American automobile industry in the 1950s information
The 1950s were pivotal for the American automobile industry. The post-World War II era brought a wide range of new technologies to the automobile consumer, and a host of problems for the independent automobile manufacturers. The industry was maturing in an era of rapid technological change; mass production and the benefits from economies of scale led to innovative designs and greater profits, but stiff competition between the automakers. By the end of the decade, the industry had reshaped itself into the Big Three, Studebaker, and AMC. The age of small independent automakers was nearly over, as most of them either consolidated or went out of business.
A number of innovations were either invented or improved sufficiently to allow for mass production during the decade: air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, seat belts and arguably the most influential change in automotive history, the overhead-valve V8 engine. The horsepower race had begun, laying the foundation for the muscle car era.
Automobile manufacturing became the largest industry segment in the US, and the largest ever created; the US auto industry was many times larger than the automotive industries of the rest of the world combined.[2] By 1960, one-sixth of working Americans were employed directly or indirectly by the industry, but automation and imports eroded the need for such a large workforce within a couple of decades. The 1950s were the pinnacle of American automotive manufacturing and helped shape the United States into an economic superpower.[3]
^Cite error: The named reference bel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference anything was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference superpower was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
and 25 Related for: American automobile industry in the 1950s information
The1950s were pivotal for theAmericanautomobileindustry. The post-World War II era brought a wide range of new technologies to theautomobile consumer...
1950sAmericanautomobile culture has had an enduring influence on the culture of the United States, as reflected in popular music, major trends from the...
The automotive industryin Chinese mainland has been the largest inthe world measured by automobile unit production since 2008. As of 2024[update], China...
the 3rd largest automobile market inthe world in terms of sales. In 2022, India became the fourth largest country inthe world by the valuation of its...
production of 9.9 million automobilesin 2012. Japanese investments helped grow the auto industryin many countries throughout the last few decades.[citation...
had no automotive industry prior to the Soviet era. Automobiles were manufactured, but only in small quantity and by importing the main components from...
into use to describe automobilesin 1898. The automotive industry began inthe 1860s with hundreds of manufacturers pioneering the horseless carriage....
theautomobile started in 1672 with the invention of the first steam-powered vehicle, which led to the creation of the first steam-powered automobile...
The automotive industryin South Korea is the fifth-largest inthe world as measured by automobile unit production and also the sixth-largest by automobile...
Being home to the modern car, the German automobileindustry is regarded as one of the most competitive and innovative inthe world, and has the third-highest...
interactions, infrastructure and the distribution of goods. Automobiles provide easier access to remote places and mobility, in comfort, helping people to geographically...
overview of the automotive industryin countries around the world. The United States was the world's largest automobile producer by volume from the early years...
Japan. The Philippine automobileindustry consists of two sectors: motor vehicle assembly and vehicle parts and components manufacturing. The country...
notable automobile manufacturers with articles on Wikipedia by country. It is a subset of the list of automobile manufacturers for manufacturers based in South...
The automotive industryin Sweden is mainly associated with passenger car manufacturers Volvo Cars and Saab Automobile but Sweden is also home of two of...
around £6 billion. The origins of the UK automotive industry date back to the final years of the 19th century. By the1950s, the UK was the second-largest...
Fiat/Tofaş, Oyak-Renault, Hyundai, Toyota, Ford Otosan. The foundations of theindustry were laid inthe1950s when TOE (Türk Otomotiv Endüstrileri A.Ş.) started...
buses during the1950s, and opened an automobile factory in 1998. These companies dominated the Brazilian market until mid-1990s, when the Brazilian market...
up styling trends from the US automobileindustry, where it was regarded as the "golden age" of American auto design and American exceptionalism. General...
Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance (and to some extent the ergonomics) of motor vehicles, including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks...