Car History In The 20th Century - Early Years


The automobile in general has recorded a fabulous path of progress right from the steam powered horseless carriages of the 1870s to the ultra modern highly technical models that we see today. The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a commercial manufacturing of automobiles due to rapid improvement in technology.

The inventions of the four-stroke engine added greatly to the popularization of cars in a great way. The contributions of people like Henry Ford, Karl Benz, Daimler, etc to this field was immense, and they initiated the assembly line manufacture of cars, which resulted in a hundreds of other small car manufacturers vying to get the worlds attention.

Inventions In Car Production


Other related inventions in this era included the electric ignition and self starter by Charles Kettering for the Cadillac motor company in 1911, the four wheel brakes and the independent suspension. Moreover, since the 1920s, most automobiles began to be mass produced to cater to the market requirements. Due credit must be given to Ford’s 1927 Model-T, which came to be regarded as the first affordable car.

Chrysler car


One automobile which made a visible mark in this period was the Chrysler car brought forth by The Chrysler Corporation in 1924. It was a high powered, six cylinder vehicle, which succeeded due to the innovation shown in its construction. Its high compression engine gave more power which resulted in an increase of speed and along with its light weight body, four wheel brakes and balloon tires, it became a virtual rage. In keeping with the competition, Chrysler also came out with a touring car, a sedan, an imperial sedan, and the Maxwell in various price ranges.

Vintage Era In The Car History


1919, which signified the end of the World War I witnessed the vintage era, which lasted for about ten years until 1929. The cars of this epoch was dominant with features like covered body, front mounted engines and standardized controls. Some of the popular vintage vehicles during this time were the Austin Seven (1922-1939), which formed the basis of cars of the later period like BMW and Nissan.

Bugatti Type 35 And Ford Model A


The Bugatti Type 35 was another popular racing car which was seen between 1924 and 1929. This era also saw Ford breaking away from its Model T, by bringing in its 1927 Model A, which became the best selling model of the era.

Cadillac And Bugatti Royale


In 1930, Cadillac with its V-16 engine joined Bugatti’s Royale as one of the ultra luxurious cars of the period.
Other exemplary pre-war cars included the Ford Flathead V-8 (1932-1948), the Citroen Traction Avant (1934 – 1956), the MG T series (1936-1955), the Volkswagen Beetle (1938 – 2003), and ofcourse the Oldsmobile (1940 – 1997).

Car Industry After 1930's


Most of the technological advancements in the field of automobiles had already found its bearing by the 1930s and as a result, simplified the process of manufacturing to a very great extent. But it was also a fact that after 1930, the number of auto manufacturers dwindled as the industry consolidated and matured. Moreover, the great depression in 1930 also saw many a manufacturer being out of production.