The Road of Tomorrow

Tucker Hughes

The New York World’s Fair was a beautiful display of “The World of Tomorrow”, the Ford Pavilion at the Fair wanted to focus on “The Road of Tomorrow”. The titan motor company showcased the new body styles and technologies their cars had to offer, and they also presented a material to build roads consisting of a cork and rubber hybrid. This was designed to be softer for cars and pedestrians and it actually made cars more fuel efficient. The new car and road technologies displayed by the Ford Motor Company truly represented the overall view of the world of tomorrow. This is from Ford’s ability to create luxury, comfort, and ease of mind in each of their new models of cars, but they were also creating newly efficient techniques and systems that had previously not been seen in the automotive industry. I thought they were very fascinating innovations, especially the cork and rubber hybrid road. Many automotive companies focus on the cars to become more fuel efficient, but no one actually looks at the roads. Unfortunately, since these roads were so soft, they eventually would break down much quicker than concrete and asphalt roads, but the innovation itself was still very interesting and innovative. In terms of the World’s Fair, I think the Ford Pavilion did a great job at fitting in with the theme. The reoccurring themes throughout this fair included all the shiny and modern amenities the world has to offer, but it was mostly about the efficiency of people. Whether that be robotic hairdressers, new roadway systems, or more efficient buildings, everything at the World’s Fair was about creating efficient solutions previous problems. During this time, the Ford Motor Company was all about efficiency. The assembly line system had just been developed and Ford was producing thousands of cars every single day, and it was very important for the World’s Fair to showcase this American company. It was a display of the hard working American, and how far they have come in just one decade after the great depression. This was a way for America to escape and see a great new world full of innovations and technologies that would make our lives better, and after years of suffering from the great depression, it was very much needed. The Ford Motor Company played quite a big role in the aftermath of the great depression. Because of the new formed assembly lines in the mid 30’s, Ford was able to provide thousands to millions of jobs to lower class Americans. Whether that job was to tighten one screw on the car, or drop in the engine, families were able to obtain shelter and food like any human being should have. I think it was really smart to showcase the Ford Pavilion at the World’s Fair because the fair was so much more than inventions. It was about the culture and the hardships countries around the world were having to face, and nothing says American culture like the Ford Motor Company.