Fun fact

09/08/2024

In 1941, before WWII, all 32 million American families collectively owned 30m cars. One each effectively.

After the war the number of cars was down to 22m, due to oxidation mainly. They weren’t built to last forever and did not tolerate not being used. Also, obselence was built into design by then, reducing residual value and accelerating write-offs over repairs.

So for a little while, between 1946 and 1950, the car companies could sell everything they built, no matter how many cars that was.

A sales and marketing dream.

Of course you’d build the most expensive cars you could right? Surprisingly not, they mostly went the other way.

You simply can’t underestimate corporate stupidity.