The little known story about how government regulation brought America the SUV. From Eric Peters at theburningplatform.com:
Some of you may remember station wagons.
Before SUVs and crossovers – before minivans – station wagons were the family car of choice for millions of American families. They were as everywhere as SUVs and crossovers are today. As minivans were, before SUVs and crossovers supplanted them.
Wagons were natural things, created as the result of market demand for them. They were in demand because they could comfortably carry more than five people and a bunch of stuff in the back plus pull a trailer, if the need was there. Such attributes appeal to families, to people who have kids and often have to cart around other people’s kids, too.
The big wagons were based on the big sedans that were dominant at the time – the time being the ’60s and ‘70s.
This was the time before government got into the business of dictating to the car industry how many miles-per-gallon cars would have to deliver in order to avoid being fined for noncompliance. When cars were designed to meet buyer – rather than government – demands
But – at the time – there was an end-run.
Pick-up trucks were not yet subject to the fatwas – which only applied to passenger cars. It occurred to someone at one of the car companies – it was Ford that hit paydirt first – that pick-ups share the same basic attributes which made large sedans – and the station wagons spun off from them – so popular with the market. The were big and had lots of room inside. They had big engines.
And they were rear-wheel-drive.
Exactly like the big sedans and wagons extincted by fatwa. Just with a bed out back, open to the elements.
Well, how about we enclose that bed? Lay down some carpet, bolt seats to the floor? Add extra doors?
To continue reading: The Last Redoubt?
