By Larry Clinton, Sausalito Historical SocietyBy the mid-1920s, the car culture was well underway in Sausalito. Not one but two ferry operators were bringing cars to and from Sausalito, and garages were springing up all over the downtown area. On the July 10th weekend of 1926, the combined Golden Gate and Northwestern Pacific ferries carried over 70,000 automobiles from Sausalito to San Francisco.
Not surprising, then, that the Sausalito News of December 12, 1925 carried a story claiming, “As the Christmas shopping season gets under way, many Christmas shoppers turn to the motor mart.”
CARTOON FROM SAUSALITO NEWS
Even Santa got in on the car craze of the 1920s.
The article is a blatant advertorial for one make – Chevrolet – but it offers some insights into the new craze that was sweeping the country:
Each year the motor car becomes more popular as a Christmas gift. In families where no motor transportation now exists, the Chevrolet Is almost constantly discussed. There will be many cars of the various models of the line for Christmas delivery this year to families of California. The enclosed models are proving very popular with early Christmas shoppers and the heads of many local households are choosing the Chevrolet as the solution of all Christmas problems.
POOLING THEIR FUNDS
According to executives of the company, a great many families are pooling their Christmas funds and ordering automobiles. The Chevrolet is popular with this type of automotive purchaser and Is naturally coming in for a full share of the Christmas business.
ADDING EXTRA CAR
An Increasing number of families are adding one or more cars to the family garage in order that the expense of operating the large sedan, coach or touring car may be eliminated. There are high school and college students, sons and daughters, who will be given automobiles for Christmas, and the Chevrolet will be well represented in this long list of Christmas purchases. Parked about the campus of most any high school or college of the country will be found an excellent representation of Chevrolet cars. Many of these represent Christmas presents of last year or the year before, but the number is to be greatly Increased with sedans, coaches, coupes, touring cars and roadsters being purchased in great numbers for Christmas delivery.