In the 1930s, collectible cards featuring automobiles and racing became more varied internationally, though still largely produced as tobacco or trade cards rather than mainstream sport-card issues. British and European tobacco companies — especially W.D. & H.O. Wills and Ogden’s — issued multi-subject sets that often included cards related to motor vehicles and motorsports. A notable example from the period is the 1930 Wills “Speed” series, a 50-card tobacco set that included automobiles, motorcycles, and references to auto racing among other vehicles, reflecting public interest in technology and speed in the early 20th century. Similarly, Ogden’s released a 1931 “Motor Races” series of cigarette cards that depicted notable international race events such as the Ulster Tourist Trophy and other Grand Prix and motorcycle races, making them some of the more directly racing-focused pre-war issues collectors seek today.
Alongside those, the decade also saw regional and themed collectible cards tied to auto culture. In parts of Germany and surrounding areas during the late 1930s, tobacco cards such as the Werbegemeinschaft Saarlauterner Zigaretten “Deutscher Kraftfahrsport” series featured legendary drivers like Rudolf Caracciola on racing-related subjects, showing how European automotives and motorsport personalities appeared on cards in that era. Beyond cigarette cards, there were also non-tobacco automotive trade card issues and local collectible albums in the 1930s that featured motor cars and racing scenes for educational or entertainment purposes, though documentation of complete sets is often spotty today. Overall, while dedicated auto-racing trading card sets were still relatively uncommon compared with later decades, the 1930s represent a growing international interest in racing-themed collectibles that foreshadowed more standardized motorsports card releases in the post-war era.