Remember "Grapes of Wrath" or even that famous great depression era photo with the "World's highest standard of living" billboard. Following the Model T a lot of Americans had a car.
Big difference I think between the US where my grandmother was driving to high school during WWI and Britain. Even now I think Europeans drive half as many miles a year as Americans.
Course another quote from a middle class British writer of the first half of the 20th century. About her families situation after WWII. We never imagined being wealthy enough to own a car and at the same time too poor to have servants.
Offhand thought of mine is there always was some sort of prudishness about commies/fascista that looked down on any trappings of wealth.