*The Vehicle Industry of the 1930s*

1932 Ford Model 18 55 De Luxe Tudor Sedan

Ch.1-10, Assignment D

Most of the mechanical technology that is used in today's vehicles had been invented by the 1930s. However, the amount of auto manufacturers in America for the vehicle industry went into a sharp decline during the 1930s due to the economic depression initiated by the Great Depression. However, the car industry still remained somewhat dominate and grew in the following years.

 

Examples of pre-war vehicles:

• 1932–1939 Alvis Speed 20 — the first with all-synchromesh gearbox
• 1932–1948 Ford V-8 (Model B) — introduction of the flathead V8 in mainstream vehicles
• 1934–1938 Tatra 77 — first serial-produced car with aerodynamical design
• 1934–1940 Bugatti Type 57 — a singular refined automobile for the wealthy
• 1934–1956 Citroën Traction Avant — the first mass-produced front-wheel drive car, built with monocoque chassis
• 1936–1955 MG T series — sports cars with youth appeal at an affordable price
• 1938–2003 Volkswagen Beetle — a design that was produced for over 60 years with over 20 million units assembled in several counties, awarded fourth place as Car of the 20th Century
• 1936–1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III — V12 engined pinnacle of pre-war engineering
(info above taken from here)

Not only did the technology of the models change during this time period, but the market strategy for selling these vehicles changed as well. During the 1930s, in order to meet the challenges of technological stagnation and market saturation, General Motors with the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan, created new products that now emphasized more on the styling and cosmetic changes of the car models. Their goal was to have costumers become dissatisfied enough with their products so that they would want to trade up for a more new and more expensive model way before their old “present” model would be done with. As Sloan’s ideals began to replace Ford’s as the new market strategy for the vehicle industry, Ford lost sales at a new low to Chevrolet. By 1936 GM claimed around 43% of the market, and Ford had fallen to third place with 22%, behind Chrysler with 25%. (Source: Here)


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