Zac's US Autos - 1940s

US car production was dealt a setback because of World War II. In 1940 pre World War II the US produced 4,680,000 cars. Although each decade in history is different - the decade of the 1940's is by far the most unusual in U.S. auto-mobile history. This was the only period of time when auto-mobile production stopped for a period of 3-4 years. No cars were manufactured after 1942 due to the advent of World War II. Production for civilians did not resume until 1946 . Early 1940's saw the first time luxury cars started rolling off a production line. A car showed the wealth and status of its owner. The new 1940s cars had a lower, longer, broader, and more massive look.  Hudson offered a combination automatic clutch with a semi-automatic transmission. The driver could select either the manual or semi-automatic shift with buttons on the dash.

1940 Oldsmobile

 Ransom E. Olds

Oldsmobile was a brand of American auto-mobiles produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Olds Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory. When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldestsurviving American auto-mobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Daimler, Peugeot and Tatra. In 1901, the company produced 425 cars, making it the first high-volume gasoline-powered auto-mobile manufacturer.

Oldsmobile became the top selling car company in the United States for a few years. Ransom Olds left the company in 1904 because of a dispute, and formed the REO Motor Car Company. The last Curved Dash Oldsmobile was made in 1907. General Motors purchased the company in 1908. The 1901 to 1904 Oldsmobile Curved Dash was the first mass-produced car, made from the first automotive assembly line, an invention that is often mis-credited to Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. After Olds merged Olds Motor Vehicle Co. with the Olds Gas Engine Works in 1899, it was renamed 'Olds Motor Works' and moved to a new plant in Detroit. By March 1901, the company had a whole line of models ready for mass production. Unfortunately, a mistake by a worker caused the factory to catch fire, and it burned to the ground, with all of the prototypes destroyed. The only car that survived the fire was a Curved Dash prototype, which was wheeled out of the factory by two workers while escaping the fire. A new factory was built, and production of the Curved Dash commenced. Officially, the cars were called "Olds auto-mobiles," but were colloquially referred to as "Oldsmobiles." It was this moniker, as applied especially to the Curved Dash Olds, that was popularized in the lyrics and title of the 1905 hit song "In My Merry Oldsmobile."


The 1941-42 Packard 'Clipper' was another luxury car produced before the war.A new car back in 1940s was about $800 and for 18 cents, you could buy a gallon of gas. On average most 1940s cars got about 15 to 20 miles per gallon.

 1941-42 Packard 'Clipper' 

The Packard 'Clipper' was initially a single model of the Packard Motor Car Company