By Tom, Alex, Olivier, and Hursh

Index Cars 1920’s The First Car “Fordism” More Cars Model A From Dirt Paths To Bright Broadways Why Was The Car So Successful? How Big Was The Economic Impact?

Cars 1920’s The automobile industry throughout is commonly defined as the Vintage Era. The vintage period (the roaring 20’s) in the automotive world was a time of transition. The car started off in 1919 as still something of a rarity, and ended up popular in 1930 as the price of buying one decreased dramatically. The car became so popular that most industrialized states built nationwide road systems.

The First Car The first car that could be bought publicly was the Model T. In the early twenties, Ford Motor Company ruled the automotive marketplace, with the Model T. By 1925 Ford was producing 10,000 cars everyday, this was 60% of Americas total output of cars. By 1927, Ford had sold 15,000,000 Model T cars.

Model T

“Fordism” “Fordism” allowed to produce cars nearly 10 times faster. Instead of taking 13 hours to build 1 car, it now takes 1hr and 33 minutes to build one. Every fifteen minutes, the production line erected a vehicle. Thanks to “Fordism”, from the model T dropped from its price of $1000 to $360.

Mass Production

More Cars As soon as people saw the future in cars they started setting up their own car industries and 9/10 out of dozens of attempts failed to keep up with Ford and the rapidly growing car market. During the mid-twenties, Ford’s success started to shrink, as competitors such as General Motors caught up with Ford's mass production system and began to outcompete Ford in some ways, especially in the new convenience features or cosmetic customization of the vehicles.

General Motors First Car

From Dirt Paths to Bright Broadways Most industrialized states spent money on building roads on a huge scale (nationwide). In the late 20’s the use of street lights became more and more common to make the streets a safer place. New York City’s broadways were nicknamed the Great White Way because of the new use of street lights lining the broadways in massive amounts...

The Great White Way

Why Was The Car So Successful? The automobiles transformed everyday life. It made traveling affordable, much faster, and easier. In a country where great distances separated cities and millions lived in suburbs, the car was a great way to get around.

How Big Was The Economic Impact? In 1918 only one in thirteen families owned a car, however by 1929 four out of five had a car. The number of cars on the road increased from 8 million to 25 million. By 1925 over 15% of the population were involved in manufacturing, sales and services (primary, secondary, and tertiary) stages of the automotive industry production line. Gas stations, motels and restaurants were built throughout highways. That created new opportunities and jobs for the unemployed, such as construction workers and food service jobs. In 1920s American cars used 7 billion gallons of petrol per year, expanding the oil demand and expanding the market.

Quiz By 1918 how many families owned a car? a) One in sixty nine b) One in ten c) One in three d) One in thirteen

Quiz What is the name given to the integration of mass production? a) Henryism b) Fordism c) Productionism d) Motorism

Quiz By 1925, what percentage of the population was involved in the production,sales and service of the automotive industry? a) 63% b) 94% c) 23% d) 15%

Quiz What was the revolutionary car model that boosted the automotive market in the 1920s? a) Ford Model A b) Ford Model T c) Ford Mustang d) Cadillac Model S

Quiz What is the name given to the automobile industry from 1919 to 1930? a) The Auto Phase b) Engine Era c) Vintage Era d) The Era Of Transport

By Tom, Alex, Olivier, And Hursh