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We just wrapped up another 4×4-filled week at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. While the vehicles on the showroom floor offered plenty for Jeep enthusiasts to be excited about, it was a few key announcements about future product plans that had off-road fans and the press alike talking. Before we touch on that, let’s take a look at a few of the iconic Jeep brand vehicles that were on display.
The All-New 2017 Jeep Compass, shown here in Trailhawk trim in Spitfire Orange. Coming this spring, the 2017 Jeep Compass will continue the brand’s tradition of off-road dominance with best-in-class 4×4 capability.*
The new 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Winter, shown in Billet Silver. This new special-edition Wrangler model is equipped from the factory for winter action with standard features including BFGoodrich KO2™ tires wrapping 17-inch mid-gloss black wheels, premium off-road rock rails, heated front seats and all-weather slush mats.
The 2017 Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk, shown in Mojave Sand. The limited-edition Renegade Desert Hawk adds to the Renegade Trailhawk model’s off-road performance with a unique look topped off by the exclusive map hood decal.
The 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, shown in Hydro Blue. Style and capability were on full display in this Cherokee Trailhawk with its best-in-class 4×4 capability† and available 17-inch Black painted aluminum wheels.
And about those announcements … the Jeep brand kicked off NAIAS with exciting news, confirming the addition of three new models to our future lineup: a new Jeep pickup truck and the return of the legendary Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates. While we can’t give away much more than that right now, stay tuned to the Jeep blog for updates on all future and current Jeep vehicles, and visit www.jeep.com to learn more about the entire 2017 Jeep lineup.
* Based on Compact SUV segmentation. BIC 4×4 capability based on the All-New Jeep Compass offering low-range power transfer unit (PTU) with 20:1 crawl ratio, low-range 4×4 capability.
†Based on Jeep Cherokee offering 2 speed power transfer unit (PTU) with rear locking axel, low range 4×4 capability, exclusive Jeep Selec- terrain with 5 settings (including snow).
The post THE JEEP® BRAND AT THE 2017 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW appeared first on The Jeep Blog.
Winter has arrived again, bringing with it snowy adventures, family get-togethers and holiday parties. It’s a season that inspires thrill seekers to take to the outdoors in a vehicle versatile enough to navigate everything from a ski adventure in the mountains to a New Year’s celebration in the city — ‘tis the season for the All-New 2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee.
Off-road exploration in the All-New 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk®
Snow is a welcome sight for anyone who loves cold-weather exploration. Winter means ski trips, snowball fights and forts, and an excuse to set a new course on a powdery off-road adventure. The All-New 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, with rugged skid plates and the Quadra-drive® II 4×4 system for maximum torque, is designed to dominate the wintery trails. And with up to 68.3 cubic feet of space with the rear seat folded, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk ever is your partner during the coldest months, ready to carry all your winter sports gear to the highest peaks and snowiest locations.
Embrace the season in the All-New 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
When your off-road winter adventure returns to the city for a holiday party, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, the most luxurious vehicle in its class*, is one decorated, high-performing sleigh. Arrive in style with a supple leather-trimmed interior, and enjoy a Harman Kardon® Audio System with 19 high-performance speakers, and the CommandView® dual-pane sunroof as you navigate the brightly lit, festive city streets. No one will blame you if you take the surface streets and arrive a little late to the shindig.
Arrive safely at the family gathering in the All-New 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Finally, what would the holidays be without a family get-together? As you set off for Grandma’s house, chart a course that takes you off the beaten path, and take comfort knowing that the Jeep Grand Cherokee was designed to bring families together safely, with over 70 standard and available safety and security features, including seven airbags†—multistage driver and front-passenger airbags, side-curtain airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and a driver-side knee blocker airbag—helping to ensure that you and your passengers will stay secure. No matter how rough your family snowball fight gets, the Jeep Grand Cherokee will do its part to help keep you safe and secure, coming and going.
With so many off-road performance features, luxurious appointments and built-in safety and security features, the Jeep brand says let it snow. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is designed to do more than get you through the holidays — it’s a vehicle that will inspire you to enjoy the winter wonderland.
Get in the holiday spirit with the All-New 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and start planning your winter adventures at jeep.com.
*Based on 2016 Ward’s Middle/Sport Utility Vehicle segmentation. Excludes other FCA U.S. LLC vehicles.
†Always sit properly in designated seating positions with seat belts securely fastened at all times.
The post FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON, A VEHICLE FOR ANY SEASON appeared first on The Jeep Blog.
Jeep® vehicles are built to perform on the scenic route and designed to make a big splash upon arrival, which made the LA Auto Show the perfect place to debut the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass. With best-in-class available 4×4 off-road capability1 and a premium interior, the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass was the perfect fit for California’s intersection of adventure and style.
Off-road performance
In the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass, you’re free to explore new trails on the coast when you’re ready to get out of the city. For best-in-class available off-road capability1, Compass offers two advanced, intelligent 4×4 systems. Jeep Active Drive is a full-time 4×4 system, and Jeep Active Drive Low is a full-time 4×4 system with 20:1 crawl ratio. Each system can send 100 percent of available torque to any one wheel. In addition, both Jeep Active Drive and Active Drive Low 4×4 systems include the Jeep Selec-Terrain® system, providing up to five modes (Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud modes, plus exclusive Rock mode on the Trailhawk model) for optimal four-wheel-drive performance on- or off-road and in any weather condition.
The Trail Rated® Jeep Compass Trailhawk
The All-New 2017 Jeep Compass Trailhawk was designed for those who seek adventure and prefer to venture off the beaten path, from coat to the coast. For even greater Trail Rated off-road capability, Selec-Terrain includes Selec-Speed Control with Hill-Descent Control on Trailhawk models. Additional features and highlights of the Trailhawk include standard Jeep Active Drive Low 4×4 20:1 crawl ratio; Selec-Terrain with Rock mode; increased ride height of almost one inch; skid plates; Jeep brand signature red front and rear tow hooks; unique fascias with a 30-degree approach angle, 24-degree breakover angle and 34-degree departure angle; Hill-Descent Control; aggressive 17-inch off-road tires; up to 19 inches of water-fording capability2; and up to 2,000 pounds towing capability when properly equipped.
City streets and on-road performance
When the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass returns from the trails along the Pacific Ocean, it’s ready to navigate the streets of Los Angeles in style with athletic on-road driving dynamics. The Compass features FCA’s “small wide architecture,” a fully independent suspension, Koni frequency damping front-and-rear-strut system, and precise electric power steering that combine to deliver an engaging and responsive ride. And when it comes to efficiency, the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass features the proven, efficient 2.4-liter Tigershark® four-cylinder engine matched with a standard 6-speed manual or available 6- or 9-speed automatic transmission.
Authentic Jeep vehicle design with premium features and open-air freedom
From highways to coastal trails and downtown streets to back country roads, the topography of America is as varied as the people who call it home. For these diverse adventure seekers, the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass features a premium, sculptural design aesthetic. The legendary seven-slot grille features a fresh look, with each of the individual chrome slots in a Gloss Black field. An available dual-pane sunroof provides a large opening overhead, connecting drivers and passengers to the outdoors and open-air freedom. And while you’re out enjoying that open-air freedom, you’ll be able to reach your cargo with ease thanks to the available power liftgate.
Interior Design and Technology
Inside, the center console neatly integrates the functional features of the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass, including gear-shift selection, available Selec-Terrain controls, electronic parking brake, climate and volume control knobs, and easily accessible media charging and connectivity ports within the cubby bin.
Advanced technology delivers thorough use of the new infotainment systems. The 2017 Jeep Compass offers four new Uconnect® systems (Uconnect 5.0, 7.0, 8.4 and 8.4NAV), delivering communication, entertainment and navigation features that drivers and passengers desire, including the full-color LED instrument cluster. And now, Apple CarPlay® and AndroidTM Auto are available, so you can connect your iPhone® or Android mobile device for seamless integration of calls and texts3, as well as your favorite apps, maps, music and more.
The best for last — safety and security comes first
The All-New 2017 Jeep Compass offers more than 70 available active and passive safety and security features, including “safety cage” construction with more than 65 percent high-strength steel. Available features include Forward Collision Warning-Plus4, LaneSense Departure Warning-Plus5, Blind Spot Monitoring5 with Rear Cross Path detection6 and ParkView® rear backup camera6 with dynamic grid lines — plus seven standard airbags7.
The west coast has been fun — now it’s time to explore the country. Learn more about the open-air freedom of the All-New 2017 Jeep Compass at jeep.com/compass.
1Based on the Compact SUV Segment and the Jeep Compass offering a low-range power transfer unit (PTU) with a 20:1 crawl ratio, low-range 4×4 capability.
2Water fording depth varies 19-30 inches depending on Trail Rated Jeep 4×4. Do not attempt water fording unless depth is known to be less than maximum capability. Check owner’s manual for details. Traversing water can cause damage not covered by the new vehicle warranty. Always off-road responsibly in approved areas.
3Vehicle must be registered with Uconnect Access and fulfill minimum subscription requirements. Requires the use of a compatible smartphone that supports text messaging and Bluetooth®.
4This system is an alert system for the front of the vehicle. It is not a substitute for active driver involvement. The driver must remain aware of traffic conditions and be prepared to use brakes to avoid collisions.
5Always check visually for vehicles prior to changing lanes.
6Always check entire surroundings visually before backing up.
7Always sit properly in designated seating positions
The post THE ALL-NEW 2017 JEEP® COMPASS DEBUTS AT THE LA AUTO SHOW appeared first on The Jeep Blog.
Undoubtedly, the transcontinental record posted last year will not stand for long, as there are probably teams of people right now plotting their strategy to traverse the country in less time. They will certainly achieve this with new routes, higher speeds, and/or better luck. Throughout the history of transcontinental travel, the limitations on closing the time gap was technology and the infrastructure: Wagons, trains, motorcycles, and cars traveled across everything from the barren wastelands of the Southwest to pristine asphalt freshly laid west.
The very nature of the automobile and railroad industry may change the environment of future attempts, as technology and the imagination of engineers and scientists endeavor to create safe, faster, and better travel. Autonomous vehicles, magnetic levitating (Maglev) bullet trains, and commercial airplanes complete with auto pilot, are the future. Imagine riding in a car that is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input; what’s more, imagine being surrounded by like vehicles. Perhaps the highways of the near future will be dominated by such cars and trucks that can run at high speeds for long durations in close formations, hampered neither by traffic, speed laws, or fuel constraints.
2016 Mercedes S Class autonomous features
For example, the 2016 Mercedes S-Class has options for autonomous steering, lane maintaining functions, acceleration/braking, parking, accident avoidance, and driver fatigue detection, in both city traffic and highway speeds of up to 124 mph. With adaptive cruise control (monitors distances to adjacent vehicles in the same lane, adjusting the speed with the flow of traffic) it has the earmarks of a completely autonomous vehicle.
Google’s self-driving car project
Not to be outdone by Mercedes, Audi and BMW have done extensive research on self-driving cars, but nothing like what Google has been working on. Sebastian Thrun is head of Google’s Self-Driving Car project at Google X (its experimental branch). Working on legislation passed in four states and Washington D.C. to allow driverless cars, Thrun’s team, along with Toyota, modified a Prius with driverless technology. In May 2012, it was the first such car to obtain a license for an autonomous car.
By 2020, Google plans to offer its version of a driverless car (it has no pedals nor a steering wheel) to the public. As of September 2015, Google’s fleet of experimental prototypes have traveled nearly 1.3 million miles of public roads (with only 14 minor traffic accidents).
Highways of the Future
Smart Highway by Daan Roosegaarde
Imagine a highway not dotted with road signs or streetlights, but brightly lit and well annotated. The lines on the road itself glows, and the road signs appear on a monitor inside the cabin of your car (or not at all; the car’s computer knows where it is and where it is going so you don’t have to). Sounds a little far fetched, but right now there are about three miles of Highway N329 outside of Amsterdam that use glowing green paint to mark the lanes. Developed by Daan Roosegaarde, the paint glows indefinitely, and he has big ideas to make it able to change colors depending on road conditions.
Solar Roadways
In Sandpoint, Idaho, Solar Roadways, owned by Scott and Julie Brusaw, has developed interconnected road panels to form a “smart” highway. Harnessing the power everywhere there are roads, can power lights, signs, and even electric cars using the roads themselves. In addition to the potential to power nearby homes, businesses, and electric vehicles, the panels also have heating elements for convenient snow and ice removal, as well as LEDs that can make road signage.
Take the Train
Japan’s high speed rail line
For years, countries like Japan and England/France have utilized high-speed rail in their countries. Japan’s Shinkansen line is the world’s busiest high-speed line, carrying nearly 151 million passengers a year between Tokyo and Osaka, while China’s high-speed system ferries over 370 million annually. Though they travel at approximately 150mph, this is by conventional railway trains (steel rails and a wheeled trains), but the future is Maglev train systems that travel on superconducting magnets that not only drive the train forward at incredible speeds but keep it planted on the tracks. In 2009, the Maglev Technological Practicality Evaluation Committee under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism deemed the SCMaglev system ready for commercial operation. In 2003, the Maglev train with three passenger cars (unoccupied) set the land speed record for railed vehicles at 361.0 mph. Completed systems will be online by 2027 in Japan, and at that rate, one could travel from New York to Los Angeles in 6.7 hours.
Beyond the Wheel
With cars communicating with each other along the highways, dangers ahead can be shared among the cars on the road. The speeds can increase, the distance between cars can decrease, and accidents can become nearly a thing of the past. As many automakers have shown, a computer is much quicker than any human in detecting a situation, deciding on what course of action to take, and taking that action. A deer crossing the road can be detected by a computer in pitch black darkness hundreds of feet away and a solution formatted long before the deer knows there’s a car approaching.
Production cars today are capable of sub-200 mph speeds; now imagine those speeds with the confidence of a well-engineered road and a computer at the helm, the time it would take to travel from New York to Los Angeles would be just over 12 hours.
The Transcontinental Record?
It is hard to say what the future holds, but one thing is clear: As long as there is a record on the books, someone, somewhere will try to break it. After all, when the first person set foot on this continent, negotiating a path to the other side was made impossible only by his or her own limitations.
The quickest way from the East to the West Coast was via Clipper ship around The Horn, taking about 150 days. By land, that time was nearly six months. Today, it is five hours by plane and, now, only 28 hours by car.
What will the record be in another 10 years? Twenty? And will it have been made by a human driving a car or a car driving the human? If it is the latter, will it still be a record?
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Throughout the history of American transportation, cross-country migration had been based on three things, imperialism — to conquer new lands and expand the country’s boundaries; on necessity — to farm land and achieve prosperity; and on recreation and education — to see the sights and explore new vistas. Late in the 20th century, a new aspect of cross-country travel emerged: racing, not just getting there, but going faster and getting there quicker.
The Cannonball Run
Dan Gurney and Brock Yates
Known officially as the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, the unofficial race was run five times in the 1970s and was the subject of several movies in the following decade. Car and Driver editor Steve Smith and magazine writer and racer Brock Yates devised the event as a celebration of Erwin George “Cannon Ball’ Baker’s previous record setting trips, as well as a protest against the National Maximum Speed Law being enacted in 1974 (which Yates and Smith argued was slower than the average speed of Baker’s 1933 New York City to Los Angeles trek). Yates and Smith were also inspired by various “road movies” of the late 1960s and early 1970s, specifically Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop and Richard C. Sarafian’s Vanishing Point (both released in 1971).
Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash vehicle: a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman, called “Moon Trash II”
The object of the race was simple: Leave the Red Ball Garage in New York City and be the first person to reach the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach in the shortest time possible. There were no other rules.
The first race began on May 3, 1971, using a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman van called the “Moon Trash II.” The race was run four more times over the next few years. In the 1975 running, Jack May and Rick Cline drove a Ferrari Dino in a record time of 35 hours and 53 minutes, averaging 83 mph. The second race was won by American racing legend Dan Gurney (winner of the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans) in a Ferrari Daytona. Dan later remarked, tongue in cheek: “At no time did we exceed 175 mph.”
After five runs, the official record for the Cannonball was 32 hours and 51 minutes (about 87 mph), set in the final run by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS in April 1979. Over 250 racers participated in the Cannonball Run races in anything from a Travco Motorhome (44:42) and a Honda 600 (DNF) to a Ferrari 308 (35:58) and a Mercedes Benz 450 SEL (32:59).
The race entered mainstream consciousness after a series of movies depicting the Cannonball Run debuted, all featuring illegal coast-to-coast races. Cannonball was directed by Paul Bartel and released in 1976, the same year as Charles Bail’s Gumball Rally, a more accurate depiction of the event. In 1981, Burt Reynolds joined an all-star cast in the movie Cannonball Run, based on the exploits of the original race. Cannonball Run was followed up in 1984 with a less-than-successful sequel. Both movies were written by Yates and directed by fellow car enthusiast and career stuntman Hal Needham. The movie uses the actual ambulance they both drove in the 1979 Cannonball Run (complete with a “doctor”). Speed Zone, considered the final installment of the Cannonball Run series of movies was released in 1989, and has a completely different cast (with the sole exception of Jamie Farr).
At Tire Rack One Lap of America, May 2014, via Tire Rack
After Car and Driver succumbed to the risks of sponsoring an illegal event, the editors chose to abandon any further attempts and started a successor race, the “Tire Rack One Lap of America.” Instead of a coast-to-coast straight shot, racers must compete various time trials on public roads and/or racetracks around the country. Started in 1984, the length of a typical race can be up to 10,000 miles. The 2015 event features 7 days of competition over 3245 miles and begins in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday, May 2nd.
Further Attempts
With the Cannonball Run as its inspiration, one of its former racers, Rick Doherty, organized the U.S. Express with similar aims. The only difference is that the U.S. Express terminated at the beach in Santa Monica, making it slightly longer than the Cannonball Run. The results of the 1983 race broke the previous record, clocking in 32 hours, 7 minutes by David Diem and Doug Turner at the wheel of a Mazda RX-7.
Alexander Roy
Though the U.S. Express record was never official nor was it documented or confirmed, it was still regarded as the record. Alexander Roy is an American rally driver and winner of the very Cannonball-esque Gumball 3000 around-the-world rally from England. A not-too-serious event, Roy regularly attends the rally in various police livery (in 2003 he was dressed as a Canadian Mounted Police driving a 2000 BMW M5). Roy meticulously prepares for rallies with the goal of avoiding police stops by using maps, GPS navigation, and spreadsheets. During the 2004 rally, he impersonated a police officer complete with mounted lights that he used to perform traffic stops against his competitors during the rally.
After hearing about the U.S. Express record from 1983, Roy set out to break its record in 2006. A practice run in December 2005 yielded a finishing time of 34 hours and 46 minutes, and the addition of a spotter plane. The following April ended in a fuel pump failure. The successful run took place over Columbus Day weekend in 2006 with co-driver David Maher (another Gumball rally driver). He traveled 2,794 miles in 31 hours and four minutes with an average speed of 90.1 miles. From New York to Santa Monica, he only encountered four traffic lights and four toll booths.
Dave Black, Ed Bolian, and Dan Huang
A three-man team led by Ed Bolian claims to have driven the 2,813.7 mile route from the Red Ball Garage in New York to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach on October 19-20, 2013, in 28 hours and 50 minutes, averaging 98 miles per hour, including the 15 minutes it took to get out of Manhattan. Driving a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG, and stopping only three times for fuel because the car was equipped with two specially installed 22-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks in addition to its standard 23-gallon tank, Bolian offered GPS logs as proof of his accomplishment (read more about it here: Doug DeMuro, “Meet The Guy Who Drove Across The U.S. In A Record 28 Hours 50 Minutes,” Jalopnik, 30 October 2013, Web.)
It is interesting to note that Brock Yates, the original founder of the Cannonball Run doesn’t acknowledge any further attempts, claiming, “Someone was going to get killed.”
Up next: Coast to Coast. The History of Transcontinental Travel, Part 5: The Future of Car Travel
Previous: Coast to Coast. The History of Transcontinental Travel, Part 3: Better Roads, Please
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By Ryan Lee Price
Turn of the century cross-country travel by automobile meant traversing poor roads. The trip took weeks, inspiring the US Army to try a journey of its own.
Soon after the turn of the century, some automobile companies were using their products to help promote sales in the shipping industry. In 1908, Packard sent one of its trucks from New York to San Francisco with a three-ton load. The trip took 48 days and helped inspire the US government to try a journey of its own.
The Lincoln Highway
One answer to the need for better roads was a continuous highway from coast to coast. The Lincoln Highway was perhaps the first main road to connect the two coasts, stretching from New York to San Francisco, and its direct impact southwest United States was limited. Most travelers didn’t turn left. In many sections the route made use of old roads, including a 17th-century road in New Jersey laid out by Dutch colonists; the Chambersburg turnpike used by Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to reach Gettysburg; portions of the Mormon Trail; routes used by the Pony Express; and the Donner Pass crossing of the Sierras.
The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway. It was named for the nation’s most honored president, Abraham Lincoln.
According to the 1919 edition of the Encyclopedia Americana, “The route is marked with a distinctive red, white and blue marker, bearing a blue ‘L’ on the central white field. For every mile of improvement secured on the Lincoln Highway, 10 miles have followed as a direct result upon other routes connecting important centers north and south with the main line. Along its entire length the highest type of highway construction is represented in this modern American Appian Way.”
In 1916, Woodrow Wilson announced as part of his election platform: “The happiness, comfort and prosperity of rural life, and the development of the city, are alike conserved by the construction of public highways.” He signed the Federal Aid Road Act, the first federal highway funding law, providing $75 million to build and improve roads.
The US Army Joins the Convoy
When moving people and materiel by railroad alone during World War I proved inadequate, the US Army experimented with truck convoys to supplement the railroad. The two-month ordeal of the US Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy in 1919 convinced the Army of the need for better roads.
US Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy of 1919
Despite this “Appian Way,” the US Army was determined to discover the true conditions of roads to the Pacific and set out on July 7 from Washington DC with 81 vehicles and trailers, including: 34 heavy cargo trucks, 4 light delivery trucks, two mobile machine shops, one blacksmith shop, one wrecking truck, an artillery wheeled tractor that towed nine trucks at once and was equipped with a power winch. There were two spare parts stores, two water tanks, one gasoline tank, one searchlight with an electrical power plant truck, four kitchen trailers, eight touring cars, one reconnaissance car, two staff observation cars, five sidecar motorcycles, and four solo motorcycles. As well as five GMC ambulances with two ambulance trailers, a four-ton pontoon trailer (left in Omaha) and a Renault Whippet FT-17 tank lashed to a flatbed trailer. Dealers en route supplied gasoline and tires to the convoy and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company provided two trucks that carried spare standard tires.
Most all of the 3,250 miles of roadways were unpaved and undeveloped, creating untold problems, both mechanical and logistical. Most of the men were not trained to use the equipment and literally only one man of the 24 officers (including a young Dwight D. Eisenhower), 15 staff members from the War Department and 258 enlisted men — Henry Ostermann — knew the way across what was then still a patchwork of roads that ranged from concrete to mud (he had driven across the country 19 times).
Passing through 350 towns and communities and being witnessed by nearly three million people, the convoy completed the trip in 63 days, arriving in Oakland, California on September 7, proving that the infrastructure of the country was woefully inadequate to transport much of anything, especially during a time of war.
In his novel Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck called Route 66, “The “Mother Road,” because it was used during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression in the 1930s by hundreds of thousands of people to flee great hardship.
Get Your Kicks on Route 66
Route 66 was a highway spawned by the demands of a rapidly changing America. Contrasted with the Lincoln, the Dixie, and other highways of its day, Route 66 did not follow the traditionally linear course as did the other highways. Its unusual diagonal course linked hundreds of rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago; thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution. The diagonal configuration of Route 66 was particularly significant to the trucking industry, which by 1930 had come to rival the railroad for preeminence in the American shipping industry. The “Mother Road,” christened so by John Steinbeck in his novel Grapes of Wrath, between Chicago and the Pacific Coast, traversed essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate than northern highways, which made it especially appealing to truckers.
From Chicago, Route 66 began as nothing more than a series of intertwining trails headed west, mostly a cobbling of farm-to-market roads, driveways, paths, old wagon trails, small rudely improved thoroughfares and downtown streets … as long as it pointed westward and got you out of town and toward the next, it was part of what would be called Route 66. More importantly, it ferried people to California, especially during the Great Depression when thousands of tenant farmers searched for a new life and better opportunities.
Until roughly 1926 (though official U.S. Route 66 signs didn’t appear until the following year), travelers would have to brave unmarked roads and meandering byways with trepidation that the next town would be just over the horizon. The road was rough and unforgiving, but the promise of California was a tempting motive, and as more cars became a prevalent part of American culture, more people took to the road.
Interstate Highway System
In an effort not only to connect the country’s population, but also to connect the country’s military installations and to ease the travel of the military, the Interstate Highway System was planned and implemented in earnest after the signing of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921.
In 1922, the Bureau of Public Roads commissioned General John “Black Jack” Pershing to provide a proposal for a national highway system (based on importance in the event of war). His proposal, referred to as “The Pershing Map,” was 32-feet long and suggested the building of 78,000 miles of road, most of which were completed and formed a substantial portion of the Interstate Highway System.
Throughout the 1920s, road construction boomed with the increased enthusiasm behind traveling and visiting the nation’s newest National Parks. From a 1922 report for the Department of Interior from the National Parks Service, it is clear that the automobile had really mobilized a nation [punctuation is original]: “Undoubtedly the principal factor in the travel movement in this country to-day is the enlarged use of the automobile. It is true the automobile affords a wide freedom in movement of parties limited only by the capacity of the cars, and permits stops at or excursions from any points en route to a particular destination that appeal to the members of the party. It meets the opportunities for out-of-door recreation that we Americans as a sightseeing nation seem to crave, and has come to be considered by many to be the ideal means of vacation travel.”
Having spent two months with the 1919 Army Convoy and seeing the mobilization of Germany with the Reichsautobahn system during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a strong proponent of the highway system. In 1955 the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways mapped out what became the Interstate System, and Charles Erwin Wilson, who was head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953, planned out the implementation of the highway system. This was in the midst of the Cold War, and Eisenhower debated for the highways for the purpose of national defense. In the event of an invasion, the US Army would need good highways to be able to transport troops across the country efficiently.
Missouri road was the first project of the 1956 Federal Aid Highway Act.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 (known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956), authorized $25 billion dollars to be spent over 12 years of construction (with the states paying 10 percent of the cost through taxes on fuel, cars and tires). However, it ended up costing $114 billion and took 35 years. The last portion of the original plans — a section of the I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado — was completed on October 14, 1992.
The nation was connected.
Up next: Coast to Coast. The History of Transcontinental Travel, Part 4: The New Record Setters
Previous: Coast to Coast. The History of Transcontinental Travel, Part 2: Wheels and Wings
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