Automobiles, also known as motor cars, are self-propelled vehicles designed to transport people or goods. They usually have four wheels and are powered by a gasoline or diesel engine. The main purpose of the automobile is passenger transportation.
There are a wide range of designs of automobiles based on the intended use of the vehicle. Passenger cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and ambulances are among the most common types of automobiles.
The first motor vehicles in the United States were steam-powered contraptions. These were inconvenient to start and had a short range.
In the 18th century, French inventor Nicolas Joseph Cugnot built the world’s first automobile. This machine was a one-cylinder engine with crude carburetor and had a brief drive of about 10 mph.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the horseless carriage was transformed into a modern form. Other innovations included two-stroke kerosene engines, a battery-powered electric car, and a farm tractor.
Automobiles became the key drivers of twentieth-century change in the United States. Their widespread adoption helped to improve rural American medical care and outdoor recreation. A chronic shortage of skilled labor led to mechanization of many industrial processes.
The automobile industry became the largest consumer of industrial products in the 1920s. It provided one out of every six jobs in the country in 1982.
Automobiles played a major role in World War II production. Manufacturers made 75 essential military items for the war, which totaled $29 billion.