Female Drivers in the Early Days of Cars
Today, men and women are equally likely to own cars and enjoy driving. The majority of American families own at least two cars and often more. Receiving a Certified Mercedes or other vehicle is a fervent wish for most teens of both genders as they approach the all-important 16th birthday. Of course, society as a whole is much more based on equality than the society in which cars were first introduced. Today we will take a brief look at the early days of motor vehicles and the reception that they received by women of the time.
The Early 1900s
It is difficult to track the very first gas-powered automobile that ever existed. However, we do know that during the years 1899 to 1908, several highly publicized transcontinental road journeys took place. The earliest mass-produced gas-powered cars were offered in the very early 1900s. However, it was not until the racing craze of the 1910s that cars really began to enter the popular consciousness.
The 1920s and 1930s
During the 1920s, pressure from vehicle owners forced efforts to improve roads, which had been mostly dirt and presented hazards to drivers. The New Deal of the 1930s added significantly to existing federal programs, and by 1938 over 35% of the total roads were surfaced. During this time, white, affluent families began to purchase cars in greater numbers. A new trade in used cars began to develop as well, allowing a few working class families to purchase vehicles.
Many men were skeptical about women’s abilities to handle automobiles. However, they had little ability to stop their wives and daughters. Families owned only a single car, and particularly in rural areas, the females of the household often took the car into town or to the markets while the men worked in the fields. Rural women were used to driving horse-drawn buggies and consequently tended to be unafraid of learning to handle a car.
Meanwhile, more affluent families enjoyed the freedom that the automobile provided. Some families left on extended trips, traveling around the state or country as gypsies. It is likely that the women took on some of the driving during these trips.
By 1940, it appears that women drove whenever they pleased. Road trips became the vacation of choice for many families, and gradually households began to acquire second cars.
Although the world has changed, our love of the freedom that an automobile provides has not. Your Certified Mercedes remains a ticket to freedom, mobility and the call of the open road.
Filed Under: Certified Mercedes-Benz
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