The Vehicle Industry - Great Despite Adversity
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| Bugatti Type 43 |
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| Buick Eight - 1930 |
The 1930's was the Great Depression era; all forms of economic downturn and fiscal depression are associated with these times. In spite of the fact that the rest of the economy was in a profoundly rough patch, the automobile industry during the 1930's boomed in an important aspect – innovation. Aesthetic quality and sophistication were both enhanced during this time, as well internal features such as the V-8, V-12, and V-16 (powerful) engines. The reason that aesthetic quality was especially made more appealing to consumers was that style was a main demand for the consumer population of the time. The combination of aesthetic enhancement and technological advances saw not only progress technically but stylistically as well. Some of the most popular and classic cars of the 1930s include the Buick Eight and the Bugatti Type 43, among many others.
The "Big Three"
The automobile industry consisted of the "Big Three" car companies – General Motors (GM), Ford, and Chrysler. These 3 companies led the way for the innovation and business of the vehicular industry, and in fact, grew even more during the Great Depression. The tough economic dip actually put many independently owned carmakers (i.e. Pierce-Arrow, Stutz, Du Pont, Kissel). For instance, in 1925, independent carmakers sold 25% of the cars on the roads, but only sold a mere 10% in 1933. Furthermore, the Big Three's share in the stock market jumped from 75% towards the end of the 1920s to 90% during the Great Depression.
Migrational Transportation
For the people that were moving west, cars were extremely significant and essential to their success in migration, as a car had the ability to transport both people and items. As an example, the Joad family is described as having a Hudson Super-Six car to travel in, which was enough to carry a little over 10 people and their belongings.
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| Hudson Super Six |
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| People Relaxing in a Hudson Super Six |
In Chapter 7 of The Grapes of Wrath, a car dealership is described where the salesman is attempting to sell cars in terrible conditions (called jalopies) in order to gain a healthy profit. The cars that these people used to migrate west look more or less like the ones pictured above, with room to accommodate for both people and their belongings, and appearing like caravans (during the age of Manifest Destiny). These cars were vital to the migrating families traveling west, providing them with shelter, transportation, and a collection of memories in the past.
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