Boat (car)
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A boat is an informal (although once widely used) term for the massive cars produced by the Detroit manufacturers during the 1950s and onward. The age of the boats came to a rather abrupt end in the early 1970s, when the first gas crisis hit and driving a needlessly large car became impractical financially.
The term (possibly) derives from the fact that the vehicles in question were indeed the size of small watercraft. Another possible explanation is the tendency of these cars to 'float' on a generous suspension, like a boat on the water.
[edit] History
Cars had been growing more or less constantly since their conception in the late 1800s. By the 1950s, with low oil prices and a general political and economic 'feel good' feeling underway, the age of the boats was born.
[edit] Economics
Since more cargo can be fit into a larger car, and there was no reason not to have one, the large cars held sway for an impressive period of time. Moving larger cars took more gasoline, but since gasoline was exceedingly cheap at the time, this was not a problem. What ultimately killed the age of the boats was the 1973 oil crisis combined with a ready flow of gas efficient imports that left the Detroit manufacturers scrambling to catch up.
[edit] Rebirth
The scenario that birthed the age of the boats reemerged in the early 1990s. This brought about the age of SUVs.
The primary difference between SUVs and the boats of earlier years is size. The boat sizing never fully vanished; cars were made on the same size, but lighter. By the time SUVs emereged, cars the size of old boats were sometimes only half the weight of the predecessors. Thus, an SUV the weight of an early boat would be much, much bigger in size and volume.
As gas prices again rise, and with many economists believing that the Earth may have reached the oil production peak, the age of the SUVs may soon draw to a close for the same reason as the age of the boats did.
