Automobiles

Automobiles are wheeled vehicles that carry one or more passengers and use an internal combustion engine to generate power. They are the most popular and widespread mode of transportation in the world. Over 4.25 million people work in the automotive industry worldwide. Originally perfected in Germany and France in the late 1800s, cars revolutionized society, giving people access to places that were previously out of reach, and making leisure travel possible for middle class families. In the United States, Henry Ford innovated mass production techniques that were quickly adopted, and automobile manufacturers soon consolidated into three huge corporations.

Today, cars are a crucial part of the global economy. They provide factory jobs to millions of people and help transport goods and people all over the world. Cars also save people time, and can make it easier to get to important locations in rural areas with few or no public transportation options. They are also expensive to own and operate, a fact that is often forgotten when we compare them to the cost of airplane tickets or hotel rooms.

Many of the mechanical aspects of modern automobiles were first developed in Europe, but the first truly functional cars are usually credited to American designers. The 1901 Mercedes, designed by Wilhelm Maybach for the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, was an early example of a modern automobile. It weighed only fourteen pounds per horsepower and could achieve fifty-three miles an hour. It also featured independent front-wheel drive, which was patented in 1935 by Andre Citroen for his Traction Avant, but had probably been invented earlier by Amedee Bollee and Leon Butler.