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Pre-World War II and especially pre-Great Depression cars in the US are fascinating. Until the depression there were significantly more automakers in the US including Dusenberg, Stutz and Packard.

The Depression killed most of the smaller automakers and World War II killed many of the others. After the war the independents like Hudson and Nash briefly flourished but by the early 80s with the loss of AMC, they consolidated down to the three major automakers that we know today. This article is from Esquire Magazine in 1935 at one of the worst times of the Depression.

Many of the companies listed here did not survive until even the end of the decade. Auburn folded the next year in 1936, Dusenberg in '37, Terraplane in '38, Graham, LaSalle Lafayette and Hupmobile in '40.
Take a look through the pictures and if you're more curious click on the link where you can see full screen versions of the images to read great prose like, "Nash has a one-piece body that, like a one-piece bathing suit, contains all the vitals."

Source: Retronaut