subject: A Brief History Of Automobiles [print this page] The invention of the automobile was one of the most important events in recent history. The ease and freedom of transportation which cars make possible has changed the way the world moves, interacts, travels, and lives on a day to day basis. The automobile has even changed where we build our homes. Before cars made it easy to get where we needed to go at any time, towns and communities were built so that people could get where they needed to go by foot or wagon. Homes were built closer to town. Cars have changed more aspects of daily living than we usually think about.
In 1806 a Swiss inventor by the name of Francois Isaac de Rivaz invented the first internal combustion engine. This early engine was fueled with a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. He used it to power one of the very first cars every built. However, his design was rudimentary and therefore not commercially successful.
It wasn't until 1885 that Karl Benz, a German engineer and inventor, invented the first internal combustion four stroke cycle engine powered by petroleum gasoline. Though several other German engineers were working on their own version of the engine, Karl Benz is credited as the true inventor of the engine. He used this engine to power one of the world's first automobiles. This early car was little more than a seat on three wheels. Later, Benz created four wheel car designs with improved engines.
In the United States, two men were making strides in the automobile industry, Henry Ford and Ransom Olds. Ransom Olds, the founder of the car manufacturer Oldsmobile, was the first to come up with a car that was low-priced and mass-produced so that the general public could afford it. However, Henry Ford greatly improved on Olds' design. His assembly line method of mass car production produced a vehicle every fifteen minutes. His assembly line was also a model of efficiency and safety for many major industries. With the success of the Ford model, many other car companies began to spring up, competing for sales. Because of this, the automotive industry advanced rapidly. In the early 20th century the invention of the electric self-starter and ignition, four-wheel brakes, and independent suspension greatly improved cars.
As the decades progressed and cars became more and more popular, other inventions and safety devices were developed, such as seat belts and air bags. Cars gradually became a necessity instead of a luxury as more and more people found them necessary to get where they needed to go. Today a car is the chief method of transportation for most people. It is an invention that has changed the way we live.
by: Art Gib
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