Q 01/05

Which material formed the body of the first Chevrolet Corvette when the sports car launched in 1953?

A) Aluminum

B) Fiberglass

C) Stainless steel

D) Magnesium alloy

Answer · why

B) Fiberglass

Fiberglass bodies were so new that each of the 300 cars built in 1953 came out slightly different. They were largely hand-built in an old truck plant ...

Q 02/05

Which Ford brand, launched for 1958 with a vertical horse-collar grille, became a byword for commercial failure?

A) Mercury

B) Meteor

C) Monarch

D) Edsel

Answer · why

D) Edsel

Edsel was named in honour of Henry Ford's son, over the objections of Henry Ford II. Ford dropped the brand in November 1959 after losing more than $2...

Q 03/05

Which actor died in 1955 driving his Porsche 550 Spyder, nicknamed Little Bastard, to a race in Salinas?

A) James Dean

B) Sal Mineo

C) Marlon Brando

D) Montgomery Clift

Answer · why

A) James Dean

James Dean had traded in a Porsche Speedster for the faster Spyder only nine days before the crash. He had just finished filming Giant.

Q 04/05

Which safety device did Volvo's Nils Bohlin introduce in 1959 after designing ejection systems at Saab?

A) Padded dashboard

B) Laminated windshield glass

C) Three-point seat belt

D) Front crumple zone

Answer · why

C) Three-point seat belt

Three-point seat belt patents were opened up by Volvo, which let rival carmakers use the design for free in the interest of safety.

Q 05/05

Which US president signed the 1956 act that created the Interstate Highway System?

A) Dwight Eisenhower

B) Harry Truman

C) John F. Kennedy

D) Franklin Roosevelt

Answer · why

A) Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight Eisenhower had crossed America in 1919 with an Army truck convoy, a slog along the Lincoln Highway that some biographers credit for his backing...