Nowadays when we talk about technology it’s no secret that many people are not that excited about the upcoming things that have been announced. It seems only yesterday when we transitioned from the VHS tape to the DVD, and I’ve now reached the peak of this streaming era. While many industries seem to have plateaued with their technological development one industry in particular has been changing rapidly over the past few decades. If you know a little something about the automotive industry you might have an inkling that we are talking about this specific industry. Many people might be wondering why the automotive industry seems to have changed so rapidly in so short a time but it’s important to remember that this is an industry that is barely over 150 years old. So, let’s take a deeper look at this industry and see how it changed so rapidly.
The start of mass production
When we talk about the automotive industry it is important to understand that while cars did exist before Ford, they could hardly be called an industry. It’s important to understand that cars used to be extremely rare even though they pretty much existed since the mid-19th century. One of the reasons why the industry was essentially born out of this luxury item is because the Ford company was the very first to be able to mass produce a vehicle that was both affordable and durable. This is why starting in 1905 the industry went from this very small unaffordable industry to something that reached heights that no one could have guessed before. The mass production strategies used by Ford were eventually used by many other companies to be able to keep up with the competition.
World War 2
This might come as no surprise to many people but while World War 2 is one of the greatest tragedies of the last century it also led to massive leaps in a lot of industries. One of the biggest reasons why the automotive industry leaped forward massively during World War 2 is because the governments of the world invested a lot of money in creating vehicles that could be used for war and transport. But not only that, while a lot of men went to war a lot of women joined the workforce. This means that even after the war there was so much more labor available that production and mass production which would become the staple of the 1950s was now not only incredibly feasible but the standard of practice when it came to producing goods. This not only led to the growth of the industry in America but also in access countries like Japan.
Marshall Plan and post-World War 2 aid
As a direct consequence of World War 2 America invested massively in reconstruction. One industry that benefited highly from the Marshall Plan and general post-war aid. This industry was of course the auto industry. While initially, America helped rebuild the auto industry in European countries including the UK and France you might be surprised to learn that a lot of money went to former enemy countries after a formal truce was signed. In fact, between 1946 and 1952 the American government invested billions of dollars in the reconstruction of Japan. While a lot of this money allowed for the reconstruction of civilian infrastructure it also allowed for the reconstruction of its industries. One such industry was of course the auto industry which had been focused on producing planes and motors for tanks during the war. This kind of money allowed for a restructuring of companies like Honda and Toyota.
The 1970s to today
Between the many oil crises of the Middle East in the 1970s and the rise in dominance of the eastern auto industry, it seems like there is truly no stopping the automotive industry. The rise of many auto industries around the world forced American companies to be more competitive. Not only did the Japanese industry make massive strides in North America but cars and car accessories have become so mass-produced that they are now available to anyone and everyone online. We are now seeing a massive interest in the growing trend of electric cars and people take care of their vehicles much more than people used to as they are now seen as something hard to come by brand new. Where do consumers are investing thousands of dollars into converting to electric cars or simply investing their money in covers for Chevrolet cars and cosmetic additions like spinning rims de reality is that the auto industry has now grown beyond need into comfort.
