Automobiles are cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and other road vehicles that use internal combustion engines to move. They typically have four wheels and are designed primarily to transport passengers rather than cargo. Most definitions of automobile include the word motor, but they can also be powered by other sources such as electricity, wind, steam or animal power. Some modern automobiles are even powered by solar energy.
The automobile is one of the most important inventions in history, and it has changed people’s lives forever. Whether it’s the sleek Model T Fords that cruised U.S. highways and byways in the early 1900s, or the artful mid-century modern designs that dominated the road in the 50s, America’s very growth into an industrial powerhouse revolved around the automobile. In fact, many of the most influential trends in American culture began with the automobile and continue to influence it today.
INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM
Having a car gives you the freedom to go where and when you want without having to wait on other people. It saves you time on your commute to work, or when you’re out shopping or visiting friends and family. And it means that you can take longer trips, or visit more of the places that you love.
In the late 1800s, several inventors were working independently to develop a self-propelled vehicle. Karl Benz is credited with the first true automobile in 1885, which used an internal combustion engine to move. This innovation was a significant step forward from the horseless carriages that had preceded it, but it wasn’t yet a practical means of transportation.
A few years later, Siegfried Marcus developed a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine that could run on two-stroke or four-stroke cycles. He built a crude prototype that had no seats, steering or brakes and didn’t test it until 1888 or 1889.
The automobile exploded into global popularity in the 1920s, when the Ford Motor Company introduced its mass production techniques. This made it possible to build cars inexpensively. It also put Ford in a position to dominate the industry, as other manufacturers struggled to reconcile state-of-the-art design with moderate prices.
By the 1970s, the world was running out of oil, and high prices and long lines at gas stations drove drivers to turn away from large luxury models in favor of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, such as the German Volkswagen Beetle and Japanese cars. These smaller cars were less expensive and easier to maintain, but they still offered a comfortable ride and a smooth drive.
Despite the importance of the automobile, it can have negative effects on the environment. Its air pollution is a major cause of climate change, and it can make cities more difficult to navigate. However, most urban areas have public transportation systems such as buses, trains (steam-powered or diesel-powered), monorail or light rail, and subways that can help people get where they need to be more quickly and cheaply than driving an automobile.