The automobile has probably changed people's way of life more than any other invention of the last century. More than electric lights, television, air travel, or even computers, automobiles have changed where people live and work, how they make a living, and even how they find a mate.

Before there were cars, people generally traveled on foot or by horse and buggy over unpaved roads. Whether they lived in the city or the country, they rarely went farther than a few miles from home. They saw the same people and places year after year.

The car opened up whole new worlds. Roads were paved, and motorists went to see different parts of the country. Some decided to stay. People with cars could live farther from their jobs, and so the age of commuting began. New suburbs sprang up around the cities. The auto industry boomed, and millions of Americans made a living manufacturing, selling, servicing, or insuring cars.

As more people got cars, your people began driving them. No longer was courtship confined to the girl's front porch, under the watchful eye of her parents. The automobile began the sexual revolution.

Some people believe that commuting, suburban life, and courting in cars are mixed blessings. Whether the changes are good or bad, they seem to be here to stay.