The Computer that will be in your Car

Need is indeed, the mother of invention. For decades, in this country, a prime critera of the automobile manufacturers' was large comfortable "muscle" cars. This is what the public wanted and the automotive market was (and still is) a buyers' market. Small gas efficient foreign cars were a rarity until the 1970s. (It should be noted that gasoline in most foreign countries has been relatively very expensive for 20-30 years.) Why did the American public demand the large cars? Several reasons-American gas was among the cheapest in the world, the cars were lightly taxed, they were affortable for most middle class budgets, and a large shiny car was a prestigious status symbol that "one had arrived" at prosperity.