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restricted as to where they could go by the lack of usable roads, which were usually dirt tracks whose condition became impassable in bad weather. This all changed with the Federal Aid Road Act (1916) that provided $75 million, and further funding was allocated by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921, so that by 1924 the United States could boast 31,000 miles of surfaced road. This network was further expanded during the Eisenhower administration of the 1950s that ordered the construction of interstate highways and, of course, as the road network improved so automobiles became faster. As the 19 th century morphed into the 20 th , more and more manufacturers were entering the market. The first National Automobile Show was held in