Der Durchbruch des PKW zum Massenkonsumgut 1950-1964

Abstract

Abstract Until now, research on the breakthrough of mass motorization has neglected the importance of the used car market. Empirical evidence proves that the used car market had a significant impact on the growth of car ownership and the purchase of cars among white and blue-collar workers. The transparency and flexibility of the used car market, the lack of price regulation and the degressive curve of used car prices facilitated car ownership among medium income Germans as early as the late 1950s. German car manufacturers recognized the potential of the used car market for the promotion of new car sales, but adopted different market strategies. US companies like Opel and Ford changed their models frequently to promote the sale of new cars and to accelerate the obsolescence of older models, whereas Volkswagen followed the strategy of incremental changes in order to create a higher value for used cars and to generate an additional benefit for new car customers.