Today, we dive into a story that goes far beyond a simple mechanical defect.

The recent federal appeals court decision ordering General Motors (GM) to face a class action lawsuit over alleged faulty transmissions is a watershed moment that touches on issues of corporate responsibility, consumer rights, and the very nature of the American automotive industry.

Let's start with the facts: The lawsuit alleges that GM knowingly sold vehicles with defective transmissions affecting some 800,000 units, including popular models like the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, and GMC Yukon from 2015 to 2019.

The reported issues - shaking in higher gears and erratic lurching in lower ones - aren't just inconveniences; they represent potential safety hazards for drivers, passengers, and others on the road.

To understand the significance of this case, we need to look back at the long and sometimes troubled history of automotive safety in America.

Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir was born in 1822 in Mussy-la-Ville, Belgium. Unlike many inventors of his time, Lenoir didn't come from a wealthy or educated background. He was the son of a humble innkeeper and had little formal education. But what he lacked in schooling, he made up for with curiosity and determination.

As a young man, Lenoir moved to Paris, the city of lights and innovation. There, he worked various jobs, including as an enameler and electroplater. These experiences gave him hands-on knowledge of materials and mechanics, which would prove crucial in his later inventions.

Nikolaus August Otto, born in 1832 in Holzhausen auf der Haide, was a self-taught engineer with a passion for engines. He started his career as a traveling salesman for a grocery company.

Despite lacking formal education, Otto's curiosity drove him to experiment tirelessly as he experimented with building his own engines in his spare time. He balanced his inventive pursuits with family life, married to Anna Gossi and father to seven children.

His future business partner, Eugen Langen, born in 1833 in Cologne, came from a more privileged background. The son of a sugar manufacturer, Langen studied at the Polytechnic Institute in Karlsruhe, gaining both technical knowledge and business acumen.

His involvement in the family's sugar business gave him practical experience in industry and commerce. In the partnership, he was the business-savvy industrialist who knew how to turn ideas into money.

In our journey through the early evolution of engines, we've explored Huygens' explosive experiments, Lenoir's gas engine, and Otto and Langen's atmospheric design.

But behind these inventions lies an unsung hero: metallurgy.

The story of engine development is as much about metal as it is about mechanics.

Imagine trying to contain a gunpowder explosion in a metal cylinder, or building a piston that can withstand thousands of combustions without warping. These were the challenges faced by our engine pioneers, and they couldn't have overcome them without concurrent advancements in metallurgy.

Our new format, our new content, what do you think?

Should we continue with these deep dives? Or you'd like the short form news and trends? (I noticed other newsletters were providing these, so I opted for something different), but nevertheless, I'd love to hear your feedback!

You can reply to this email to share your feedback.

Otherwise thank you for being part of Autohaven 🤗

And if you like our content, please forward this email to a friend that will benefit from this content!

Ciao.