How Boomers Ruined Cars

It’s finally happened: SUVs have taken over the US.

Sources & Citations

Citations reference first appearance, without repeating for subsequent usage:

• Jalopnik: Trucks and SUVs Are Now Over 80 Percent Of New Car Sales In The U.S. (2022)

• The New York Times: Rise of SUVs: Leaving Cars in Their Dust, With No Signs of Slowing (2020)

• Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy: The Unchecked Rise of Trucks and SUVs in America (2024)

• Wired: Tall Vehicle Hoods Really Are Increasing Pedestrian Deaths (2024)

• The New Daily: Research shows SUVs and light trucks are among the most deadly vehicles (2025)

• Automotive News: Crossovers and SUVs fatten profit margins (2017)

• Bloomberg: GM Profits Fueled by Full-Sized SUV, Truck Demand, CEO Barra Says (2026)

• The Globe and Mail: The SUV ‘markup:’ How much more are you paying for an SUV? (2019)

• Reuters: Ford revs up large SUV production to boost margins, challenge GM (2018)

• 94th US Congress: Energy Policy and Conservation Act (1975-1976)

• Keith Bradsher: High and Mighty: SUVs—The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way (2002)

• Car and Driver: 1984 Jeep Cherokee Reimagines the 4x4 for a New Age (1983)

• The New York Times: Warning Issued on More Tires From Firestone (2000)

• The New York Times: AM General Gets Army Contract (1989)

• Car and Driver: Tested: 1995 AM General Hummer H1 Adapts to Civilian Life (1995)

• The Guardian: Sun sets on era of the Humvee as US military announces successor (2015)

• The Guardian: The End of the Road (2008)

• The New York Times: G.M. Has High Hopes for Vehicle Truly Meant for Road Warriors (2000)

• Fox News Channel: Despite Anti-SUV Sentiments, Sales Are Booming (2003)

• LA Times: Passenger Cars ARe Outsold by Light Trucks for First Time (2002)

• Carbuzz: How 1990s SUVs Fixed Their Terrible Safety Ratings (2025)

• Taxnotes: IRS Offers Bird’s Eye View of New Taxes on Luxury Items (1990)

• EPA: Gas Guzzler Tax (accessed 2026)

• Autoweek: Definition of truck is a CAFE loophole, critics say (2002)

• EPA: The 2025 EPA Automotive Trends Report (2026)

• The New Yorker: Big and Bad (2005)

• The New York Times: THE NATION; Making Tons of Money and Fords, Too (1999)

• Forbes: The biggest of the big (1998)

• Yahoo! Autos: SUVs & Crossovers Outsell Sedans For The First Time Ever (2014)

• The Wall Street Journal: America Has Fallen Out of Love With the Sedan (2018)

• CNET: Trucks and SUVs are king: 80% of new cars sold this month will be utility vehicles (2022)

• Vox: America has the world’s safest air travel but sucks so bad at car safety (2023)

• Slate: The SUV Arms Race (2018)

• NBC News: Bumper Test: Cars vs. SUVs (2004)

• Transportation Alternatives: The Deadly and Costly Impact of supersized vehicles in New York (2023)

• IEA: As their sales continue to rise, SUVs’ global CO2 emissions are nearing 1 billion tonnes (2023)

• EIA: Gasoline is the primary U.S. transportation fuel (accessed 2026)

• Car and Driver: The 10 Bestselling EVs of 2025 (2026)

• Forbes: The Truth About 84-Month Car Loans: Smarter Buy Or Financial Trap? (2025)

• Bankrate: Late car payments are at a 15-year high. How we got here, and what you can do if you’re feeling the pinch (2025)

• CNBC Select: Americans are drowning in auto loan debt. Why now could be the best time to refinance (2025)

• Automotive News: Ford CEO Jim Farley’s 2024 compensation falls to $24.9 million (2025)

• NBC News: Ford to stop making all passenger cars except the Mustang (2018)

Episode Credits

Creator/Host: Rollie Williams

Writers: Rollie Williams, Matt Nelsen & Irene Plagianos

Director: Matt Nelsen

Editors: Rollie Williams, Ryan Brown, & Paul Ramsdell

Executive Producers: Rollie Williams, Matt Nelsen, & Daniella Philipson

Cinematography: Matt Nelsen

Producer: Daniella Philipson

Colorist: Nicholas Lareau

Desk Production Design: Caity Birmingham (http://caitybirmingham.com)

Intro Animator: Ian MK Cessna (https://ianhasawebsite.com/) 

Theme music by: Gratis (https://www.youtube.com/@gratis3241)

Special thanks: Keith Bradsher, Matt Girvan, & Deborah Sivas

Special thanks to the Civil Liberties Defense Center (https://cldc.org/) for their continued support.

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