It's hard to imagine what 1946 felt like unless you were there. I was a teenager but I can still remember the first sighting of brand new automobiles in Canada since 1939 (or 1942 if you lived in the USA, which was a little slow getting involved in WW2). Those cars were merely warmed-over versions of pre-war models but nobody cared. They were shiny and new and you could drive them as far as you wanted without gas ration coupons. The future looked glorious, so much so that the city of Detroit organised what some now call "the forgotten world's fair." Actually it was an Automotive Golden Jubilee of World's Fair Proportions and is being celebrated with an exhibit in the Detroit Public Library, "a fascinating assortment of photographs and memorablia that reconstruct a surprising portrait of the Motor City at a crucial moment in its past." The exhibit runs to April 15, 2007, so if you're in the area, this display is worth a visit. The Mercury float in the picture says it all. Credit Hemmings for this reminder.