The Vintage Car Era: 1920 - 1930
The Vintage Car Era followed World War I, a time when factories, machinery and men needed work and promises of better times encouraged pioneers. Vintage cars were built by would-be inventors in barns and backyards, without thoughts of warrantee or repair. Henry Ford led the Vintage Car Era with his assembly line, which is credited with starting the industrial revolution. Soon after entrepreneurs like Daimler, Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, Studebaker, Olds and Hudson were household names.
After the war, military plants were quick to retool for automobile production and the lack of government regulations for safety, the environment or employees gave it a sense of the wild wild west. Industrial accidents were all too common and compensation was at the whim of the employer. There were no vehicle requirements like windshields, doors, lights, turn signals or seat belts. There were no pollution control devices or air bags, and brakes were problematic. There were over 500 companies competing for supremacy in 1910 but by the time the Great Depression hit in 1929 only 60 had survived, and twelve years later there was less than 20.
The Great Depression of 1929 all but brought the burgeoning automobile industry to its knees. However the build up of military plants for World War II once again paved the way for an all new generation of automobiles, and the Classic Car Era.
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