Nostalgic images of American road trips from every decade
Frances Carruthers
12 August 2024
The open road
Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images
1910s: a family poses by their car
Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images
1910s: the first-ever RV
Library of Congress/Bain Collection
1910s: touring the national parks
Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr/CC0
1920s: birth of Tin Can Tourism
Florida Memory/Public Domain
1920s: an unusual attraction in Yosemite
Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images
1920s: a legendary cross-country race
Hirz/Getty Images
1930s: road trippers check their directions
FPG/Getty Images
1930s: boots allow people to pack luggage
FPG/Getty Images
1930s: the first Airstream arrives
Courtesy Airstream archive
1940s: car drives through Badlands National Park
Jim Heimann Collection/Getty Images
1940s: automobile ownership on the rise
Kirn Vintage Stock/Corbis via Getty Images
1940s: car drives through Yellowstone National Park
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images
1950s: road-tripping increases in popularity
FPG/Getty Images
1950s: famous stars take to the road
Paul Schutzer/Getty Images
1950s: motels and diners spring up everywhere
Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images
1960s: Route 66 gains notoriety
Hulton Archive Staff/Getty Images
1960s: Aristocrat is the top trailer maker
Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images
1960s: camper vans make waves
Archive Photos/Getty Images
1970s: VWs dominate the hippie trail
The U.S. National Archives/Flickr/CC0
1970s: more campsites spring up
Florida Memory/Public Domain
1970s: trailers experience a fall from grace
Landre/ClassicStock/Getty Images
1980s: motels shut their doors on Route 66
Richard Jordan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1980s: NASCAR fans gather at Daytona International Speedway
Robert Alexander/Getty Images
1980s: RVs become more advanced
Richard Hamilton Smith/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
1990s: tourists take in Alaskan scenery
Design Pics Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
1990s: old-school trailers are back
Phil Taplin/Alamy Stock Photo
1990s: Big Sur maintains its magic
ClassicStock/Getty Images
2000s: the most popular RV
Winnebago Industries/Getty Images
2000s: drive-thru in Maryland
Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy Stock Photo
2000s: remnants of Route 66
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
2010s: navigation gets an upgrade
mariakray/Shutterstock
2010s: camper vans powered by solar
Robert Alexander/Getty Images
2010s: road tripping goes electric
On The Run Photo/Shutterstock
2020s: a pandemic causes problems
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
2020s: remote working on the road
simona pillola 2/Shutterstock
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature