D. Vehicle Industry of the 1930s (Chapter 1-10)

In the year of 1930, car production had dropped from a whopping 5.3 million cars to just 2.4 million. The economy is extremely dependent on the auto industry, so this drop had a great affect on the well being of America's financial sector at the time. People realized the importance of this industry after the stock market crash of 1929.
Small car companies in the 1929, such as Pierce-Arrow, Peerless, or Stutz, could not survive through the depression. Most of these companies made expensive, special-made cars and most people at the time could barely afford the cheaper, run-off-the-mill cars. These companies were put out of business.
Some bigger car companies managed to survive, however. The "Big Three", General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, sold more affordable cars because they had mechanized most of the car production process. Because they were more efficient, they could sell their cars to the public at lower prices.
The most popular car at the time was the Model A by Ford Motor Company.

 

 It costs $500 at the time, which translate to approximately $5000 today. Three million were sold by 1930. Even though this was a big sum for most families, most families in the Mid West coughed up this amount to escape the Dust Bowl and move West.

Sources: Automobile Industry History of American Technology Ford Model A