In Chapter of 7 of the Grapes of Wrath, several used car lots pop up all across the area to satisfy the ever-growing demand for automobiles in the country. The salesmen here are looking to take advantage of desperate farmers trying to escape to the west by selling them cheap, barely-working jalopies at inflated prices. They look to prey exclusively on families to take advantage of their softness. Theses salesmen even fill the cars' engines with sawdust to muffle the sound of broken parts.
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The automobile industry during the 1930's was America's most important and profitable industry. However, the Great Depression hit it hard and unemployment in its manufacturing capital, Detroit, Michigan, reached an unheard-of 50 percent. The depression would also cause many small, independent brands and automakers like Peerless, Du Pont, Durant, and Kissel shut down. Nobody could afford to purchase automobiles from these manufacturers because they produce expensive, luxury vehicles. With these smaller competitors out of the market, the larger brands like General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford became powerhouses. Similar to the book, the Dodge subsidiary of Chrysler and Chevrolet from General Motors become more and more popular during the depression because they offered cheaper cars with better styling and technology. Automobiles were gaining popularity in exponential numbers and by 1935 sales of automobiles reached 50 million units which equated to one car for every 5 Americans.
Ford Model T
Ford Model T
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Good overview - would like a bit more connection to the text within the more fact-based paragraph.
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