It seems that we hear daily about motor vehicles and their role in our local bridges, transportation systems, traffic patterns and pollution. Whether discussing TransLink, SkyTrain or the Pattullo Bridge, the history of the motor vehicle is an integral part of the story.
As we follow the story from the early 1900s, we are able to watch cars and trucks as they appear on the local scene and lead, sometimes quickly, to other innovations and inventions. Last year we touched on this story through a walking tour, a couple of presentations and a series of Our Past columns. It is a part of our local history that people really enjoy.
Today, women hold a prominent position in the world of motor vehicles from design to sales. Seventy years ago, an article accompanying a multi-page promotional piece about a car show in New Westminster, singled out the female role – a newer approach to the automobile.
This was all part of the first auto show in New Westminster which was held in Queen’s Park with great fanfare. The article, “Fair sex have the last word in car design,” sets out the story with some interesting comments.
“A few years ago the workings of the motor car were a mystery to the average woman. When she first learned to drive she would have been told to ‘pull this lever’ and ‘shift that one.’ Today she is asking questions and she wants to know why and what for … she wants to find out for herself what it’s all about … she asks about gas mileage. She wants a car that is economical.”
The article further concludes: “The modern woman has not only become a potent factor in the buying of motor cars, she has become a very strong influence in their making.” One line emphasizes that this was more than just good looks: “not only from a style, but from a mechanical standpoint too.”
The aspect of targeting the female opinion and approach is clearly stated: “If the lady of the house looks over the prospective car with her husband and she doesn’t like it, you can bet your life that her husband dare not bring that new car home unless he is a very brave man.”
It is a part of history that is a great creator of memories. We think of a first car, a particularly attractive colour of vehicle, and sometimes a car that was “part of the family” and was genuinely “mourned” when traded in for a new model.
Last June, Gary Miller was at the New Westminster Historical Society to talk about auto history. Gary is an expert in all things automotive – facts and figures, trivia, and more.
He will be back on Wednesday, April 16, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the New Westminster Public Library auditorium. Mixed with some Royal City car stories, this will be another great presentation.
