The American Automotive industry in the 1930s - chapters 1-10 - letter D

The american automobile industry of the 1930s was either an uphill climb of innovation and new ideas or a tragic decimation of hopes and dreams, depending on who you ask. Several companies that would go on to become thriving automotive giants got their footing in the depression. Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors all saw significant growth in the 1930s. These three would come to produce several never-before-seen inventions, such as air conditioning, hydraulic brakes, and automatic transmissions. For them, 1930s America was their garden of Eden.

The 1934 Chrysler imperial was the first car to be made by consulting data gathered from a wind tunnel.

In the massive shadow of the big three, several promising companies took their fall. The luxury car business petered out as their hold on 60 percent of the car market shrank down to 20 percent. Even smaller companies selling cheaper cars were met with bankruptcy. All of their sales went to the larger companies that could afford the kind of innovation and experimentation that enticed customers. They, too, joined the masses of the growing lower class, the very consumer base that they were trying to appease. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have enough money to make enough money to benefit from a struggling capitalist economy.

Sources: bcg.perspectives bentley automotive