変革期を迎えた歴史伝承

自動車産業や社会は大きな変革期を迎え、歴史伝承にも変革を求められております。消え去った敗者として記載されてきた電動車の歴史は100年後の今書き換えられ、ガソリン車をどう振り返るのかも変わっていく事になりそうです。しかし歴史は技術の優劣によってではなく、人々の生活に与えた影響によってこそ語られるべきなのでしょう。レコードがCDやメモリーへと変化を遂げたとしても、音を記録する事で世界を変えた蓄音機発明の意義が色あせないように、何をもって自動車は歴史に刻まれるのか、深慮すべき時代にいるように思われます。その意味でも日本自動車殿堂が将来への道筋を照らしていかれる事を期待しております。

Alteration in the appraisal of the historic achievements
at this transformation period

Currently, our automotive industry and society are entering a transformation period and the his-
torical tradition is being called for change. Now, after more than one hundred years since electric vehicles were developed, our historical appraisal of them that they had disappeared as losers is likely to be rewritten. And our evaluation of the gasoline powered vehicles might be changed in future. Therefore, the history should not be observed on the superiority of the technology, but it should be observed on the influence on the people’s ways of living. Elements for memory have taken over from records to compact disks. Nevertheless, the importance of the invention of the gramophone which had changed the world by recording sounds never fades away. Now, I believe that in this epoch we need to deliberate what should be engraved on our history. Therefore, I really expect the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame to illuminate the path for our society.

Naoaki Nunogaki
General Manager
Corporate Citizenship Division
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
Director
Toyota Automobile Museum
Fuji Motorsports Museum