More From Swope's Museum

Swope's Cars of Yesteryear Museum (http://www.swopemuseum.com/Swope-Auto-Museum.asp) in Elizabethtown, KY is jammed packed with a variety of cars from the first seven decades of the automotive industry. Among them is this 1930 Dodge Six Cylinder Sedan. This five passenger car was a risk to produce during the Great Depression but Dodge did well with it.

The Hupp Motor Company is an example of one of the many early manufacturers who made good, reliable vehicles but eventually couldn't compete in a market that was growing more crowded. This 1930 Huppmobile Model C Victoria demonstrates their quality.

Another Packard in the museum is this 1931 833 Sport Coup. This is a classic Packard with the powerful eight cylinder engine, wire wheels and that rumble seat.

Another Packard on display is this 1933 Model 101. Packard, like most other car manufacturers and especially those making upscale luxury models, were limiting their production during the 1930s because of the Great Depression. For that reason only a small handful of this model remain.

Another Depression Era car is this 1932 LaSalle Convertible. LaSalle's were made between 1927 and 1930 and their demise was primarily the result of the Depression. They're perhaps best remembered as being mentioned in the theme song to "All In the Family."

The USA wasn't the only place that continued to make luxury cars during the Great Depression. England continued to turn out cars even as they were beginning the conflict that would become World War II. This 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom III saloon carriage exemplified the height of luxury.

Luxury models weren't the only cars to be produced during the Depression. This is a 1933 Chrysler Airflow Imperial C-10. It was a truly innovative car that shared some of its engineering with aircraft of the day. It reportedly had one of the most sturdy bodies in the world.

Here is a gorgeous 1939 Rolls Royce Wrath WRB 75 Sedanca DeVille. It features custom body coachwork by Gurney-Nutting. This car demonstrates that luxury knows no limits.

Here is a car that is believed to have been built for royalty. This 1921 Dodge Touring Car is believed to have been built for the Maharaj of the tiny kingdom of Bradehs in Indian. It was outfitted to be a hunting vehicle. Circumstances, including train robbers, kept the Raj from ever taking possession and the car was ultimately shipped to the US in 1947.

The car that revolutionized the industry. Here is a 1919 Ford Model T, the first model built on an assembly line. This allowed the cars to be built cheaper and faster and allowed Ford to sell more by making them affordable to the masses. This car really put the automobile into the hands of the middle class.

As a result of the Depression, Chrysler, in 1932 entered the field of more affordable, entry level cars with this Model PB sport roadster. Though it had luxury appointments it was stripped down somewhat using a 196 cubic inch four cylinder engine.

The last car for today is one of the oldest in the museum, a 1910 Brush. This 10 horsepower single cylinder vehicle could reach speeds of over 25 miles per hour. Not much but keep in mind that in 1910 there weren't paved roads. The car cost all of $600 when new.