Cars became common in the United States during the 1920s. This decade marked the tipping point where automobile ownership shifted from a luxury for the wealthy to an attainable reality for the average American family. The single most important catalyst was the Model T, introduced by Henry Ford in 1908. Ford's innovation wasn't just the car itself, but the moving assembly line, which drastically reduced production time and cost. The price of a Model T dropped from $850 in 1908 to around $260 by 1925, making it affordable for the masses.
This surge in car ownership was supported by several key developments. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 began funding better road infrastructure, making travel more practical beyond city limits. The 1920s also saw the rise of consumer credit, allowing people to finance their purchases. By the end of the decade, car registrations had exploded, and the automobile had fundamentally reshaped American society, leading to the creation of suburbs, shopping centers, and a new culture of road trips and mobility.
The table below illustrates the rapid growth in car registrations, showing the pivotal shift that occurred in the 1920s.
| Year | U.S. Car Registrations (Approx.) | Key Event or Context |
|---|
| 1910 | ~ 500,000 | Cars are still expensive novelties for the affluent. |
| 1915 | ~ 2.5 million | Model T production soars; prices fall. |
| 1920 | ~ 9.2 million | Post-WWI boom; roads improving. |
| 1925 | ~ 20 million | Model T price at its lowest; cars are common. |
| 1929 | ~ 26.5 million | Peak before the Great Depression. |
| 1935 | ~ 22.5 million | Ownership dips but remains widespread. |
| 1950 | ~ 40 million | Post-WWII economic expansion fuels another surge. |
