Once hostilities were over, factory owners flush with money from war contracts hurried to fill their factories’ capacities with car manufacturing again. However, shortages of raw materials—especially steel—meant that many stayed initially with old-fashioned construction techniques like wood body frames, aluminum body panels, and fabric-covered...
As Swedish as Abba, despite being foreign-owned since 1999, Volvo has a reputation for safety. A century ago the original company made ball bearings and took its name from the Latin for “I roll”. Its first cars were not built until 1926, a series of...
Family cars went through enormous changes in the 1940s. Separate wings, running boards, and stand-up headlamps were out, and modern, full-width styling was in. Inspiration came from the design leaders in the US auto industry, which meant car companies across Europe increasingly used chrome trim...