Automobiles-4



Automobiles had been manufactured in the United States since the mid-1890s

Increased wages and lower cost vehicles through mass production made cars increasingly affordable, although 3 out of 4 cars were bought on installment plans.

The car enabled people to travel much further afield than foot or horse had permitted. Touring vacations became popular, but motorists had to plan carefully as there were often long distances between petrol stations and breakdowns were fairly common. Tourist parks (Motels) and other facilities sprang up to service the needs of travelling motorists.

New makes of cars proliferated - from the low cost Model T Ford through to the expensive Duesenberg and even more expensive Rolls Royce.

One of the biggest motoring events of 1927 was the release of the "new Ford", the [|Model A], which replaced the long-standing Model T after 18 years of production. The wealthy disposed of some of their excess wealth in the late 1920's by splurging on expensive ($15,000-$50,000) european cars like Mercedes and Hispano-Suiza which they imported into America. America too had its luxury cars like the Cadillac and Packard that were favored by the big name movie stars.