Jane's does a nice small book on WWII and post war aircraft for about $15. The names that come to mind are Piper, Cessna, Beach, Aeronca, Grumman, de Havilland, Pitts, Waco, and, of course, ex-military aircraft. During the mid 50s, one could buy a P-51 Mustang or a F4FU Corsair from military surplus sales in Arizona for $ 889.00, certified for one flight from the place of sale to an airstrip near the new owner. There were also autogyros that did a commercial run from New York City to local airports, but I don't know who made them.

Dave