evident in this note.

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Interestingly, not much has changed over the years. Teens today still view having access to a car as quintessential to their popularity, and parents still worry about where the cars will take them.