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The History of Automobiles
By Richard Gazzo
The long and winding road must have been an uphill climb in the days before
automobiles. Leonardo da Vinci played with the concept of transport vehicles
in the 15th century, but horse drawn carriages and old, reliable walking remained
the most efficient means of transportation. Thankfully, in the late 1700's,
inventors concluded, there has to be a better way. For well over two hundred
years and counting, the art of transportation has been evolving. With a multitude
of patents, inventors, mechanics, and researchers to thank, the modern day,
fuel-injected, safety efficient automobile is light years away from the heavy,
perilous steam engine powered vehicle of the early days.
There isn't one clear cut inventor to single handedly credit with the invention
of the automobile, although there is a wealth of opinions on why certain inventors
should receive that credit. Contributions from Scotlands Robert Anderson,
France's Nicholas Cugnot, Germany's Karl Freidrich Benz, and Charles Duryea
from the United States helped mold the first automobiles to provide genuine
transportation.
Once the concept of automotive transportation had been realized, the next effort
went into ways to produce those vehicles. These were the days long before standardized
parts, so mass tooling was an issue. Individual parts needed to be of consistent
size and material to make the production process more efficient. Skilled labor
was the next biggest challenge to enabling every home the opportunity to own
an automobile. Henry Ford's vision to build cars for the great multitude
helped ignite a flood of almost 500 automotive manufacturers into the U.S. market,
while Mercedes and Oldsmobile helped fuel the fire worldwide.
Mass producing one of the world's most historical advancements was no small
task. The Mercedes folks needed seventeen hundred workers to produce one thousand
cars per year. Henry Ford's introduction of the first assembly line in 1913
revolutionized the business of producing cars. Major advancements in machinery
and technology made the process of building cars open to the multitude of new
automotive manufacturers; however, in 1927, Ford was the winner with fifteen
million units manufactured.
Once the automobile had been designed, established, and mass produced, the
focus shifted to how to make the most profit from it. Besides the evolution
from steam to electricity to gas powered engines and the introduction of the
first automatic transmission, advancements to the actual performance of the
car weren't nearly as dramatic. In fact, cars could only be driven in the summer
time because antifreeze had yet to be developed. By contrast, the vast landscape
of the United States transformed the desire for automotive transportation into
the need for automotive transportation.
Automobiles made it possible for school systems to improve, health systems
to improve, and lifestyle standards to improve, simply by connecting the city
to the rural areas and the United States as a whole. The ability to transport
building materials, as well as people, helped build communities and expand cultures.
By the 1900?s the United States had long established a tradition of manufacturing
success. For this reason it was logical that the production of cars in America
would result in larger volume at lower prices than in Europe. Of the 485,000
automobiles produced in 1913, the United States produced 606,000 of them. As
a result, the market for domestic versus import cars was clearly established.
Imported vehicles obviously cost more to purchase, but also cost more to manufacture.
In 1912, the Model T sold for approximately $600, which was less than the average
wage annually in the United States. The introduction of the Mercedes Grosser
undoubtedly defined the distinction between luxury automobiles and economy automobiles.
This distinction during the economically-trying war eras further developed the
class system, which to this day is still somewhat defined by the type of vehicle
a person owns. The Mercedes focus shifted from merely providing transportation
to providing transportation in the most luxurious way possible. Luxury or economy
the United States was declared auto dependent in the 1980's because
almost every household owned one, if not two vehicles.
The evolution of the automobile industry is a truly fascinating one that has
yet to reach its final chapter. Underneath the research programs focused on
designing less environmentally harmful vehicles and the business programs focused
on producing the least expensive vehicles possible, the simple luxury of transportation
is almost lost. In the end, the opportunity to travel the long and winding road
in comfort is truly a gift. About the Author About the author:
Richard Gazzo is a successful writer offering advice on where to buy cheap
rims, custom rims
including chrome
wheels, chrome
spinning rims, wire wheels, car
rims, truck wheels and alloy
rims. Reprint permission will all hyper link intact. © http://www.custom-wheels-n-chrome-rims.com
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