Automobiles are vehicles that have been designed and built for the transport of people, goods or luggage on public roads. They are usually powered by an internal combustion engine, fueled most commonly by gasoline (petrol). They have four wheels and are one of the most common modern technologies. Annually, 5 – 59 million various cars are produced in the world.
Automobiles have become one of the most influential inventions in human history. They have revolutionized our lifestyles and transformed the way we live, work and play. They are the most widely used mode of transport in the world and have shaped the development of society. The automobile has become the backbone of a consumer goods oriented economy. It has also served as a force for social change and helped spawn new industries such as the steel and oil companies. The automobile has helped to bring about a more mobile and more democratic society. It has allowed women to take on jobs that were traditionally the role of men and it has helped to pass laws giving women voting rights. The automobile has changed the way we shop and has given us a freedom to go wherever we want, whenever we want.
The automobile was first developed in Germany and France in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The earliest cars were steam and electrically powered. While these cars could travel at high speeds, they were inconvenient and slow to start. Gasoline powered automobiles quickly became the most popular form of transportation. The car’s speed, convenience and affordability helped to propel the nation into a industrial era.
By the 1920s, automobile production dominated the American economy. The auto industry was the backbone of a new consumer goods-oriented society and provided one out of every six jobs in the country. It was during this time that Alfred P. Sloan created the concept of different makes of automobiles to meet a wide range of market needs and promote customer loyalty. This allowed consumers to move up from a Model T Ford to a Cadillac with relative ease and affordability.
In addition to offering the public a variety of options, automobiles have contributed to the expansion of the American urban areas. They have also opened up new vistas for people living in rural and suburban America. These new opportunities have included a wider range of employment choices, more friends to include in one’s social circle and greater freedom of choice for where to live and work in relation to one’s family and personal life.
In the 1960s, questions surfaced regarding the nonfunctional styling of many American automobiles, safety issues related to faulty products and the environmental aspects relating to “gas guzzling” automobiles that were draining world oil reserves. The decline in the quality of American automobiles and the increasing concern over global pollution and oil supplies led to a decline in automobile production. This was followed by a rapid rise in Japan’s automobile production and exports.