A Light-Hearted Look at Automotive Manufacturing Disasters

By Dave Elton, Auburn University

Cars are integral to American culture. Car metaphors fill our vernacular (“put the pedal to the metal”, “it’s a doozy”, “deadman’s curve”). They are part of all our lives. We follow the price of gas religiously, compare notes and gas mileage with strangers and engage in “driveway colloquiums” in the suburbs. We teach our kids to drive, we pay insurance, we use cars daily, we complain about traffic, we stand at stoplights, we get speeding tickets, and we all seek an honest mechanic. Dave Elton will talk about cars, particularly some automotive manufacturing disasters.

Professor Emeritus DAVE ELTON was a member of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Auburn University, with a doctorate in geotechnical engineering from Purdue University. He stopped working about 10 years ago (although his supervisor might say it was closer to 15).  Elton has had a lifelong fascination with cars, including manufacture, history, racing, repair, technical specifications, music, culture and more. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians.