Unit 3: Modern Europe

Cars of the People: Automobiles of Postwar Europe

After World War II, western European countries produced some iconic automobile designs that are fondly remembered today.  However, the cars they made reflected the conditions in their countries and the needs of their people at the time that they were designed.  In the US in the 1950s people drove enormous gas-guzzling monsters covered in chrome and tail fins--signs of power and prosperity.  But what were these European cars like?

West Germany

Modern History Reference

• • • • https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Federal-Republic-Germany-history.htm 

      • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17301646

      • https://spartacus-educational.com/2WWwestGermany.htm 

      • https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-era-of-partition 

The Volkswagen Type I (a.k.a. Beetle)

• • • • http://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/the-bugs-life-a-history-of-the-volkswagen-beetle

      • http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130830-the-nazi-car-we-came-to-love

      • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34358783

      • http://www.pre67vw.com/history/history2

      • CNN Money

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db2DT-JTPXU

      • http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/videos/a27080/five-great-vw-ads-from-the-golden-age-of-the-beetle/

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABcckOTVqao

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc-kekzH2dU&list=PLUbztKeKuMnZahqGXSGaRu-A2LetNahEv

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhH-oWHzzvQ

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAMeKieObQ

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5YknsEPeBE&index=19&list=PLC073C79AA16324DA

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU2KeBXsSVQ

BMW Isetta

• • • • Microcar Museum

      • Famously Unsafe

      • BBC: The Timeless Appeal of Microcars

      • https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1958-bmw-isetta-9/

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkho0RB0zz0&list=PLmCRApNUQqmqtJBr5dhlLWdIbbuMaySde&index=1 

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ufaopHIVI

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSitjRmQJyc

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDZqAW8M4I

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMVpTCVdCoM

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0dEzY-xld8

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_2QptP0uB4

United Kingdom

Modern History Reference

• • • • https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom/Britain-since-1945 

      • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/

      • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18028620

      • https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/1966-when-britain-was-the-envy-of-the-world/ 

The BMC Mini

• • • https://www.miniusa.com/why-mini/why-mini/over-60-years-of-motoring.html

    • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/mini/10456893/Mini-a-brief-history.html

    • http://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/mini/

    • http://www.classic-car-history.com/classic-mini-history.htm

    • More on the Mini

    • Conceptcarz.com

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuW1f6FI18g

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vHVhTlIRR8

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq5nZSMriS8

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Q3cTJUS14

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUKnd0QcuJU

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVHEt0YqtZM

The Reliant Robin

• • • • http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-news/reliant-robin-named-worst-british-car-of-all-time-8819606.html 

      • Someone Admits to Designing the Robin

      • https://drivezing.com/reliant-robin-dumbest-car-ever-made/ 

      • https://jalopnik.com/what-do-you-really-know-about-the-reliant-robin-1841672894 

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt3rkWKWWW0

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZCBVxNXrnI 

Land Rover Series I/II/III

• • • • https://www.landrover.co.uk/explore-land-rover/one-life/design/series-one-defender-history.html

      • https://silodrome.com/history-land-rover-series-i/

      • https://www.landrovercentre.com/mcm_resources/history-of-the-land-rover-marque/

      • https://www.winwaed.com/landy/history/series1.php

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29UV6PB_ns0

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3eKfL083ns

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyf3onMzF0Q

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt3rkWKWWW0

      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx21ptnSOhM

France

Modern History Reference

• • • • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17299605

      • https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-France/France-since-1940#ref362073 

The Citroen 2CV

• • http://www.citroen.co.uk/about-citroen/our-brand/citroen-2cv

  • http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/06/citroen-2cv.html

  • https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2014/02/04/big-story-little-car

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQTgwJ6pLHE&t=12s 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOYnoDdXK0 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gojvdvcAfXs

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIwvoLPoAU

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP_op4yS57w

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd8klplbIAw

The Renault 4 (or R4)

• https://theoriginals.renault.com/en/renault-4

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_5LIvJa0j8

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOJGg4XvuJA

• https://www.autozine.org/Archive/Renault/classic/R4.html

• https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/le-curbside-classic-renault-r4/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_4

Sweden

Modern History Reference

• • • https://sweden.se/culture/history/history-of-sweden 

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17961621

    • https://www.britannica.com/place/Sweden/The-welfare-state 

Volvo PV444/PV544/Amazon

• • http://www.autoblog.com/2014/08/31/volvo-pv444-turns-70/

  • http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/08/29/celebrating-70-years-of-volvos-pv444/

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfhIkM1AWXk

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu2wAFh3icI 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T1IBqk7_nk

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlJZ1YqqfUk

Saab 92/93

• • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUL93C2Jvas 

  • http://www.autozine.org/Archive/Saab/classic/92.html 

  • http://saabmuseum.com/en/saab-model/saab-92/ 

  • https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/hobby-news/saab_92_the_first_saab_car 

  • https://autoweek.com/article/wait-theres-more/saab-92-born-flying-barrels 

  • https://myautoworld.com/saab/cars/histroy/saab-92/saab-92.html 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsOkabAYres 

Italy

Modern History Reference

• • • www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17435616

    • https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/Italy-from-the-1960s 

    • https://lifeinitaly.com/life-italy-1970s-1980s/ 

The Fiat Cinquecento (500)

• • http://www.theguardian.com/arts/gallery/2007/jul/05/design.italy

  • Driving a 500

  • from 10:20 to 14:41: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CYwrYCiIsdWHekEgr18oh8KIPaWIVR9h/view?usp=sharing 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wwXa24Nvo 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrehtU4a0ao&list=PLmCRApNUQqmqbhuayVNpE75wJD2IATzfH&index=64 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWcRjrBt4oo&t=10s

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkKZpYQkIJA

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWcRjrBt4oo

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxnRKwuOcaA&list=PLcmhTzixmmC1-lIZDe258guMmHHedjiKf

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYXtPnhmdso

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eIW8vKzjYc

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mprYJXPJsk

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovt08gzr7L4

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUcAkucShzQ

The Piaggio Vespa

• • Vespa official site

  • Site 2

  • Audrey Hepburn

  • https://www.ft.com/content/96743c57-b13a-4de1-a5ff-2acb3880a901 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HLzWusbLO4

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgWI7CcDiNU

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbZRHfgSibE

East Germany

Modern History Reference

• • • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17301646

    • https://www.dw.com/en/east-germany-a-failed-experiment-in-dictatorship/a-50717157 

    • https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/east-germany/ 

    • https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-era-of-partition 

The Trabant P601

• • • http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/videos/a31507/trabant-wonderfully-terrible/

    • http://classiccars.about.com/od/classiccarsaz/a/Trabant.htm

• • • More on the Trabant

    • from to 4:12, or 10:20: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CYwrYCiIsdWHekEgr18oh8KIPaWIVR9h/view?usp=sharing 

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYhbQcVoHMs

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXt0h30V4no

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqWqF56aZtc

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No1-4GsQa-g

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhpIgM6TpwA

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMKRhMBvkOc (comparison with Lada)

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npMKIUTa3uI

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUbF3FtjLuM

USSR

Modern History Reference

• • • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1112551.stm

    • https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/soviet-union-under-khrushchev/ 

    • https://www.britannica.com/place/Soviet-Union/The-U-S-S-R-from-1953-to-1991 

VAZ-2100 series (2101, 2102, 2103), a.k.a. Lada 1500, Riva, or Nova

• • • Site 1

    • Site 2

    • https://www.motorbiscuit.com/terrible-lada-riva-sixth-best-selling-car/

    • https://www.hotcars.com/lada-turned-riva-into-soviet-best-seller/ 

    • Top Gear

    • from 19:30 to 33:30: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CYwrYCiIsdWHekEgr18oh8KIPaWIVR9h/view?usp=sharing 

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWPHnKLi0Hw 

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqcY2QDbi_g

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQgZJzjbEh4&list=PLmCRApNUQqmqbhuayVNpE75wJD2IATzfH&index=66&t=419s 

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWQHcO8uxdw

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9SdzX44zgY

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMKRhMBvkOc (comparison with Yugo) 

Romania

Modern History Reference

• • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17776876

  • https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/romania-under-ceausescu/ 

  • https://www.britannica.com/place/Romania/Communist-Romania 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlmdxrU4rzA 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfviSFAwUPE 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzmIMOShaCQ 

Dacia 1100

• • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah8ItclUt3o 

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySlxkrFOh2I 

  • https://www.1100club.ro/index.html (let Google translate the site!)

  • https://www.autoevolution.com/cars/dacia-1100-1968.html#aeng_dacia-1100-1968-11

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_8 

Yugoslavia

Modern History Reference

• • • https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/understanding-yugoslavia

    • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/yugoslavia_01.shtml

    • https://www.britannica.com/place/Yugoslavia-former-federated-nation-1929-2003#ref228362 

Zastava "Yugo"

• • • https://www.autotrader.com/car-video/heres-why-the-yugo-is-one-of-the-worst-cars-ever-made-259789

    • https://jalopnik.com/5492510/the-yugo-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-worst-car-in-history-by-jason-vuic

    • http://www.librarypoint.org/yugo_vuic

    • http://www.slate.com/articles/life/transport/2010/01/was_the_yugo_really_the_worst_car_ever.html

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHmas6JXVi8 (start at 1:15)

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN4UhS8cFTk

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MknuRE2Bcg

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-O5i1zeXXQ

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VV9NOBYDC4

Decolonization

Africa

• • Algeria: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14118852

  • Angola: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13036732

  • Botswana: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13040376

  • Burkina Faso: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13072774

  • Chad: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13164686

  • Democratic Republic of Congo

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13283212

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42250230

  • Egypt: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13313370

  • Ghana: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13433790

  • Ivory Coast: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13287216

  • Kenya

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13681341

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42146754

  • Mali: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13881370

  • Mozambique: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13890416

  • Niger: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13943662

  • Nigeria: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13949550

  • Senegal: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14093674

  • Sierra Leone: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094194

  • Sudan: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094995

  • Togo: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14106781

  • Uganda: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107906

  • Zambia: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14112449

  • Zimbabwe

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14113249

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42013720

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42099186

Asia

• • Cambodia: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13006539

  • India: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12557384

  • Indonesia: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14921238

  • Laos: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15351898

  • Malaysia: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15356257

  • Myanmar (Burma)

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12990563

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-22023830

    • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41566561

  • Pakistan: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12965779

  • Singapore: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-15961759

  • Vietnam: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-16567315