The History of Automobiles
Having a vehicle allows you to travel much faster than walking. It also saves you a lot of time that you would otherwise spend waiting around for the next bus or train. You can use this time for other things such as relaxing, reading, or even spending time with your family. Besides saving you a lot of time, automobiles have also made life safer for those who own them. There are a lot of safety features that have been developed over the years such as airbags, backup cameras, accident avoidance systems, and lane departure warnings. Today’s cars also last longer because of the new materials that are used.
The term car is most often used to refer to a four-wheeled motor vehicle designed to transport two to six passengers and a small amount of cargo. It is not to be confused with a truck, which is primarily intended for the transportation of goods and may be constructed with larger or heavier parts. The modern automobile was first perfected in the late 19th century by such men as Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, and Nicolaus Otto.
Automobiles were a major influence on society as they opened up new ways for people to live. People could now take vacations to places that were difficult to reach before. Families could now take road trips and discover pristine landscapes. Teenagers found freedom from the constraints of parental control and dating couples experienced relaxed sexual attitudes. During the 1910s and 1920s there was a movement for women’s rights and the automobile gave them the ability to drive and become independent.
As the industry grew, many new businesses were created to supply it with the necessary parts and components. These included steel companies, machine tool makers, and others who supplied the metal fabrication needed to make the chassis, engine, and other mechanical components. Assembly lines were introduced in the United States by Henry Ford to lower production costs and allow a wider market for his Model Ts. Eventually all of the large automakers adopted this technique to compete with Ford.
In the postwar era, automobile innovation began to slow as market saturation coincided with technological stagnation. This was due in part to automakers using production for the war effort and focusing on high-quality, gas-efficient vehicles. However, the nonfunctional styling and quality issues that arose into the 1960s also helped to bring about this slowdown.
Despite this, the automobile is still an integral part of most people’s lives. There are currently about 1.4 billion automobiles in operation worldwide. This figure is expected to increase to over two billion by 2050. Most are privately owned, but some are used for public transportation. Some are equipped for hauling cargo, while others are semiautonomous or autonomous (having a computerized system that either greatly aids the driver or fully replaces them). Work continues on developing vehicles that will be able to operate without human intervention. This is expected to result in dramatic cost savings for manufacturers as well as improved safety for the drivers.