Engines Quote by Philip Appleman
““How Evolution Came to Indiana In Indianapolis they drive five hundred miles and end up where they started: survival of the fittest. In the swamps of Auburn and Elkhart, in the jungles of South Bend, one-cylinder chain-driven runabouts fall to air-cooled V-4’s, a-speed gearboxes, 16-horse flat-twin midships engines— carcasses left behind by monobloc motors, electric starters, 3-speed gears, six cylinders, 2-chain drive, overhead cams, supercharged to 88 miles an hour in second gear, the age of Leviathan ... There is grandeur in this view of life, as endless forms most beautiful and wonderful are being evolved. And then the drying up, the panic, the monsters dying: Elcar, Cord, Auburn, Duesenberg, Stutz—somewhere out there, the chassis of Studebakers, Marmons, Lafayettes, Bendixes, all rusting in high-octane smog, ashes to ashes, they end up where they started.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Evolution Came to Indiana” by Philip Appleman, 1990s
The poem reflects on the rise and fall of automotive innovation in Indiana, likening it to natural selection and the relentless cycle of creation and decay.
In simple terms: Cars rise and fall like species.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the impermanence of progress.
Themes
history
technology
impermanence
nostalgia
industrial decline
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
poetic
historical
When to use this quote
- automotive history
- regional culture
- industrial analysis
- environmental impact
Key Concepts
evolution
entropy
innovation cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- What lessons can modern engineers learn from past failures?
- How does regional identity shape technological narratives?
A Different Perspective
Nostalgia may overlook systemic issues.
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