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1940's Automotive Technology

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1940’s Automotive Technology In 1940 the average cost of a car was $825.00, but increased to $1425.00 in 1949. The automotive industry is a very important part of American history. People use automobiles every day and have for over a hundred years. They are used for all types of reasons such as in the military, construction, and transportation. In the 1940’s many events happened including; The Manhattan Project, WWII, and the opening of the first McDonald’s stand. The Manhattan Project was a plan to make an atomic bomb in late 1941. The project began in 1939 and was led by Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi. The men believed there was a need for the U.S. to have a nuclear bomb, so they wrote President Roosevelt and asked for funding. In 1945 …show more content…

Popular car manufactures where Ford, Chevrolet and hudson. In the 1940’s Ford released a car called the deluxe. This car was a very popular car during this time with its 221 cubic-inch v eight. This type of car was bought by the average people with a price tag of just $650.00. A luxury car at this time would be a Cadillac De Ville with a price tag of $3497.00 in 1949. These two cars what you average day people would drive but there was also a need for a special military vehicle. In the 1940’s there was a need for a general purpose vehicle for the military to transport troops, haul trailers and transport an anti-aircraft gun. The military contacted Willys-Overland, Ford, and Bantam Motor Co. to make a prototype of a vehicle that meet the guidelines that they gave them. Some of the guidelines were; had to be cheap, weigh less than 1275 lbs, have hydraulic brakes, and reach speeds of fifty mph on a flat surface. Banton built the first general purpose vehicle in 1940 named BRC-60 which they made seventy of them but Ford answered the call with two of there PYGMY, but in 1941 made 3700 units of the Ford GP. Willys made 1553 Model MA’s which was their vehicle. The war affected the automotive industry because of the need of military vehicles..The war helped the economy by creating new jobs for people, but also hurt the economy by the amount of debt

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