America's relationship with British cars began after the Second World War. American servicemen returning from the war began to sing the praises of the agile British sports cars they had driven during their time in Europe, and people listened. The British automotive industry, very much part of the
"Export or Die" mentality in post-war British manufacturing, was delighted that these ex-soldiers, practically serving as sales reps, were promoting British cars in a wealthy U.S. economy. Meanwhile, the British Treasury wanted a steady stream of American dollars; therefore steel, a crucial element in car production, was allocated mostly to companies exporting to the United States. With encouragement from both buyers in America and the government at home, Britain's car makers wasted no time in shipping cars across the Atlantic to the United States.
Just as American soldiers returning from World War II felt nostalgia for the cars they saw and drove in England, so too do many older Americans fondly remember the fun times in the exciting British cars of their youth. Younger generations of car enthusiasts have also started to appreciate the exhilaration of driving a British sports car, which some would argue is motoring in its purest form.
This exhibit at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum explores the history of this relationship, as well as the principles of Determination, Innovation, and Exportations upon which this cultural and automotive exchange emerged and flourished.