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Art Deco and the Automobile Axis Deco
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The Adler Trumpf Junior is said to have been very popular with young German Army officers. More senior officers liked faster cars, but the Adler had enough style to be noticed.
Alfa RomeoArtFeatured Editorials & ContentMiscRoadcar ArticlesRoadcar Features

Art Deco and the Automobile Axis Deco

 J. Michael Hemsley
Toyota’s first car, the AA, was a close copy of the DeSoto Airflow with essentially a 1933 Chevrolet engine. Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S. Archives

The decade of the ’30s was a time of incredible creativity among automobile designers and coachbuilders, especially in Europe. But it was also a decade of growing fear, ultimately ending with the second great war of the Twentieth Century. The war ended what was probably the most prolific period of innovation and design up until that time.

During the years leading up to World War II, not all the industrial effort of the three countries that became known as the “Axis” was spent on their military buildup. All three countries saw shifts in the design of their automobiles, although the move toward streamlined design ranged from minor in the case of Japan, to significant in Germany, and spectacular in Italy.

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J. Michael Hemsley
Steve Natale has been playing with cars ever since he was old enough to first hold a matchbox car in his hand. A lifelong enthusiast of anything old with an engine in it or wheels on it, Steve has been active in the hobby for over 35 years. Currently he owns a successful marketing company with his wife Mary, is an automotive photographer, blogger and writer for several automotive magazines and regular contributor to various automotive websites. Steve has attended vintage car events and visited car museums and collections around the world.
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