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Auto Opium: A Social History of American Automobile Design
Auto Opium A Social History of American Automobile Design Author:David Gartman Auto-Opium is the first comprehensive history of the profession and aesthetics of American automobile design. David Gartman reveals how the appearance of vehicles became an integral part of the system of mass production and mass consuption forged in the struggles of American society.The book traces the development of automobile design, from the ... more »first utilitarian cars around the turn of the century to the most modern of symbol-laden cultural icons. The author shows that the aesthetic qualities of vehicles were shaped by the social conflicts generated by the process of mass production. These conflicts became channeled into the realm of mass consumption, where working Americans demanded beautiful,stylish and contantly improving cars to compensate them for the deprevations of mass production. Combining a unique blend of business, social and cultural history, Auto-Opium connects the social struggles of designers within firms and the marketplace struggles between auto firms.« less