Automobile Show booklets that listed all the new models and their costs

By Walt Gosden

Beginning in the years prior to World War II, new cars were advertised and displayed for sale at large exhibit halls in major metropolitan areas throughout the country in order to attract large amounts of potential buyers. Insurance companies wanted people to become aware of the new cars as well, which would benefit them with the selling of new insurance policies and gaining additional future customers to cater to.

For several years, right after the great financial depression occurred, one insurance company issued a black and white booklet 3 3/4 x 8 3/8 inches with over 60 pages of images of new cars and some brief information about the cars themselves.

These booklets, which were usually four pages in length, had detailed folders listing all the different body styles of each make and model as well as the cost of each. This proved very informative for buyers so they could compare the cost of all the model cars they were interested in buying.

The list shown here details the body types for the 1935 automobile show. Prices ranged from $355 to over $10,000, and even included electric car builder Detroit Electric, which was still in business and on offer as well.