Hall Automotive: This Week in 1926 — Ford Creates the Modern Weekend 

As Hall Automotive celebrates 100 years in Wisconsin, we’re taking a look back at the moments that were shaping America — and the automotive industry — during the era when our company’s Wisconsin story began with a Chevrolet dealership in 1926. 

The last week of May 1926 was a time of rapid innovation, growing mobility, and optimism about the future. Nearly a century later, many of the ideas introduced during this remarkable era still influence how we work, travel, and live today. 

From the earliest factories of Ford Motor Company to today’s advanced vehicles from Mazda and Volkswagen, the automotive industry has continually transformed everyday life for drivers across America — including families throughout Brookfield, Milwaukee, and Southeastern Wisconsin. 

Automotive History: Ford Helps Create the Modern Weekend 

In May of 1926, Ford Motor Company helped reshape American life forever by introducing one of the first major five-day, 40-hour workweeks in American manufacturing. 

At the time, six-day workweeks were standard across much of the industrial world. Ford’s groundbreaking decision gave factory workers more personal time while maintaining strong wages and productivity. (history.com) 

The move quickly became one of the defining moments in American labor history. Henry Ford believed employees with more time to enjoy life would ultimately become happier workers, and customers who could fully experience the freedom that automobiles provided. (automotivehistory.org) 

The idea of the “weekend” helped fuel America’s growing love affair with road trips, recreation, and family travel. Automobiles were no longer simply machines for transportation; they were becoming part of the American lifestyle. 

As Hall Automotive was beginning its Wisconsin journey in 1926, the automotive industry itself was helping redefine modern life. 

In the World: Aviation Captures America’s Imagination 

During the same month, the world was captivated by a new era of exploration and innovation in aviation. 

Explorer Richard E. Byrd and pilot Floyd Bennett became international celebrities after their historic Arctic flight in May 1926. Their journey over the North Pole symbolized the incredible pace of innovation during the Roaring Twenties. 

Across America, people followed technological breakthroughs in automobiles, aviation, radio, and manufacturing with excitement and optimism about the future. Businesses and communities throughout Wisconsin were experiencing this same spirit of growth and modernization. 

For companies like Hall Automotive, founded during this remarkable period, 1926 represented more than the beginning of a business — it marked the beginning of a modern era built around mobility, innovation, and connection. 

A Century Later 

Looking back nearly 100 years later, it’s incredible to see how much of modern America was taking shape during the same time Hall Automotive first opened its doors in Wisconsin. 

The automotive industry was revolutionizing the workplace, aviation was capturing the imagination of the world, and innovation was changing everyday life at an unprecedented pace. 

As Hall Automotive celebrates 100 years in Wisconsin, we’re proud to continue a tradition that began with a Chevrolet dealership in 1926 and has evolved into today’s Hall Automotive organization, including Hall Volkswagen, Hall Mazda of Brookfield, our service operations, and collision center serving Southeastern Wisconsin drivers. 

Hall Automotive has proudly served Wisconsin drivers since 1926. As we celebrate our centennial year, we’re reflecting on the innovations, milestones, and moments that helped shape both the automotive industry and the communities we proudly serve. 

Hall Automotive — Serving Wisconsin Since 1926