Golden Age of the Automobile
When Blanchard and Calhoun was founded in 1919, less than 7 million automobiles traveled American roads.
The “horseless carriage” was a luxury few could afford. But thanks to Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line to the manufacturing process, the price of cars and trucks steadily declined in the early 1920s. By 1929, 27 million cars were registered in the United States, approximately one for every American household. Blanchard and Calhoun recognized that, other than a house, a car was very likely the most expensive purchase an individual or family would make so they teamed up with local automotive dealers to simplify the process, offering 12-month loans to cover the cost of the car, interest, and insurance. Today, nearly 90 percent of Americans own cars and more than 276 million vehicles are registered in the United States. Most people can’t imagine life without them. But we remember when road travel was still an adventure, when cars shared the streets with horse drawn carriages, and when a family rambling down Central Avenue in a Model T Ford was a sight to behold. Blanchard and Calhoun is out of the automotive financing business, but our Blanchard and Calhoun Insurance Agency stands ready to work with you and your family to protect your automobiles. Whether you drive a Prius, a Porsche, or a rusty old pick up, we’ve still got you covered.