Automobiles have been an important part of America’s culture for a century and more. By the 1920s they ranked first in value of products and provided one of every six jobs in the country. They also revolutionized the industries that produced and sold them, including petroleum, steel, and other manufacturing companies. Today it is almost inconceivable to imagine a modern society without cars and the road networks that make them possible.
The scientific and technical building blocks of the automobile began to take shape in the late 1700s and 1800s. These early vehicles were run by steam and electricity, but they had many limitations. In 1885 the first gasoline powered automobile was invented by Karl Benz. From then on, a steady stream of improvements in the mechanical, electrical, and safety features of the car continued.
Henry Ford’s development of the assembly line in 1908 was a milestone in automotive history. It enabled car manufacturers to produce cars in larger quantities at lower prices than had ever been achieved before. This allowed middle class families to own and operate cars, which had previously been considered a luxury item.
From the beginning, American automakers were ahead of their European counterparts in the development of new technologies for automobiles. The United States had a much larger population and hinterland than Europe and thus far greater demand for the new consumer goods that cars represented. In addition, cheap raw materials and a long tradition of industrial manufacturing encouraged the development of new production methods.
Until the early 1900s most automobiles were built by small manufacturers, who competed with each other on price and design. For example, in 1901 Ransom E Olds produced a one-cylinder three-horsepower motor car that was basically a motorized horse buggy. This car cost about $650, which put it within the reach of most middle class Americans.
In the 1910s, German inventors like Nikolaus Otto, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz developed improved internal combustion engines that were more efficient than previous models. This led to a rapid increase in car production, especially in the United States where auto makers adapted Ford’s assembly line techniques.
After World War II the issue for many Americans became less whether they could afford a car than how to choose from a vast array of automobiles in styles ranging from functionally designed early 1960s designs to sleek, fuel-efficient, Japanese imported cars. Questions about safety and pollution from gas-powered cars and the draining of world oil supplies also arose in the 1960s.
By the 1970s, technology for safer and more environmentally friendly cars began to catch up with the demand for them. The decline of the American automobile industry, however, coincided with market saturation and technological stagnation. In the 1980s and 1990s, many new automobile innovations were made, but the overall trend was toward smaller, less expensive cars. The future of the automobile remains uncertain, but it continues to be an integral part of American culture.