1940s

During the 1940s, production of automobiles came to a halt. Because of WWII, production and concentration went from cars to heavy weaponry and equipment for the war. The government began calling car factories to focus on war efforts. Thus this caused the production and advancement of automobiles to come to a halt.

There was one car that came out of the war efforts, and that car was the Jeep. Founded in 1941, the Jeep was used for the war. It did go back to the square, carriage look but it was only for war purposes. This square look is actually what gives the Jeep its signature look still famous to this day.

1930s Automobile

During the 1930s, the automobiles being built were beginning to look  and be more luxurious than the automobiles built in the 1920s. For example, the introduction of the radio in automobiles was a big step forward.

 Another addition to automobiles during this time was the heater. 

Automobiles in the 1930s began coming in bigger engine sizes, which meant more power. The introduction of the automatic transmission came in the 1930s. Engines with engines like V8, V12, and V16 began to be sold on the market. Even the style of the automobiles began to change. Automobile bodies went from square, carriage looking like autos to sleek, round autos. 

1920s Automobile Influence

Henry Ford

Automobile in the 1920s

The 1920s was called the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of great change in American lives. The automobile was a big factor in theses changes. As more and more automobiles were taking the streets, roads and highways had to be built. One of the more famous highways built during the 1920s was Route 66. Route 66 made it possible to get from California to Chicago.

With the construction of more highways and more cars on the road, this meant the construction of gas stations or filling stations. Before there were gas stations, consumers bought gas from the grocery store or hardware store. As the consumer need for gas rose with the rise in automobiles, gas stations began making their way next to highways. 

Henry Ford: Model T & Assembly Line

Henry Ford had a bigger vision. He wanted a better, cheaper "motorcar for the great multitudes."
In October 1, 1908, Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T.

The Ford Model T was easy to maintain, operate and handle. Because of this it became a huge success. But there was more to it than just making a "motorcar for the great multitudes." Henry Ford improved the assembly line. In this case one workers did not have to worry about learning how to build the entire automobile. Instead, each worker focused on a certain part of the automobile. Production for a single car dropped from 12 hours to 93 minutes. As a result Ford was able to increase his profit margin and lower the cost of the automobile for the consumer. The assembly line had a bigger impact on the workers as well. Hours of working were cut, but wages were never affected because of wage raise. Workers at Ford Motor Company were paid five dollars a day, which were used to pay for Model Ts purchased. In the end money was going back to Ford Motor Company. 

Henry Ford was not the inventor of the automobile or the assembly line. He just perfected it and used it to his advantage. To this day Ford Motor Company is still making cars and making a difference in the lives of those who drive a Ford. 

Henry Ford "The Man"

Henry Ford was born in a farm in Dearborn, Michigan on July 30, 1863. At a young age, Ford did not seem interested in becoming a farmer like his father. In 1879, Ford left the farm and moved to Detroit to become an apprentice at Michigan Car Company, a manufacturer of railroad cars. By 1891, Ford took a job as a night engineer for the Edison Electric Illuminating Company. There he would slowly make his way up as chief engineer for the company. 1896 would mark an important date for Ford, as he and a group of friends completed the first self-propelled vehicle, the Quadricycle.

Henry Ford would move forward and attempt to open a company that would make and sell horseless carriages. He would fail two times before finally on June 16, 1903, Ford Motor Company opened. Ford Motor Company's first car was the Model A. By 1907, Ford's Model N was the best selling car in the country. Henry Ford had a bigger vision though; he wanted "motorcar for the great multitude."