Car Crazy: 1950s Onwards (OOL)
Osher Online | Registration opens Tuesday, February 4, 2025 10:00 AM
In this course, we will explore key eras of automotive history, as a way of understanding the profound impact cars have on society and culture. We will discuss the role of influential designers, the creation of iconic vehicles like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette, and the appeal of visionary concept cars like the Ford Nucleon – all of which highlight the creativity and innovation of each era. We will discuss how global car cultures, from America’s muscle cars to Japan’s futuristic designs, reflect the unique identities and values of their societies. These vehicles have become symbols of creativity, status, and technological progress. Whether it’s Germany’s precision-engineered sports cars or Italy’s exquisitely crafted performance masterpieces, each region brings its own distinct flavor to the world of automotive design. Learn how the worldwide car scene showcases the diversity of human innovation and cultural expression, cementing automobiles as both a tool of progress and a reflection of societal evolution.
Class schedule: Live lectures will take place on Wednesdays, 4/9/25 - 5/14/25 via ZOOM
As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu. The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website. Please save the link once you receive it. Multi-session courses will use this same link each week.
Pandora Paul
Pandora Paúl is the Curator at America’s Automotive Trust and LeMay America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. She grew up in Southern California enjoying drives in her father’s red ’59 Convertible Corvette, her mom’s ’70 Opel GT, and cruising while in high school in her ’77 Malibu Classic station wagon. Her career has included both work and play in museum education, training, and curation. Pandora was part of the team at the San Diego Automotive Museum, creating award-winning exhibits. She has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Automobile Museums. She loves to showcase vehicles that have not seen before, as well as interpreting cars in unique ways that inspire conversation and create wonder and awe. She believes that automobiles are snapshots of our culture.