Crisis Coupe: The American Wartime Compact Light Car Projects 

For us Canadians during WWII, if we wanted a new truck, we were in luck! For 1943, GM Canada offered an economy model truck, the Chevrolet Maple Leaf. You got a truck fresh off the assembly lines, but with no chrome, a wooden steering wheel, seats made of canvas, and a single windshield wiper.

Another fine episode for my brain to enjoy.

I remember driving the Nash Metropolitan. People made fun of me! "Look! a bathtub on wheels!" There used to be a lot of social pressure to drive a small car.

Chrysler did have a small car program, which manifested itself as the short wheelbase Plymouth and Dodge models of 49 through 52, such as the Dodge Wayfarer.

Boy, I sure wish at least ONE American car company would produce a smaller, simple, easy to work on car or small truck these days!! That's desperately needed by alot of us!

“The Americans like their cars big, and will continue to do so until the next crisis hits, whatever it may be.” The truest words ever spoken to sum-up Americans as a people car buying habits or otherwise.

The Datsun 210 got me into smaller cars - handling over brute straight line performance. The world is not all flat nor straight.

Your mini-documentary shows are great. You know more about American cars than the majority of Americans. And you tell the story with added humor. Well done!

Every time i see that coupe in the thumbnail i just can't stop myself from the awwwwww of cuteness

I was holding my breath waiting for your next piece of Euro-American car campiness. Because it's just not enough to watch my fav Ed eps over and over again.

Thanks for the video, I had NEVER heard of the Cheverolet Cadet, now I want one. It's funny that you mentioned that GM was afraid that the Cadet's driving dynamics would steal customers from upscale models. One of the reasons why Americans fell in love with the VW Beetle, aside from its cute styling, was that the Beetle was more entertaining to drive than the larger American cars. I believe this is one thing that Detroit didn't understand about American interest in smaller imported cars. It wasn't just about low cost or low fuel consumption, small cars were fun to drive.

It’s true, you can take my big Buick from my cold dead hands. Americans like em big. Great episode!

Funny enough, the first mustang and camaro were actually small cars (for the era) and could have been bought with small 6 cylinder engines. The Shoebox Fords are rather cool looking

Dude, you continue to entertain and impress me! Your knowledge of the 20th century American auto industry is stellar, even more amazing considering your age and being European, and your subtle humor in your presentation is outstanding! I take my hat off to you sir! Excellent job!!!!

Actually, The Nash Rambler wound up saving the company and was a success. George Mason and his lieutenant, George Romney realized there was a small car market. They determined that, unlike Kaiser and the rest who sold their cars as economy "strippers", such a car would have to "luxed up" to be competitive. So the 1950 Nash Rambler was introduced as a sedan-cabrio that came standard with items like whitewall tires, radio, heater and a few other items that were options on the Big Three's full size models. Soon after a hardtop coupe and wagon followed- both premium body styles and well equipped, selling for a bit less than a similarly equipped Chevy or Ford. The Rambler {and US sales of the VW Beetle as well) created a market niche that incrementally grew as the 50s progressed. As an AMC, Rambler was in a fine place to exploit this (as well as save the company). By 1958 GM was selling Opels and Vauxhalls, Ford- Anglias and Populars to fill the gap (and BMC, Morris Minors as well). So much had the "compact" market grown that by 1960 the homegrown Corvair, Falcon, and Valiant were on the market, yet AMC and their Rambler still did well against them.

This particular American`s cavalcade of small cars beginning in 1966: `61 Fiat 1100 4-on-the-tree, burnt pistons and cylinder head but we made `er run and get me to school. Most days. `61 Hillman Husky station wagon, threw a rod through the block coming out of Boston on a Friday afternoon. That was fun. `61 Morris Minor convertible I paid 50 cents and a pack of Marlboros for. Woman`s kids had jumped through the roof. A sewing awl, duct tape and a Wonder Bread wrapper and now we`re ready for the winter. By this point, I was a master at unsticking aluminum pistons from iron brake cylinders on British cars. A hone with some 220 wet paper and kerosene, no new parts and good to stop and go. `63 Fiat 600 with suicide doors. Remove the retaining straps and fold the doors all the way back. Italian air conditioning. Position the high beams lever just right, I got highs and lows together, so bright it practically slowed the car down. 48 MPG, with a heater core the size of a radiator, because that`s what it was. A sauna on wheels. `61 Nash Metropolitan convertible. Thank God for duct tape when winter rolled around. Robbed usable brake parts off an upside down Morris Traveller out in the puckerbrush by the railroad tracks. `53 Jeep CJ 3 B Oh God, the mayhem this one wrought. Hell on 4-wheel drive and something about getting dragged out of a pond with a come-along and a `63 Dodge. `64 Fiat 1100 You`d think I`d learned my lesson....... `61 Renault Dauphine, blew a head gasket and overheated on a first date. The car did. `74 Fiat 850 coupe that suffered a major defeat against a telephone pole and some beer. A lot of beer. Oceans, some might say. `59 Triumph TR-3 `69 Karman Ghia convertible `69 Corvair coupe, Totally smoked the cops with 3 inches of snow on NH back roads one night because I thought I could. Turns out I was right. `70 Toyota Corolla wagon that I worked to DEATH lugging band equipment, cordwood, construction materials on the roof. Unloaded the roof, laid in the back seat and pushed it back up with my feet. Drove it 285,000 miles, sold it to a friend and he ran it for another 5 years. I loved that car and it loved me. Quite possibly the best car I ever owned. It went 1,000 miles a week to get me to work and gigs, it was 5 different colors as I just kept replacing doors and fenders and hood and welded up the rest to keep it legal. Oil changes, brakes and wipers and lights and tires and it never once let me down. `65 TR-4A Worked in a restarant kitchen. Roof down, 2:00 AM, Maine back roads on a hot summer night to get home. As good as it gets with a new set of Michelins and a new windshield. I love new windshields. `60 Morris Minor Van with a 1500 Midget motor and trans. Slow, noisy and zero visibility but cute as fuck. `69 Toyota Corolla 1200 coupe that blew the doors off a friend`s `68 Impala V-8 during a beer-infused road race on the way home from a party. All about keeping the revs in the power band. Bumped the timing a little, ran high-test and got 41 MPG. `73 VW Fox wagon Solid but the most uncomfortable thing I ever drove. `84 Toyota 4X4 pickup I drove to 300,000 miles with the original clutch, replaced 5 feet of rusty frame on the passenger side, never adjusted the valves or put a timing light on it. One battery, one brake job, 3 water pumps, 2 exhaust systems, oil & filter every 3K and that`s it. So, yeah, I was always about getting 30-40 MPG out of 30-100 HP and having a lot of fun at the same time. The only real drag race I ever won was with my shitbox `48 Ford 2-door against a even more shitbox `56 T-Bird, half a length by the end of a quarter. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in a time when 50 or a hundred bucks would buy you a year or two`s worth of automotive challenges and 10 dollar junkyard solutions. And if anybody cares, `64 & 1/2 Mustang 6 cylinder convertible front axle seals will work for your `61 Renault Dauphine rear axle seals. I refuse to go to my death without imparting that nugget of bread upon the waters. Tell your friends.

Funny how we had a Chevrolet Kadett in Brazil in the late 80s and 90s (rebadged Opel Kadett)

Bantam car company was making smaller cars in '30. Their response to US Army call for 1/4 ton 4X4 light truck became the jeep. But DoD deemed them insufficient to produce the numbers needed, so it was given to Willys/Ford, while Bantam got the contract to make trailers for the jeeps.

My father had a Brazilian Aero Willys, a 1965 model, i guess, I was already the "square" model, designed in Brazil, but still had the rear fins; although it was a very tough car, it had a persistent electrical problem, so my father sold it to a guy who easily found out what was wrong with it and fixed the problem! Thank you for reminding me about that amazing car, a friend of mine once said it was an "American old black and white movie police car"! 🚔

McPherson didn't invent nor design the "McPherson strut": the very first strut of that type was made by Engineer Guido Fornaca, from FIAT, back in 1920. FIAT didn't see it as a viable alternative to swing and rigid axles at the time, so the patent expired. (Setright, L.J.K., "MacPherson Strut: Legs to Support the Car", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p.1235)

The Chevrolet Cadet didn't go away completely. It's engine made it's way into another small Chevrolet prototype that was to become the Holden in Australia. Love your videos mate.

There was one more car that fits here from the early 1950's. The King car was a kit one could build at home.

The Henry J was sold through "SEARS" department store as the "Allstate". "Allstate Ins" also came from "SEARS".

In the early '50s my neighbor had a Crosley. And before VWs grabbed the segment many British cars were sold. Virtually all the sports cars but also sedans like the Hillman.

I've always liked small cars. I had a '76 Chevy, Monza it looked like a Monte Carlo shrank. It had a full size gas tank 22 gallons! I had to fill it with gas about once a month.

I thought we'd see the Crosley in here. I guess they started pre-war but were definitely post-war, small, American cars.

The problem with your videos is that they are really good, and I can't let them just run in the background while I'm doing something else because I miss things! So thanks a lot, Bub! I have to actually WATCH them! heheh

Ahh finally my favourite car channel, has uploaded once again!

What a wonderful video. Looks like you put a ton of work in it and it shows. This quality matches a production show.

When the teaser photo was posted a few days ago, I, along with several others, correctly thought it was the Chevy Cadet. I also, along with several others, correctly mentioned the McPherson strut suspension. What is funny to me is that the only photo of the Cadet I have ever seen is the photo at 6:14. I had never seen what the front of the car looked like. So, now I know. As usual, Ed, another fantastic, well-researched video! PS: The segue into the subscribe page at 5:22 was one of the smoooooothest I've ever seen. Good Job!

When I was around, five years old in 1959, I rode around in a Crosley station wagon. It was the, “second car,” in the family that my mom drove to the store and such. I recall there was a small propeller on the emblem in the grill.

Ed, you need to look at the products American Motors made in the fifties, to see why the Big 3 jumped into the compact market, in 1960. The Rambler line up of Compact cars was growing quickly after the introduction of the 1956 update of the original Nash Rambler, which had used a slightly longer wheelbase for the 4 door models, introduced in 1954. From about 8th place in sales in '55, they grew to take over third place from Plymouth by 1960, behind Ford and Chevrolet, after reintroducing the original 1950 Rambler chassis and body shell (always a unibody), as the Rambler American. Much is made of the success of the VW sales, but the real competion for market share, for the big 3, was coming from AMC, which had a VW competitor since '54, the Metropolitan (shown at 13:20), imported from the UK. Both the Falcon and the Chevy II had the same wheelbase, 108", as the '56-'62 Rambler.

Enjoyed this one Ed. Thank you for posting it. Never lnew anout the attempts at compact models back then, by the big three. Will show the wife when she gets back, as we have my mom's Nash Rambler, and Crosley, but also have her dad's Henry J, in our barn, still working, and driven. On bigger, Lol, we're Yanks. We have big as well. 73 F 250 4 by, that went to a coachworks the day it left the facotry, to become a custom order Duoercab, the year before they became an option. Our shop truck, built when I was in college. And midsize, a 93 Dodge Spirit R/T, and 89 Dodge Dakota Shelby, picked up in 96, at auction. Have an 89 Ford Taurus SHO, my college car, and even a pair of rebadged twins, an 80 Ford Fairmont Futura, her high school car, and a 5.0 H.O. swapped 80 Mercury Zephyr, one of my high school projects. Big car wise, 95 Impala SS, Dark Cherry, and an 06 Lincoln Executive L, willed to me by an old friend, and boss, from my chauffer days. His old, and our current, road trip car. Love hearing the international take on the USDM history of autos. Keep doing ehat you do, wife and I both subscribed!

An interesting presentation. "Pre war Americans were used to buying new cars every couple of years" :) 5:32 I sat i one of these Tatras. You would look at the rear view mirror that in turn showed the view through that small rectangular rear window AND THEN through the louvers on the rear engine lid! The were no side mirrors. So the rear view was through small slices of the horizontal engine louvers.

I miss my '88 Chevy Sprint Metro. Small, nimble, light, great mileage, and inexpensive to buy and maintain.

Beer and cigarettes sell better than hot cakes 😂

The Ford Falcon is a model line of cars that was produced by Ford from the 1960 to 1970 model years. Though preceded by the Rambler American, the Falcon was the first compact car marketed by the Big Three American manufacturers.

Kadett instantly rang a bell as a Opel driver myself. I wonder, if it is connected, since Opel belonged to GM until it was sold to PSA some years ago.

YES!!!!!! THE MOST ENTERTAINING CAR SHOW ON THE INTERWEBS!!!

Like it was yesterday … the 50s. In one year, the cars were all black and had spongy, springy seats covered with fabric. A year later the cars all had colors like Ermine White, Pacific Blue with vinyl seats in the same color and NO springy seat feel. My fighter pilot uncle, a Marine Corps hero, lost his savings buying a Protecto Seat Cover franchise that let him sell and professionally install clear vinyl on car seats. The year after he opened it, his sad family realized that such a product would have no demand on new cars built after 1955. A nice video. Thanks!

Thanks for an interesting video. For your interest, Australia's 48/215 Holden is said to have been based on a pre-war design for a compact Buick. However the motor you describe for the Cadet project, 133cid and 65hp must be the motor used in the Holden as the numbers match perfectly. This motor served until 1963. On the Vedette V8, it was marketed in the US as an alternative Ford engine called the V8-60 in the late 30's. It had a long life, even acquiring hemi heads in Brazil in the late 60's. Cheers.

Great and creative video. Also… enjoyed your visit and collaboration with Adam of Rare Classic Cars.

Damn I love this channel so much. Is my companion when I need killing time, when I see an interest topic, even with the infamous man-flu. Thanks Ed!! I never watch cars like before knowing your work!!

Thanks for rescuing these forgotten cars from the dustbin of history. I liked the analysis that these cars were not flooding the market because of low projected profit margins. One item that you may have missed is that car dealers made their money selling a financial package that gave the buyer a "free car" when the final payment was made. This was so lucrative that the big automobile manufacturers began selling these financial packages prior to the outbreak of World War Two. A car dealer actually loses money when someone purchases a car for cash--and even when the automobile is repossessed for failure to make payments, the dealer and the automobile manufacturing company make their money. A car selling for under a thousand dollars in 1946 could be purchased by a war industries worker for the otherwise idle wages sitting in a savings account--no financing needed. That cut into profits more than the 30% profit margin projection because a five year purchase contract easily made the car two or three times the sticker price with interest and fees. You did mention that the automobile makers ignored the existing demand for a cheap car because of perceived lower profit margins. That lead to the "invasion" of foreign compact cars in the USA with the German VW Beetle being the most famous, followed by the Toyota and the Japanese invasion. These cheaper compact cars only succeeded because US automakers ignored a market niche that they deemed unprofitable. And part of "unprofitable" was the fact that for a down payment on a big American-made car, the Crisis Coupe could be bought outright. Finance plans were an important part of the bottom line. Note that debt could always be sold to another financial institution. The car could be repossessed in the event of default and the buyer sued, too. All that contributed to purchasing cars DURING the Great Depression every few years instead of keeping the old heap running. During the Sixties I remember that people would buy a new car every years--on credit--and turn in the old car and refinance. I was too young at the time, didn't learn to read and write well until 1965, but the mystery of how this Ponzi scheme worked was solved for me a decade later with financial collapse of the auto financial system. A reformed system is in use today. When did the automakers require purchasing an insurance policy that would pay for the car if the owner defaulted on the loan? Would looking into the automobile manufacturers getting into a banking role make a boring video?

Thank you Ed for your very interesting video on the small car program. You always post wonderful videos and we appreciate all your hard work posting your videos for our viewing pleasure. Great job as always.

Another very interesting show, Ed. Thanks!

Well done on this episode. Your content is always amongst the best on RU-vid.

As always Ed, thanks for a great video!!! 👍👍🙂

Thank you for another interesting look at US carmakers. Before WWII, the Austin 7 was made in the USA in the early to mid-1930's, then the US operations were taken over by a US based company, continuing to make improved and actually some stylish versions of those mini-cars under license until about 1940. That company also developed the prototype of the military vehicle known as the Jeep, with almost all made by Ford and Willies. In the mid-1950's, VW with its 'Beetle', was gaining sales for the demand for a small and perhaps better car. Other European companies like Renault, Austin, Morris, MG, Hillman, BMW, as well Ford Europe and GM Europe (Opel, Vauxhall,) subs imported (captive imports) some of their small European models with some modifications to fill the small car demand here, especially in certain urban/suburban markets.

GREAT VIDEO ED! ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THEM!!!

13:32 The Nash Rambler was substantially smaller, not slightly smaller than the standard size Nash Statesman and ambassador models, but the Rambler came in the most popular body styles: hardtop and convertible coupes and station wagons, the base models were very nicely equipped in comparison to what you could get for the same money on the used car market, and they had substantial pep being a compact car with an engine designed for a full-size car. By the mid-fifties the Rambler (carrying either Nash or Hudson badges) was American Motors best selling model and in '57 the Rambler Rebel rivaled The Chrysler 300C, the Studebaker Golden Hawk, and the "Fuelie" Corvette as the fastest cars built in the USA, and with the 1958 recession and Hudson and Nash brands gone, the Rambler was in the top five in numbers of sales, ahead of the likes of Buick and Pontiac. Henry J was priced head-to-head with a three-year-old Plymouth, and considering the relative equipment levels (The Henry J had reinforced cardboard upholstery, the bigger Plymouth had a standard glove box and a trunk that opened to the outside). Hudson Jet was unnecessarily heavy and the design modifications insisted upon by upper management gave it ungainly proportions that not even a mother could love, despite the sturdy build of a bank vault. The best looking of the bunch was the Aero-Willys, which continued in production in Brazil into the 1970s.

My Detroit grandfather told me in the '60's that dealers in his area were selling cars just after the war for a premium of $1,000-$1500 above the regular price and getting it because people had a lot of money from working in the defense plants that they couldn't spend during the war and wanted a new model most of which were warmed over '42s. As an example, look at the 1942 and 1946 Fords which are almost identical.

Thanks, Ed. Fascinating info about a significant era of the auto industry in the US.

Excellent video as always. Thanks for posting this.

Excellent topic thats mostly forgotten. Thank you!

Sometimes we all need to lose ‘a little’ weight… especially the Americans. Thanks for the video.

I always enjoy these videos....high quality historical stuff with a good sense of humor.

Some good stuff, Ed! You always teach me something!

Thanks ED..Excellent as always.

Good episode, would have been neat to see the inclusion of some of the independent brands that started up or really pushed for the small car market posy war. Crosley, King Midget, Playboy, Keller, Del-Mar, Gregory, Davis etc....

I like that blue 1949 "Shoebox" Ford with the people in it.

Yup I was a kid just getting my license in the 1950s and my folks (although in love with those land yachts especially for long trips) my mom loved our Red and Black Nash Rambler. It had leather seats AND they folded back...fun on um gf outings. lol. Thanks for the memories

Ford Vedette was also manufactured in Brazil with great success with the name SIMCA Chambord from 1958 up to 1967. It received a beautiful facelift in its latest variant, the Esplanada, and was discontinued in 1969 after Chrysler acquired the French company. Another curiosity: As result of commercial agreements and changes of property, the Aero Willys, Jeep and Renault Dauphine/Gordini were all manufactured at the same Ford plant in São Bernardo do Campo, now defunct, which produced the Ka, Ranger and F-series diesel trucks.

Everybody has a "first car" they fell in love with and for this Canadian 10-year old Air Force brat living in Paris in 1956 it was the Simca Vedette Versailles. Cool car.

It's interesting that GM had a concept car called the Cadet since GM's German division Opel did eventually make a small car called the Cadet.

Thanks for the video, Ed.

Another awesome video, Mr Ed!!

Love your videos, Thanks.

Actually, the prewar cars had not fallen apart by then. I grew up in the 50's and many prewar cars were driving fine, including Model A Fords. My dad drove a 1940 Chevy coupe and traded it for a larger car as the coupe had no back seat. I saw that same car at a car show a couple years ago, still running perfectly. Those old American cars were made well. My brother has a Ford Model AA truck, slow but solid as a rock.

Imagine if the big 3 actually developed this market. They may have actually been prepared for the 70s

Another great episode.

Thanks for that very interesting video! First time I've heard about that light car project.

Well, I learned something! Thanks 😊 And it's always interesting in my opinion when a car designed for one purpose and one market ends up doing amazing in another market! Like the Ford Vedette. Thanks again!

Honestly the highlight of my day was seeing you uploaded a new vid😊🎉

Great video,I look forward to your next video, I hope you don't get tired of doing videos!

Good job Ed

14:02 "a small car like the Bidet or the Cadet" 😂

LOVE this video!

Such a shame that the Chevy Cadet never made it into production, it is such a cute car!

Nice job Ed. Enjoying the series

The CC effect, I was just reading the Curbside Classic article on the Chevrolet Cadet. The Holden 48/215 was a very basic and conservative design, asides from wheelbase I wouldn’t think the Cadet and the Holden had much in common. Another great video my guy.

Great job Ed

Great video

Excellent video Ed!

Again, very nice and informative video! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏼

Good show! Now I've got to research the Chevrolet Cadet. I never heard of it before. In fact, your teaser post looked like a Nash.

Awesome thanks

Thank you for mentioning the Willys Aero at time 16:27. They were cool little cars. :)

I'm thankful though, the automotive and airplane fantasy along with the space race made 50s cars look good...

The L.A noire and Mafia 2 soundtrack really does help this videos be funnier, nice work 👍

Thanks for finishing with what I drive, a Chevy Spark!

Dank Ed! Mooi kanaal heb jij. Heerlijk om te volgen 👌

@13:40 I had a '52 Willys Aero. It was cool as hell! *But it's pronounced Will-ISS not Will-eeze.* GREAT video! The Aero & the Hudson Jet never get mentioned ever. They were plenty big enough & could fit six people. They were kinda the perfect car. What else do ya need??? Anything else is pretty much bullsh!t in a way. 🙂

To be fair not ALL of us Americans want big land yachts 🙂 And a fun fact: the wartime output of the Ford Motor Company was greater than the entire wartime output of Italy

Very interesting video.

Chevy killed the Cadet in part because it was too competitive and had too good of a ride. Sounds about right.

Great content man!! 🎉

really sad that GM didn't use the suspension technology ( 4 wheel independent) from the Cadet on their subsequent larger models - GM suspension systems clear up into the eighties were abysmal throw backs to post war designs .

Love love love the American motors compact cars of the 70's. Parts were easily interchangeable and widely available at self-serve U-pick auto wreckers. Cheap and if you changed the oil once in a while, RELIABLE. -- power-trains, Fenders and doors and interior parts were interchangeable. -- I played with 73 Gremlin grill/headlight surrond placed on 71 Hornet Sportabout just for fun... etc -- Low cost, good performance from the torque-ee six bangers, and cheap. *Did I say cheap?* -- My bother had the fastest car in town with a 1969 Javelin 390 4-spd.

Love the video on small cars, we have a 2012 Jeep Patriot with 2.4L 4 cylinder engine (with only 175 HP) what I like about it that its small, it can go through tight areas (especially when I'm driving through Kirkwood MO or the city of St.Louis) and plus its a cute little Jeep that looks a million times better than any crossover you see on the road today.