Route 66 was finished just as the first wave of new cars came off the post war assembly lines. For many Americans, it symbolized an unparalleled freedom and mobility for every individual who could own and operate an automobile. Route 66 epitomized the desire for the freedom of the open road, and the possibility of a fresh start in the West. Route 66 embedded itself in the hearts and minds of generations of road enthusiast Americans and served to emphasize the importance of the automobile as a technological accomplishment.