15. The Golden Age of the Drive-In (1950s)
Following the conclusion of World War II, America’s car-centric culture reached an absolute fever pitch. Nothing symbolized this lifestyle shift more perfectly than the meteoric rise of the drive-in movie theater, where thousands of families could watch a film from the absolute comfort of their own automobiles. Once upon a time, movie experience meant rows upon rows of pristine, classic mid-century vehicles parked beneath a towering, multi-story outdoor screen. Drivers would clip a heavy, clunky metal speaker directly onto their driver-side window to hear the audio. While a handful of nostalgic drive-ins still exist today, the scale of these massive, thousands-car outdoor gatherings has been completely eclipsed by indoor megaplexes and home streaming networks.
16. The Dr. Purves Dynasphere (1932)
Taking the monowheel concept to an absolute mechanical extreme, British inventor Dr. J.H. Purves designed the Dynasphere in 1932. Inspired by a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, this bizarre vehicle was a giant rolling sphere made of latticed ironwork, powered by a two-horse-power gasoline engine. The driver and passenger sat entirely inside the central hoop on a platform that remained stationary while the massive outer cage rolled forward. Dr. Purves confidently claimed that his sphere was the future of high-speed travel, hoping it would eventually reach 30 miles per hour on public highways. Sadly, steering the heavy iron behemoth proved nearly impossible, and the project was abandoned, leaving us with an unforgettable visual of mid-century transit optimism.