1930 Buyer Demographic

[sconnors]

Read an article with an interesting fact: The 1930 Model A coupe sold nearly 1,160,000 units in its production year.

I began wondering in 1930 at the height of the Great Depression who were the demographic buying Ford Model A's. I own a Model A Deluxe Coupe and own the advertising book which shows a great deal of ads were positioned towards female buyers.

Clearly, when things were so tight back then were banks financing new Fords? Just made me curious as to who was buying this beautiful new car while the country was in such dire straits?

I find myself always wondering about the time period which existed when my car was produced as I'm driving down the highway. What was going on when that brand new car was rolling down the road and who were the folks driving them?

 

[ModelA29]

MAFCA lists total 1927-31 Model A Production at 4,858,644
Total 4 year production of all types of Coupes was 1,019,014 So about 1/4 million per year.


I'd wonder what the demographic was of the upscale Ford buyer. The Town cars, Victoria and deluxe models. Those people somehow had disposable money - or were they broke Packard buyers. Those buying a new standard Coupe were probably scratching out a meager living and needed a car because repair of their old one was not feasible or they needed reliability for their job. We don't see any period photos of people loading up a new car to move to California. Those are all old well worn cars.

 

[Joe K]

Google AI to the rescue: Model A Ford production by body type

Ford produced the Model A in over 30 body styles, with the most popular being the Tudor Sedan (nearly 29% of total production), followed by coupes, roadsters, and sedans, ranging from basic Phaetons to luxurious Town Cars and commercial vehicles like Pickups and Panel Deliveries, with production figures varying significantly by style.

A high school friend drove a 1930 Tudor in the 1970s and he claimed the Tudor style was "most popular." Which makes sense as a "family car."

After graduation, that Tudor sat out under his back door breezeway. By the time his father passed (1990s) it was gone.

I wonder where it went?

Joe K

 

[Model A Canuck]

1930 was also a popular year for the model A due to the new styling changes that were seen on them for that year wich made them more appealing.Sales went down a bit in 31 before the V8 came out in 32

 

[ModelA29]

Google AI to the rescue: Model A Ford production by body type

Somehow I think his 1,160,000 1930 Coupes is an AI faux pas


Actual 1930 Coupe total is - 324,581
45-B Briggs 198/162 1930 Standard Coupe 226,027
45-B Briggs 166 1930 Deluxe Coupe 28,937
50-B Briggs 160 1930 Sport Coupe 69,617

 

[katy]

Ford produced the Model A in over 30 body styles, with the most popular being the Tudor Sedan

I remember my dad telling me that Tudor sedans were popular with families as there was no back door for children to open.

 

[sconnors]

Somehow I think his 1,160,000 1930 Coupes is an AI faux pas


Actual 1930 Coupe total is - 324,581
45-B Briggs 198/162 1930 Standard Coupe 226,027
45-B Briggs 166 1930 Deluxe Coupe 28,937
50-B Briggs 160 1930 Sport Coupe 69,617

The article I read was apparently wrong. I checked the book I have at home and 1930 production for the 45-B Deluxe Coupe was 2,265 Units Produced (U.S.)

 

[ModelA29]

The article I read was apparently wrong. I checked the book I have at home and 1930 production for the 45-B Deluxe Coupe was 2,265 Units Produced (U.S.)

The MAFCA Coupe book on page 2 lists the numbers I posted. I can see why many have converted their cars to "deluxe" since they were only about 10% of the production.
29 & 30 Coupe numbers were the highest production years. Them being a cheaper model may account for their popularity during the depression.

 

[German guy]

From Harvard Business School's site:
In the 1920s, auto financing took a giant leap forward when the car manufacturers entered the game. In 1924, GM launched the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), an innovative financing arrangement that shared the risk of car loans between dealer and manufacturer. Its goals were, initially, to smooth out seasonal fluctuations in sales, but the ultimate effect was to dramatically increase the numbers of units sold.
Henry Ford’s refusal to follow suit led in large part to Ford’s loss of market share in the 1920s. Ford, who believed that buying cars on credit was morally reprehensible, responded to GMAC with a surge in advertising and an unpopular program that encouraged customers to use their local Ford dealer as a savings bank until they had accrued the full purchase price. In 1918, half of all cars on the road were Fords, but by 1930, three out of four cars and trucks were bought “on time,” most of them from other manufacturers.

 

[sconnors]

From Harvard Business School's site:
In the 1920s, auto financing took a giant leap forward when the car manufacturers entered the game. In 1924, GM launched the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), an innovative financing arrangement that shared the risk of car loans between dealer and manufacturer. Its goals were, initially, to smooth out seasonal fluctuations in sales, but the ultimate effect was to dramatically increase the numbers of units sold.
Henry Ford’s refusal to follow suit led in large part to Ford’s loss of market share in the 1920s. Ford, who believed that buying cars on credit was morally reprehensible, responded to GMAC with a surge in advertising and an unpopular program that encouraged customers to use their local Ford dealer as a savings bank until they had accrued the full purchase price. In 1918, half of all cars on the road were Fords, but by 1930, three out of four cars and trucks were bought “on time,” most of them from other manufacturers.

Wow! That's very interesting! Especially when we look at today's market and how far we've come! Today the average buyer wouldn't be able to save enough money to purchase a car outright. Old Henry would be amazeed!

 

[Gary WA]

Read an article with an interesting fact: The 1930 Model A coupe sold nearly 1,160,000 units in its production year.

I began wondering in 1930 at the height of the Great Depression who were the demographic buying Ford Model A's. I own a Model A Deluxe Coupe and own the advertising book which shows a great deal of ads were positioned towards female buyers.

Clearly, when things were so tight back then were banks financing new Fords? Just made me curious as to who was buying this beautiful new car while the country was in such dire straits?

I find myself always wondering about the time period which existed when my car was produced as I'm driving down the highway. What was going on when that brand new car was rolling down the road and who were the folks driving them?

Here you go!! Here is what it should be for the 1930 Coupes: Sconnors- According to the 1930 Assembly Record Type Documents from the Ford Motor Company the following were recorded for USA production: 45-B Standard Coupe: 226328 (301 of that number were assembled in November/December 1929);45-B Deluxe Coupe: 28937, 50-B Sport Coupe 69594 (427 of that number were assembled in November/December 1929) These figures do not include assembles from the foreign,England and Canadian Plants. For further information, get the book by Steve Plucker "The 1928-31 Ford Assembly Plants and their production of the Model A Ford Passenger Cars Part 1" Also for the Commercial side Part 2. Excellent books for the model A Library.

 

[BlueSunoco]

My wife's grandfather was actually a Chevy man BUT he loved the Model A Fords, and drove them up into the 50's.
He had all of the years and most of the body styles. He always said the 1930 Model A was THE best one they ever built. It had the best features the best build, the SS bright work, they had most of the bugs worked out of them by then
He hated that gas shutoff under the hood, is why he didn't like the '31's!

 

[Gene F]

I have a car built March 1928, and have wondered over the years how the original owner of my car faired things. (I think it must have been around Silver Springs, MD).

 

[sconnors]

Here you go!! Here is what it should be for the 1930 Coupes: Sconnors- According to the 1930 Assembly Record Type Documents from the Ford Motor Company the following were recorded for USA production: 45-B Standard Coupe: 226328 (301 of that number were assembled in November/December 1929);45-B Deluxe Coupe: 28937, 50-B Sport Coupe 69594 (427 of that number were assembled in November/December 1929) These figures do not include assembles from the foreign,England and Canadian Plants. For further information, get the book by Steve Plucker "The 1928-31 Ford Assembly Plants and their production of the Model A Ford Passenger Cars Part 1" Also for the Commercial side Part 2. Excellent books for the model A Library.

Interesting! My 1930 Deluxe coupe has a manufacture date according to Steve's website of June 1930. Great information to have as an owner. I wish I could trace the car's history, unfortunately that information is lost to time. Previous owner bought it from a classic car dealer and they said they had no records of where they acquired it from. Cold case file! LOL.

 

[ronn]

remember too- chevy outsold ford in 31.


the coupe was sexier then, over the sedans and still is today! ( now comes the wrath)!


think about how many people were single vs families and I think that had a huge bearing on what models were bought.