"I majored in auto history" is not a statement that you are likely to hear from a recent college grad. Although McPherson College in Kansas offers a degree in Automotive Restoration Technology, I do not believe any university offers a bachelor's degree in automotive history per se. Nonetheless, it could be useful to speculate on the courses that might be included in such a degree should some innovative university become interested in offering an automotive history major. Judging from recent inquires that I have received on our website and discussions with SAH members, a degree in automotive history is of more than theoretical interest.

What, then, would be included in such a degree? In hopes of encouraging a dialogue on that subject, let me present my own course sequence and the rationale behind it. I would have first-year students begin their studies with two "foundation" courses, the first of which would be a broad overview of technology from the 18th century to the present, with the goal of providing the automotive historian-to-be with a solid understanding of the economic, political, and social forces responsible for the inventions and innovations that under gird contemporary society. That course ought to be followed by one that explores transportation history in the 19th and 20th centuries, comparing the development and impact of trains, automobiles, and airplanes.

With that background, the students would then complete a "core" sequence of four courses. That core would consist of a history of the auto industry, including special attention to the evolution of the structure of the industry and its manufacturing/production techniques; a course focusing on the development of automotive styling/design and engineering; a third offering examining the social and cultural impact of motorization on urban, suburban, and rural life; and, finally, a course exploring the future of the motor car, both technologically and as the primary mode of personal transportation. Throughout each of these courses, due attention would be given to the pioneers, inventors, and entrepreneurs responsible for the developments being studied, and to similarities and differences between the European, American, and Asian experiences.

The automotive history major would then be in a position to benefit from an array of "upper-level" electives. Such electives might include, in no particular order, the history of: Automotive Sales and Advertising (including dealerships); Motorized Vehicles in Government Service; The Car in Literature; The Car in the Arts (film, photography, sculpture); Highways, Bridges, and Related Infrastructure; Food, Lodging, and Other Roadside Amenities; Auxiliary Enterprises (for example, the gas/petrol, steel, and tire industries); Labor-Management Relations; Personal Leisure and Recreation; The Sport of Motor Racing; Automotive Safety and the Car's Impact on Health and the Environment; Lives of Famous Automotive Personalities; Global Automotive Economic Competition; The Impact of Motorization on Family and Community Life; Cars in Developing Countries; etc. In addition, there should be provision for "Special Topics" courses, ones that might focus on the history of a particular marque or automotive innovation.

Finally, in the senior year, there ought to be a "capstone" experience that would consist of writing a major paper or thesis and/or engaging in an internship at an automotive museum, library, or archive.