Automobiles are four wheeled vehicles that allow people to travel long distances in relative comfort, without relying on public transportation or friends and family for a ride. They are driven by a gasoline-powered engine (often called a motor) that is ignited to produce mechanical energy that drives the wheels. Many automobiles are equipped with a transmission that has a set of gears to make the engine work at different speeds and torques.
The modern automobile evolved through the late 1800s and early 1900s with a series of inventors and engineers developing new types of engines and vehicle systems. The most significant advance was made by Karl Benz, who patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1885, a four-wheeled automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. His automobile was the predecessor of today’s modern automotive industry and symbolizes both the promise and the pitfalls of the modern consumer society.
During the 1920s automobiles became the lifeblood of a new consumer goods-oriented society. They were the chief consumers of petroleum and steel and provided one in six jobs in the United States. Dozens of ancillary industries, such as vulcanized rubber, steel production, and road construction, emerged to support the automobile industry. The automobile also revolutionized industrial manufacturing by allowing factories to make cars more quickly and more cheaply than ever before.
After World War II, automobile production and innovation slowed. Engineering was subordinated to the questionable aesthetics of nonfunctional styling and questions arose about automobile pollution and a drain on dwindling world oil reserves. In the 1970s, Americans began to buy fuel efficient and functionally designed Japanese automobiles.
A modern automobile has a variety of features to improve safety, comfort, and performance. Some are designed for off-road use, and have rugged, simple systems that provide high resistance to overloads and extreme operating conditions. On the other hand, a car for highway use requires passenger comfort options and optimizing high-speed handling and stability.
A variety of technologies contribute to the technical sophistication and reliability of the modern automobile, including electronic computer control, high-strength plastics, and new alloys of steel and other metals. Many of these advances have been prompted by environmental, safety, and fuel economy regulations, but some have emerged from consumer demand for improved convenience and luxury features. It is almost impossible for most Americans to imagine living without access to an automobile. It has become a part of the cultural fabric of the nation, influencing the fashions and lifestyles of its citizens in profound ways. Moreover, it is a major source of economic and political power in the United States. For most people, the automobile has transformed American life more than any other invention in its history. The modern automobile has become so prevalent that it is almost taken for granted, despite its extraordinary technical complexity and cost. This article is adapted from Leonard Bruno’s Science and Technology Firsts, and ThoughtCo.com’s History of the Automobile.