{
  "id": 15993088,
  "title": "Elon Musk’s flying car should fill us with wonder, not culture war cynicism",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/elon-musks-flying-car-should-fill-us-with-wonder-not-culture-war",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T03:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/elon-musk-has-made-flying-cars-uncool-we-need-to-get-our-sense-of-wonder-back/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Flying cars have been a dream for 100 years, but Elon Musk's flying car prototype, the Roadster, seems to have sparked little excitement, writes Anna Moloney. An article from Illustrated World, 1917, predicted that \"aeroautocraft\" would travel streets or roads, cross streams or lakes, and fly over hills, valleys, or woods at the owner's pleasure. The gleaming illustration of a red car with eagle-like wings showcased technological optimism. However, Musk's flying car prototype, which uses SpaceX thrusters to propel itself into the air and even perform flips, has received largely muted reactions. Critics question its road safety and relevance, focusing on the political leanings of its maker. The author argues that technological progress has become intertwined with politics and celebrity, diminishing the sense of wonder. Despite Musk's faults, the author urges readers not to let his influence dampen their excitement for flying cars and other imaginative feats.",
  "summary": "Flying cars have been a dream for 100 years, but culture war cynicism is preventing us from getting excited about Elon Musk's Roadster.",
  "key_points": [
    "Elon Musk's flying car prototype, the Roadster, sparks little excitement.",
    "Critics question its road safety and relevance, focusing on political leanings.",
    "Author urges readers to maintain wonder for flying cars despite Musk's influence."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The entanglement of technological innovation with celebrity and political identity threatens to replace genuine scientific wonder with the cynical divisions of modern culture wars.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "How Elon Musk gained so much power over U.S. security interests",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/how-elon-musk-gained-so-much-power-over-u-s-security-interests",
        "published": "2026-10-21T22:50:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "Sources: advisers within Elon Musk's empire are pushing to announce a SpaceX-Tesla merger by H1 2027 so it can close while President Trump remains in power (Bloomberg)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/sources-advisers-within-elon-musks-empire-are-pushing-to-announce-a",
        "published": "2026-10-22T01:05:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}