americans also were driving pierce-arrows and stutz bearcats and duesenbergs, as well as the chevroletsdsmobiles, buicks, ancadillacs built by ford's number-one competitor, general motors, headed then by alfred p. sloan. according to alfred sloan, the primary object of the corporation is to make money, not just to make motorcars. sloan realized he couldn't sell his cars cheaper than ford, so he gambled that people wanted more from their cars than a ride d that they'd pay more for the color, variety, and options th they could get only fro. henry ford may have known cars, but alfred sloan knew people, and he knew the '20s. hen♪ are ya havin' any fun?ars, ♪ what ya gettin' outta livin'? ♪ ♪ what good is what you've got if you're not havin' any fun? ♪ ♪ are ya havin' any laughs? ♪ are ya gettin' any lovin'? ♪ if other people do so ♪ can ya have a little fun? schoumacher: to link his cars with the national mood, sloan made advtising as much a gm products thchy. professor leo riffo of george washington university has written about the car and the era. shrewd, in some sense manipulative advert