Cars of the 20’s
A decade that saw the automobile industry rocket, the 1920’s was a period where vehicles were mass produced, contributing to other industries such as highway building, service stations, motels and user car dealerships. Here’s a little look at an era that produced some interesting vehicles.
Before the First World War, cars were something of a luxury, however, the 1920’s brought about a massive change in the automotive industry and cars were being mass produced, especially throughout the US and Canada. In Canada, there were only 300,000 vehicles registered in 1918 but this figure rocketed up to 1.9 million by 1929 [1]. By this time 43 companies were manufacturing cars including Ford and Chrysler. Here’s a look at two of the most popular vehicles that were produced in the 20’s:
Ford Model T
Built between 1908 and 1928, the Model T has become one of the most important cars in history simply because it was the first car to be sold for an exceptionally low price, encouraging people to travel from place to place. Before the Model T, cars were expensive and only the rich could afford them but it was Henry Ford, owner of the company that heard about meat being packed on an assembly line. He soon realised that cars could be produced this way at a cheaper cost and so the Model T was mass produced. With a 2.9-litre four cylinder engine, the Model T produced 20bhp and was capable of a top speed of 45mph, with a fuel economy of 14-21mpg [2].
Mitsubishi Model A
Produced between 1917 and 1921, 22 Model A’s were produced at the company’s shipyard in Kobe, Japan. The first automobile to be produced in Japan, the Model A was based on the Fiat Tipo 3 and was a four-door seven-seat sedan that had a 2.8-litre straight-4 engine, capable of driving as fast as 20mph [3].
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[1] Genat, R. (2004). The American Car Dealership. Motorbooks International. Page 9.
[2] The Telegraph (25th July, 2008). Ford Model T reaches 100. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/2753506/Ford-Model-T-reaches-100.html
[3] Misubishi Cars (2010). Model A. http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/company/history.asp
About the Author
About the author
Charlotte Walker writes for MediaVest (Manchester) on a number of topics including car insurance.
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