One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

[David in San Antonio]

One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

Tom, Madge, Junior and Sis.
No Model A’s, but documents the experiences of many owners of our A’s before we got them.
Note the anti-Japanese slurs so casually spoken. Common at the time.

See if you can identify the cars shown in the film.

https://youtu.be/nQochQZ7cRI?si=CAIlNbW5472qz8Tu

 

[ModelA29]

Re: One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

I think WWII saved the Model A. Many were kept as second cars when their trade in value was low enough to keep a second car for the wife. Pressed into service to save the tires on the new car or because it had a good gas coupon they carried on. During the war it was a sellers market since no new cars were being built they weren't sent to the scrap drive. That continued after the war when they got sold to returning servicemen. For many it was their first car and they were well cared for and kept. Probably again because the new car production was up and they had a low trade in value. They sat in the yard or garage until the baby boomers needed cheap transportation. Fixing up dad's old A became an industry by the mid 50s. That industry supplying parts for a 30+ year old car is the reason there are so many still around today.

 

[WHN]

Re: One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

I think WWII saved the Model A. Many were kept as second cars when their trade in value was low enough to keep a second car for the wife. Pressed into service to save the tires on the new car or because it had a good gas coupon they carried on. During the war it was a sellers market since no new cars were being built they weren't sent to the scrap drive. That continued after the war when they got sold to returning servicemen. For many it was their first car and they were well cared for and kept. Probably again because the new car production was up and they had a low trade in value. They sat in the yard or garage until the baby boomers needed cheap transportation. Fixing up dad's old A became an industry by the mid 50s. That industry supplying parts for a 30+ year old car is the reason there are so many still around today.

Your right on target!

 

[ursus]

Re: One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

I think WWII saved the Model A. Many were kept as second cars when their trade in value was low enough to keep a second car for the wife. Pressed into service to save the tires on the new car or because it had a good gas coupon they carried on. During the war it was a sellers market since no new cars were being built they weren't sent to the scrap drive. That continued after the war when they got sold to returning servicemen. For many it was their first car and they were well cared for and kept. Probably again because the new car production was up and they had a low trade in value. They sat in the yard or garage until the baby boomers needed cheap transportation. Fixing up dad's old A became an industry by the mid 50s. That industry supplying parts for a 30+ year old car is the reason there are so many still around today.

Growing up in the 1950's it was common to see Model A's used as daily drivers. Other cars of that era were rarely seen. A friend's father died in a logging accident and his family fell on hard times and had to sell their new car. His mother found a Model A coupe and that was their transportation for a couple years.

 

[nkaminar]

Re: One Man’s Car. WWII dramatization

My father-in-law got senile in his old age. He fought in the Pacific during the war. In the late 1970's he took after a Japanese gardener with his rifle. I don't remember the details but somehow he got stopped before killing anyone.