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Class A : Vintage (1919-1930)    Flourishing talents and beauty

The 1910s through to the 1930s marked the years of the golden age for the automobile industry. The engineering technology was still in its infancy and the best and the brightest were drawn into the automobile industry with great ambitions. They tried to put various ideas into engineering applications. Car designs also went through a series of trials in terms of styles and the use of different materials.

Class B : Classic (1931-1945)    Storm and Stress

The automobile industry in the 1930s shared many characteristics with "Storm and Stress", the late 18th century German literature movement. This was the time for distinctive individuality and extreme emotions to be freely explored. Most of the core engineering technology used today emerged one after another in the 1930s and 40s.People were particularly obsessed with speed and making multi-cylinder engines with superchargers as standard equipment. This obsession was also pursued in the area of design as demonstrated in the worldwide popularity of streamline-shaped vehicles.

Class C : Postwar Classic (1946-1960)    A sea change

Immediately following WWII, the automobile industry went through a sea change. Front and rear fenders were integrated into one-piece solid bodies. There also followed a wave of engineering changes towards monocoque construction with the expectation of mass production in the near future. The current shifted rapidly and hugely in this period and many engineers throughout the world aimed for dominance by tackling a variety of different challenges.

Class D : Modern Classic (1961-1975)    Style

From the 1960s onwards automobile manufacturing became a major industry. The rise of manufacturing and mass-production systems put in place no longer allowed carmakers to make cars as they had in the past. However some engineers were able to express their freewheeling ideas by making a limited number of luxury and super sports cars.

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