<P> Starting in the mid-1950s, new car introductions in the fall once again became an anticipated event, as all dealers would reveal the models for the upcoming year each October . In this era before the popularization of computerization, the primary source of information on new models was the dealer . The idea was originally suggested in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, as a way of stimulating the economy by creating demand . The idea was reintroduced by President Dwight Eisenhower for the same reasons, and this method of introducing next year's models in the preceding autumn lasted well into the 1990s . </P> <P> During the decade, many smaller manufacturers could not compete with the Big Three and either went out of business or merged . In 1954, American Motors was formed when Hudson merged with Nash - Kelvinator Corporation in a deal worth almost $200 million, the largest corporate merger in United States history at that time . </P> <P> The muscle - car era is deeply rooted in the 1950s, although there is some debate as to the exact beginning . Old Cars Weekly claims it started with the introduction of the original Chrysler "Firepower" hemi V8 engine in 1951, while others such as Hot Rod magazine consider the first overhead valve engine by Chevrolet, the 265 cid V8, as the "heir apparent to Ford flathead's position as the staple of racing", in 1955 . The "small block Chevy" itself developed its own subculture that exists today . Other contenders include the 1949 Oldsmobile V8 engine, the first in a long line of such powerful V8 engines, as well as the Cadillac V8 of the same year . </P> <P> Regardless how it is credited, the horsepower race centered around the V8 engine and the muscle - car era lasted until new smoke regulations forced dramatic changes in OEM engine design in the early 1970s . This in turn opened up new opportunities for aftermarket manufacturers like Edelbrock . Each year brought larger engines and / or increases in horsepower, providing a catalyst for customers to upgrade to newer models . Automobile executives also deliberately updated the body designs yearly, in the name of "planned obsolescence" and added newly developed or improved features such as automatic transmissions, power steering, power brakes and cruise control, in an effort to make the previous models seem outdated and facilitate the long drive from the suburbs . Record sales made the decade arguably the "golden era" of automobile manufacturing . </P>

Which of the following played a significant role in the consumer culture of the 1950s