What type of accessories or items would be found in 1930's Automobiles

I just bought a set of vintage golf clubs for my 1934 Packard simply because it has a golf bag door. When you open a golf bag door, there should be golf clubs, right?. My car also has the trunk with the luggage in it as well.

My question is what other type of accessories would one find in a 1930's Automobile?

Thanks so much.

Tool kits were a big thing

A vase was also popular in a closed car.........

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Greta Garbo

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Mine has a vanity case and an ashtray, vanity case has mirror and comb, pull assit cords could also be had as well as robe rail, footrest, sometimes courtesy lights, cigarette lighters, list goes on

Automotive accessories were as popular back in the 30s, and earlier, as they are today. I have a 1929 Western Auto Catalog that is full of all kinds of items that could have been purchased to make a car more unique, fancy, or convince features. You might want to check with some of the larger literature dealers for a copy of a 1934 Western Auto Catalog to find out what the owner of your car could have purchased to make their car a little more unique when it was new.

I assumed he meant factory accessories, sorry for the confusion

One thing I have found in a couple of 30s cars that I have never seen mentioned, is a rubber cover for the gearshift knob. It was shaped like a gearshift knob but bigger, with a raised design or pattern on it. Made of soft rubber about 1/32" thick. It stretched over the knob like a rubber boot.

Apparently it was made for a floor shift car to reduce the vibration in the knob. The cars I found them in were a 1937 Plymouth and another car of about the same year.

Every car dealer used to have a showcase full of accessories and every car company published a catalog.

The biggest sellers among dealer installed accessories were seat covers, heaters, radios and cigar lighters.

Up until the mid 50s dealer installed accessories were big business but after that, they fell out of favor because most of the new accessories had to be installed at the factory and ordered with the car.

I am talking about automatic trans, power steering, power seats etc.

By the mid 50s seat covers were not longer best sellers (who needs them when you have nylon upholstery) and heaters had to be built in at the factory.

Radios and other accessories were more and more factory options or part of options packages.

The last dealers I remember with glass front accessory display cases in the showroom were VW in the beetle era.

Almost all the high end Mercedes Benz and some of their mid-range cars (which still cost 4k or more in the U.S.A) came with fitted luggage.

I have an original pair of size#9 travelling slippers in a pouch with Packard script on the pouch.I assume it was an accessory like the vanity case or fitted luggage.

Great comments, thanks for sharing. Items of interest for me are things one might find in a 1934 Vehicle, not necessarily factory options. I am on the hunt for old tire chains so I can actually drive this car in the snow. I find it fun outfitting this car!

Little motorized fans that affixed to the windshield header were popular items.

TG

Tom,

The one thing no one has mentioned was the option between wood (standard) and wire wheels. Also, the hood ornament. The side vents being nickel or just painted steel. Sidemount tires. I'm going off of what where offered on my 1931 Cadillac Town Car. It has all the factory options.....wire wheels..... $20 extra for the hood ornament. $5 extra for the nickel plated side vents. $240 for the sidemount spare tires. Side mount mirrors. Cigarette lighters, ashtray and a cigarette holder with filterless old cigarettes still inside.

Jay

the robe rail was mentioned, but some cars had factory "robes" (blankets) for them. Radio was a new fangled option

This is great info. Because eBay is a wonderful thing, I just bought 1934 Maps of my area, some 1934 Paper money and coins, a whiskey bottle from 1934, 30's era Golf clubs and bag, many 1934 original ads that can be thrown about the car, tire chains and tools, etc.

Now I need some clothing of the era...any suggestions?

..... For pedestrian safety reasons, we no longer allow HOOD ORNAMENTS on cars. .....

Where do you live that no longer allows hood ornaments? I know that here in the US they started making some that were spring loaded and would bend over if something came in contact with them. I think it also made them harder to just snap off :eek: by teenagers that were stealing them to make necklaces out of them.

Tom,

Go to the SuperYellow Pages online, put in what you're looking for (vintage clothing) and location (Smithfield, RI) and stores will pop-up. Looks like there's one in Greenville. Also, put in Providence and something should pop-up. Good luck!

Jay

Tom,

Go to the SuperYellow Pages online, put in what you're looking for (vintage clothing) and location (Smithfield, RI) and stores will pop-up. Looks like there's one in Greenville. Also, put in Providence and something should pop-up. Good luck!

Jay

We also have a forum here for Vintage Clothing items for sale by individuals and links on where to find new or orginal clothes and fashion accessories.

I have an original pair of size#9 travelling slippers in a pouch with Packard script on the pouch.I assume it was an accessory like the vanity case or fitted luggage.

Tom, some other possibilities

Ladies hatbox of the era

Vintage luggage

Political buttons, fliers or even tag toppers from the era political or not

Era Magazines

Your buddy Steve taking car for a spin (OK, vintage but not quite that vintage..)

Some of the factory options for my 1931 Hupmobile included fender spare tires, trunk, passenger windshield wiper, & passenger taillight. Additionally the car came with wood wheels but wire wheels were $10 and steel wheels were $40.

Some after market items included Trippie head lights, wire rack to hold hat to headliner, oil filter, backup lights, tool kit, curb feelers, clock in rear view mirror, & Trico (vacuum) fan.

This is great info. Because eBay is a wonderful thing, I just bought 1934 Maps of my area, some 1934 Paper money and coins, a whiskey bottle from 1934, 30's era Golf clubs and bag, many 1934 original ads that can be thrown about the car, tire chains and tools, etc.

Now I need some clothing of the era...any suggestions?

Look in a 1933-34 Sears or Wards cataloge for the styles of the era. What is old, is sometimes new. Also look in the Auto accessories sections. Dandy Dave!

Tom, some other possibilities

Your buddy Steve taking car for a spin (OK, vintage but not quite that vintage..)

I have extended the offer several times, so get down down here before someone arm wrestles me for it!

Yes, Tom, you certainly have! Admittedly my fault - February has been really hectic. Will be up there in March to view Packards and lunch at the world famouse Newport Creamery Smithfield (unless you have a better suggestion - remember, I said I'm buying!).

Would be really cool to find an old tag topper with either a beach club or country club logo/ID number on it. Perfect for a Packard. I passed on one a couple years ago and wish I bought it...

E-Bay item # 370337809648 Vintage condom tin with original contents. I recommend these be used for display purposes only.

My Auburn accessories bulletins from 1934 includes the following factory accessories offered to Auburn dealers: (prices are recommended MSRP)

Locking gas cap $2.50

Draft deflector $15

Crosley Radio $46.50 (steering column controls optional)

Fulton Electric Frost Shield (including extra suction cups) 5 models, $0.80 to $6.00

Hot water Heaters (3 models) $16.00 to $18.50

Battery charger (plugs into cigar lighter) $8.50

Chrome fender guard (trim) $2.50

By-pass muffler $7.00

Seat covers (2 grades) $6.50 to $15.50

Remo carburetor injector $3.75 w/ Remo fluid $0.60

Buell air horns $64.50 w/ compressor

I have never seen or heard of a Remo injector. One container of fluid is said to last 1000 miles. The gadget is advertised to reduce carbon build-up in cars that were driven short distances and pre-ignition on aluminum head cars whose owner's used "questionable types of gasoline". It must have injected tetraethyl lead or something similar but why it couldn't have just been added to a tank of gas is not clear to me. The factory instructed its dealers that "they can be readily sold and, if merchandised, be another means of increasing your Accessory and Service Department profits."

It's hard to imagine anyone in the heart of the Great Depression wanting to spend the enormous sum of $65 on air horns to make a $1200 semi-luxury car sound like a semi-truck. Maybe they were for blowing people in food lines off the road.

E-Bay item # 370337809648 Vintage condom tin with original contents. I recommend these be used for display purposes only.

Check it out, the tin is beautiful.

I'm kind of curious as to just how you found that in the first place. On second thought, forget I mentioned it.

I did check them out, thats why I asked. I dont know the vintage...50's? When did condoms come to market...hmmmm

Pair of torn in half theatre tickets would be a nice touch. We found a pair of such ticket stubs in the defroster vent of a '59 Cadillac for the Cactus Drive In Theatre in Tucson, Arizona. To answer your question Wes, thinking about the drive in ticket stubs naturally reminded me of the aforementioned accessory.

Hhhmmmm???

Just bid on many license plate toppers and placed a bid on the condoms! Tickets a great idea, I will search some out. Bought some 1934 coins for the ashtray!

Has anyone said travel maps yet? They are dated. Many of them have destinations; to and from. Best part is the very nice color artwork on many I have seen. Meaning the 20's and 30's. Come to think of it there were atlases also, but larger than the roadmaps.

I had a 64 Worlds Fair roadmap on the dash of a 63.

Tom,

Are you going to be displaying all these items at car events or are they for your own home "museum" with your car? If you are going to display with your car at events, you don't want too much stuff that is going to "junk" it up and take away from the car itself. With my 1931 Cadillac, I have a dispay case (1" x 36" x 18" with a black velevet background) with the original leather shop book, the original owners manual, original sales brochure, a 1931colored ad from a magazine of the car and a Roosevelt window sticker (no bumper stickers in that era). It looks great, it's separate from the car, and people always comment about it.

Jay

how about a wicker picnic basket with fitted silver and all the other trimmings?this would be very era correct.

Remo fluid could have been a mixture of water and alachol. I belive that mixture was used to remove carbon in engines.

Duane

Some aftermarket iaccessory tems seen in cars of that era; a flashlight holder attached to the steering column; likewise a holder for the registration card; a small round ash tray suction-cupped to the dash, and a "junk fence" similarly attached to the top of the dash to keep stuff like cigarette packs there; an extension on top of the emergency brake handle, making it easier to reach. And don't forget those handy "necker's knobs" with girlie pictures in them on the steering wheel.

I have a fan with rubber blades on the steering column. The motor is run buy vacuum.

Trico had fans and windshield washers available as after market instalations. Defrosters were another item, besides heaters. oilers for the srings, as well as spring covers was an option. What about Fog lights? Locks for spare tires. side wind screens for the front door windows. A side rack for luggage.