Floyd Clymer’s Historical Catalog of 1912 Cars

The 1930s might have been the greatest 10-year period in the history of the American automobile. Even in the face of a suffocating Depression, American cars continued to evolve with beautiful, streamlined designs that had never been seen before. General Motors began "face lifting" its vehicles with new styles for every model year. Hard-rubber rides were softened by balloon tires, impressive 16-cylinder engines began showing up under massive hoods and hydraulic brakes became the norm. The synchromesh transmission, independent suspension, heaters and radios made automotive journeys more comfortable than ever. It was truly a decade of advancement and achievement for U.S. car makers. In Just '30s, the publisher of Old Cars Weekly and OldCarsReport.com Price Guide celebrates this fabulous decade with a look back at the cars, and car companies, that gave us such great memories.

The independent automakers who had survived the depression of the 1930s had flexibility and enough capital from the war to be the first to launch all-new models for a car starved nation. So lucrative was the American post-war car market that new automobile companies were also formed to cash in on the pent-up demand for new cars. This is their story told through text and the use of contemporary brochures, period literature, factory photos, road test info and over 90 new, unpublished color photos of restored examples to relate the importance of these historic vehicles.