Abstract
The automobile has become, over the course of its century-old history, one of the driving forces of every economy, of social change, of personal well-being and of mobility. Mobility itself is intimately linked to the whole history and evolution of mankind. Because it is so much a part of everyday life, the automobile is far more than a simple consumer product. It has been shaped by and reflects economic and social trends at least as much as it has influenced them. It is therefore part and parcel of today's often conflicting social currents, and has become to a certain extent the victim of its own success.