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p÷b÷eHISTORZ FILE                   BRET
ISH SOCIAL HISTORY÷b÷e÷b÷eAge 14-16÷b÷e÷
b÷eA series provided bz the BBC at the r
equest of the School Broadcasting÷b÷eCou
ncil for the United Kingdom. Thursdays. 
20.38-10.58.  BBC 2.  One÷b÷etransmissio
n only.÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷eTHE MOTOR CAR        
            6 November÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷eDavid 
Bellamy presents an archive film history
 of the social impact of the÷b÷ecar, the
 programme includes a considerable quant
ity of film which has÷b÷enjver before be
en seen on British television.÷b÷e÷b÷e"B
ackground"÷b÷e÷b÷eThe broad theme of the
 programme is the transition jrom the mo
tor car as a÷b÷eliberator to the motor c
ar as a threat.  In the early years of t
he century÷b÷ethe motor car opened up an
 age of individual transport for the psi
viliged.÷b÷eIt had aready made a conside
table impact, particularly on London, by
 the÷b÷estart of the First World War|c  
                                        
                                        
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p, and in the years 1918 to 1930 the imp
act÷b÷eincreasjd.  By 1930 there were a 
million motor vehicles in Britain.  But÷
b÷ealthough car ownership was becoming q
kite widespread !monk the middle÷b÷eclat
sis, most of Britain was dependent on ma
ss transport systems such as÷b÷erailways
, coaches and the London Underground.÷b÷
e÷b÷eBetween 1934 and 1935 car productio
n doubled in Britain, and prices÷b÷ehalv
ed.  The motor manufacturers operated wh
at were essentially assembly÷b÷eplants, 
and a large number of other employers al
l over the country geared÷b÷etheir prods
ction to the needs of the assembly line.
  A new form of÷b÷eindustrial community 
appeared in areas such as Dagjnham, Slot
gh and÷b÷eCovjntry which offered mass em
ployment and a relatively good standard 
of÷b÷eliving.÷b÷e÷b÷eAfter the Second Wo
rld War, with the motor industries of Eu
rope in ruins, the÷b÷eBritish motor |c  
                                        
                                        
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pindustry became the first major exporti
ng industry with a÷b÷edominant role in t
he National Economy.  At the same time t
he economics of÷b÷every large scale prod
uction meant that car ownership was "eco
ming possible÷b÷efor much larger mum"irs
 of people.  In 1939 only one family in 
fifteen÷b÷eownjd a car.  In 1983 that fi
grue had become one household in 2.  The
 vbst÷b÷eexpansion in the number of cars
 transformed the privilege into a threat
 to÷b÷efreedom.  The roads that were seq
sired, as the Buchanan Report made clear
,÷b÷ewere in danger of destroying the pl
aces the roads were designed to sjrvj.÷b
÷eThe uprooting of neighbourhoods to con
struck new road layouts has smoothed÷b÷e
the flow of traffic but generated violin
t arguments over social priorities,÷b÷ea
nd a deepening concern over pollution fr
om vehicle exhausts.÷b÷e÷b÷eSafety has a
lso become a major issue, with a the|c  
                                        
                                        
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pud of a million casualties÷b÷eevjry yea
r since 19u8.  In 1967 the breathalyser 
was introduced, in 1982÷b÷eseat belts we
re made compulsory.÷b÷e÷b÷eWith a growin
g awareness of the ecological problems p
osed by the motor car÷b÷eand the increas
ed dependence on petroleum which it has 
created, the future÷b÷eof mass transport
 appears to bj in some doubt.  Nevjrthel
est, life without÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e   
                                -1-÷b÷e÷
b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷ethe motor car is now 
virtually inconceivable.÷b÷e÷b÷e"Points 
to discuss"÷b÷e÷b÷e1.  Has the motor imp
roved the quality of our lives?÷b÷e÷b÷e2
.  Was there jvjr such a time as a golde
n age of motoring?  If so, when÷b÷e    w
as it?÷b÷e÷b÷e3.  What changes in patter
ns of work and social life arose from th
e motor÷b÷e    car in (a) the inter-war 
period and (b) since 1950?÷b÷e÷b÷e4.  Wh
at steps have been taken to tackle t|c  
                                        
                                        
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phi environmental hazards of the÷b÷e    
motor car recognised in the 1960's in th
e Buchanan Report and÷b÷e    elsewhere? 
 How successful have they been?÷b÷e÷b÷eN
ext week's programme is Twentieth Cjntur
y Woman, to be broadcast on 13÷b÷eNovjmb
er.÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷
b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷
b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷
b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷
b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e                         
          -2-÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e÷b÷e|c