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wow......
ok you said "Oh, really? Ever sat in a Model T Ford? And conversely, a lot of early European cars were pretty big: Rolls-Royce, Bugatti Royale, etc."
I wasn't aware that everybody in europe was driving RR and BRs?????? my mistake.
and the comparison to the Model T is only about 20 yrs apart and two different types of consumers.
But let me go back to the beginning.
90% of all towns and cities that exist in europe were built and finished by 1900. the size of the roads in the towns were set.
90% of all towns and roads that exist in the US were still in development......we were still an Ag economy.
but to follow your point. Cars in the US got big because the could. Cars in europe got small because the had to.
Land is at a premium in the cities in europe. (much like New York) having a garage to put a car in was unheard of. (havung been to Paris and Northern France and also Southern Italy and Rome)
Actually, it was all a secret plot by the Marshall Plan (you know where the US sent HUGE amounts of money to keep the Commies from taking over western europe) to keep the cars small.
I say that in jest, but think about the time from 46-54. America was awash in pent up demand and consumerism. Europe was just beginning to rebuild the destruction that had washed over the land. There was a limited supply of mfg and raw material in europe.
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