History of the automobile(How did the auto

industry get started , where did it get to?)

Development of the automobile started in 1672 with the invention of the

first steam-powered vehicle,[1] which led to the creation of the first steam-
powered automobile capable of human transportation, built by Nicolas-Joseph
Cugnot in 1769.[2][3] Inventors began to branch out at the start of the 19th
century, creating the de Rivas engine, one of the first internal combustion
engines,[4] and an early electric motor.[5] Samuel Brown later tested the first
industrially applied internal combustion engine in 1826. [6]
Development was hindered in the mid-19th century by a backlash against
large vehicles, yet progress continued on some internal combustion engines.
The engine evolved as engineers created two- and four-cycle combustion
engines and began using gasoline as fuel. The first modern car—a practical
automobile for everyday use—and the first car put into series production
appeared in 1886, when Carl Benz developed a gasoline-powered automobile
and made several identical copies.[7][8] Later automobile production was marked
by the Ford Model T, created by the Ford Motor Company in 1908, which
became the first automobile to be mass-produced on a moving assembly line.
[9]

Power sources[edit]
The early history of the automobile was concentrated on the search for a
reliable portable power unit to propel the vehicle.
Steam-powered wheeled vehicles[edit]
Main article: History of steam road vehicles
17th and 18th centuries[edit]
Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version

Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, built a steam-

powered vehicle around 1672 as a toy for the Kangxi Emperor. It was small-
scale and could not carry a driver but it was, quite possibly, the first working
steam-powered vehicle ('auto-mobile').[1][10]
Steam-powered self-propelled vehicles large enough to transport people and
cargo were first devised in the late 18th century. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot
demonstrated his fardier à vapeur ("steam dray"), an experimental steam-
driven artillery tractor, in 1770 and 1771. As Cugnot's design proved to be
impractical, his invention was not developed in his native France. The center
of innovation shifted to Great Britain. By 1784, William Murdoch had built a
working model of a steam carriage in Redruth[11] and in 1801 Richard
Trevithick was running a full-sized vehicle on the roads in Camborne.
19th century[edit]
A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil'

During the 19th century, attempts were made to introduce steam-powered

vehicles. Innovations such as hand brakes, multispeed transmissions and
better steering developed. Some successful vehicles provided mass
transit until a backlash against these large vehicles resulted in the passage of
legislation such as the UK Locomotives Act 1865, which required many self-
propelled vehicles on public roads to be preceded by a man on foot waving a
red flag and blowing a horn. This effectively halted road auto development in
the United Kingdom for most of the rest of the 19th century; inventors and
engineers shifted their efforts to improvements in railway locomotives. The
law was not repealed until 1896, although the need for the red flag was
removed in 1878.
In 1816, a professor at Prague Polytechnic, Josef Bozek, built an oil-fired
steam car.[12]: 27  Walter Hancock, builder and operator of London steam busses,
in 1838 built a two-seated car phaeton.[12]: 27 
In 1867, Canadian jeweler Henry Seth Taylor demonstrated his four-wheeled
"steam buggy" at the Stanstead Fair in Stanstead, Quebec and again the
following year.[13] The basis of the buggy, which he began building in 1865,
was a high-wheeled carriage with bracing to support a two-cylinder steam
engine mounted on the floor.[14] In 1873, Frenchman Amédée Bollée built self-
propelled steam road vehicles to transport groups of passengers.
The first automobile suitable for use on existing wagon roads in the United
States was a steam-powered vehicle invented in 1871 by Dr. J.W. Carhart, a
minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Racine, Wisconsin.[15] It induced
the state of Wisconsin in 1875 to offer a US$10,000 (equivalent to $246,758
in 2021) award to the first to produce a substitute for the use of horses and
other animals. They stipulated that the vehicle would have to maintain an
average speed of more than 8 km/h (5 mph) over a 320 km (200 mi) course.
The offer led to the first city to city automobile race in the United States,
starting on 16 July 1878 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and ending in Madison,
Wisconsin, via Appleton, Oshkosh, Waupun, Watertown, Fort Atkinson,
and Janesville. While seven vehicles were registered, only two started to
compete: the entries from Green Bay and Oshkosh. The vehicle from Green
Bay was faster but broke down before completing the race. The Oshkosh
finished the 323 km (201 mi) course in 33 hours and 27 minutes and posted
an average speed of 9.7 km/h (6 mph). In 1879, the legislature awarded half
the prize.[16][17][18]
20th century[edit]
Pre-WWII

1924 Doble Model E

Steam-powered road vehicles, both cars and wagons, reached the peak of
their development in the early 1930s with fast-steaming lightweight boilers
and efficient engine designs. Internal combustion engines also developed
greatly during World War I, becoming simpler to operate and more reliable.
The development of the high-speed diesel engine from 1930 began to replace
them for wagons, accelerated in the UK by tax changes making steam
wagons uneconomic overnight. Although a few designers continued to
advocate steam power, no significant developments in the production of
steam cars took place after Doble in 1931.
Post-WWII
Whether steam cars will ever be reborn in later technological eras remains to
be seen. Magazines such as Light Steam Power continued to describe them
into the 1980s. The 1950s saw interest in steam-turbine cars powered by
small nuclear reactors[19] (this was also true of aircraft), but the fears about the
dangers inherent in nuclear fission technology soon killed these ideas).
Electric automobiles[edit]

The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world [20]

See also: History of the electric vehicle

19th century[edit]
In 1828, Ányos Jedlik, a Hungarian who invented an early type of electric
motor, created a tiny model car powered by his new motor. [5] In
1834, Vermont blacksmith Thomas Davenport, the inventor of the first
American DC electric motor, installed his motor in a small model car, which he
operated on a short circular electrified track.[21] In 1835, Professor Sibrandus
Stratingh of Groningen, the Netherlands and his assistant Christopher Becker
created a small-scale electrical car, powered by non-rechargeable primary
cells.[22] In 1838, Scotsman Robert Davidson built an electric locomotive that
attained a speed of 6.4 km/h (4 mph). In England, a patent was granted in
1840 for the use of tracks as conductors of electric current, and similar
American patents were issued to Lilley and Colten in 1847.
Sources point to different creations as the first electric car. Between 1832 and
1839 (the exact year is uncertain) Robert Anderson of Scotland invented a
crude electric carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary cells. In
November 1881, French inventor Gustave Trouvé demonstrated a working
three-wheeled car powered by electricity at the International Exposition of
Electricity.[23] English inventor Thomas Parker, who was responsible for
innovations such as electrifying the London Underground, overhead tramways
in Liverpool and Birmingham, and the smokeless fuel coalite, built an electric
car in London in 1884, using his own specially designed high-capacity
rechargeable batteries.[24] However, some others regard the Flocken
Elektrowagen of 1888 by German inventor Andreas Flocken as the first true
electric car.[20]
20th century[edit]
Electric cars enjoyed popularity between the late 19th century and early 20th
century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for automobile
propulsion. Advances in internal combustion technology, especially the
electric starter, soon rendered this advantage moot; the greater range of
gasoline cars, quicker refueling times, and growing petroleum infrastructure,
along with the mass production of gasoline vehicles by companies such as
the Ford Motor Company, which reduced prices of gasoline cars to less than
half that of equivalent electric cars, led to a decline in the use of electric
propulsion, effectively removing it from important markets such as the US by
the 1930s. 1997 saw the Toyota RAV4 EV and the Nissan Altra, the first
production battery electric cars to use NiMH and Li-ion batteries (instead of
heavier lead acid) respectively.
21st century[edit]
In recent years, increased concerns over the environmental impact of
gasoline cars, higher gasoline prices, improvements in battery technology,
and the prospect of peak oil have brought about renewed interest in electric
cars, which are perceived to be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to
maintain and run, despite high initial costs.
Internal combustion engines[edit]
Gas mixtures[edit]

1885-built Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car—a practical automobile for everyday use
The second Marcus car of 1875 at the Technical Museum in Vienna

The lack of suitable fuels, particularly liquids, hampered early attempts at

making and using internal combustion engines—therefore some of the earliest
engines used gas mixtures. In 1806, the Swiss engineer François Isaac de
Rivaz built an engine powered by internal combustion of
a hydrogen and oxygen mixture.[4] In 1826, Englishman Samuel Brown tested
his hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine by using it to propel a vehicle
up Shooter's Hill in southeast London.[25][6] Etienne Lenoir's automobile with a
hydrogen-gas-fueled one-cylinder internal combustion engine made a test
drive from Paris to Joinville-le-Pont in 1860, covering some 9 km (5.6 mi) in
about three hours.[26] A later version was propelled by coal gas. A Delamare-
Deboutteville vehicle was patented and trialed in 1884.
The use of autogas (LPG) or natural gas in vehicles can become sporadically
popular—often depending on the supply and cost of gasoline.
Gasoline[edit]
Nicolaus Otto and Eugen Langen had built a working engine in 1867. About
1870, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, inventor Siegfried Marcus put a liquid-
fueled internal combustion engine on a simple handcart which made him the
first man to propel a vehicle by means of gasoline. Today, this is known as
"the first Marcus car" but would be better described as a cart. His second car,
built and run in 1875, was the first petrol driven car and is housed at the
Vienna Technial Museum.[27][28] In 1883, Marcus secured a German patent for a
low-voltage ignition system of the magneto type; this was his only automotive
patent. During his lifetime, he was honored by some as the originator of the
motorcar but his place in history was all but erased by the Nazis during World
War II. Because Marcus was of Jewish descent, the Nazi propaganda office
ordered his work to be destroyed, his name expunged from future textbooks,
and his public memorials removed.[29] John Nixon of the London Times in 1938
considered Marcus' development of the motor car to have been experimental,
as opposed to Carl Benz who took the concept from experimental to
production. Nixon described Marcus' cars as impractical.[30]
Benz built his first automobile, the Benz Patent Motorcar, in 1885
in Mannheim. It is considered the first modern car—a practical automobile for
everyday use—and the first car put into series production. [31] Benz was granted
a patent for his automobile on 29 January 1886, [32] and began the first
production of automobiles in 1888, after Bertha Benz, his wife, had proved—
with the first long-distance trip in August 1888, from Mannheim to Pforzheim
and back—that the horseless coach was capable of extended travel. Since
2008 a Bertha Benz Memorial Route commemorates this event.[33]
Soon after, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Stuttgart in 1889
designed a vehicle from scratch to be an automobile, rather than a horse-
drawn carriage fitted with an engine. They also are usually credited with
invention of the first motorcycle in 1885.[12]: 26 
In 1891, John William Lambert built a three-wheeler in Ohio City, Ohio, which
was destroyed in a fire the same year, while Henry Nadig constructed a four-
wheeler in Allentown, Pennsylvania.[12]: 25 
The first four-wheeled petrol-driven automobile in the United Kingdom was
built in Walthamstow by Frederick Bremer in 1892.[34] Another was made
in Birmingham in 1895 by Frederick William Lanchester, who also patented
the disc brake. The first electric starter was installed on an Arnold, an
adaptation of the Benz Velo, built in Kent between 1895 and 1898.[12]: 25 
George Foote Foss of Sherbrooke, Quebec built a single-cylinder gasoline car
in 1896 which he drove for four years, ignoring city officials' warnings of arrest
for his "mad antics".[13]

Eras of invention[edit]
Horseless carriage or Veteran era[edit]

The Selden Road-Engine

The Präsident automobile

The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898

Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian
manufacturer Fiat in 1899

The American George B. Selden filed for a

patent on 8 May 1879. His application
included not only the engine but its use
in a four-wheeled car. Selden filed a
series of amendments to his
application which stretched out the legal
process, resulting in a delay of 16 years before the patent was granted on 5
November 1895.[35] Selden licensed his patent to most major American
automakers, collecting a fee on each car they produced and creating
the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. The Ford Motor
Company fought this patent in court,[36] and eventually won on appeal. Henry
Ford testified that the patent did more to hinder than encourage development
of autos in the United States.[37]
The first production of automobiles was by Carl Benz in 1888 in Germany
and, under license from Benz, in France by Emile Roger. There were
numerous others, including tricycle builders Rudolf Egg, Edward Butler,
and Léon Bollée.[12]: 20–23  Bollée, using a 650 cc (40 cu in) engine of his own
design, enabled his driver, Jamin, to average 45 km/h (28 mph) in the 1897
Paris-Tourville rally.[12]: 23  By 1900, mass production of automobiles had begun
in France and the United States.
The first company formed exclusively to build automobiles was Panhard et
Levassor in France, which also introduced the first four-cylinder engine. [12]: 
22 
 Formed in 1889, Panhard was quickly followed by Peugeot two years later.
By the start of the 20th century, the automobile industry was beginning to take
off in Western Europe, especially in France, where 30,204 were produced in
1903, representing 48.8 percent of world automobile production that year. [38]
Across the northern US, local mechanics experimented with a wide variety of
prototypes. In the state of Iowa, for example, by 1890 Jesse O. Wells drove a
steam-powered Locomobile. There were numerous experiments in electric
vehicles driven by storage batteries. First users ordered the early gasoline-
powered cars, including Haynes, Mason, and Duesenberg automobiles.
Blacksmiths and mechanics started operating repair and gasoline stations.
[39]
 In Springfield, Massachusetts, brothers Charles and Frank Duryea founded
the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1893, becoming the first American
automobile manufacturing company. The Autocar Company, founded in 1897,
established a number of innovations still in use [40] and remains the oldest
operating motor vehicle manufacturer in the US. However, it was Ransom E.
Olds and his Olds Motor Vehicle Company (later known as Oldsmobile) who
would dominate this era with the introduction of the Oldsmobile Curved Dash.
Its production line was running in 1901. The Thomas B. Jeffery
Company developed the world's second mass-produced automobile, and
1,500 Ramblers were built and sold in its first year, representing one-sixth of
all existing motorcars in the US at the time.[41] Within a year, Cadillac (formed
from the Henry Ford Company), Winton, and Ford were also producing cars in
the thousands. In South Bend, Indiana, the Studebaker brothers, having
become the world's leading manufacturers of horse-drawn vehicles, made a
transition to electric automobiles in 1902, and gasoline engines in 1904. They
continued to build horse-drawn vehicles until 1919. [42]
The first motor car in Central Europe was produced by the Austro-
Hungarian company Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau (later renamed to Tatra in
today's Czech Republic) in 1897, the Präsident automobile.[43][failed verification] In
1898, Louis Renault had a De Dion-Bouton modified, with fixed drive
shaft and differential, making "perhaps the first hot rod in history" and bringing
Renault and his brothers into the car industry. [44] Innovation was rapid and
rampant, with no clear standards for basic vehicle architectures, body styles,
construction materials, or controls; for example, many veteran cars use
a tiller, rather than a wheel for steering. During 1903, Rambler standardized
on the steering wheel[45] and moved the driver's position to the left-hand side of
the vehicle.[46] Chain drive was dominant over the drive shaft, and closed
bodies were extremely rare. Drum brakes were introduced by Renault in
1902.[47]: 62  The next year, Dutch designer Jacobus Spijker built the first four-
wheel drive racing car;[48]: 77  it never competed and it would be 1965 and
the Jensen FF before four-wheel drive was used on a production car. [48]: 78 
Within a few years, a dizzying assortment of technologies were being used by
hundreds of producers all over the western world. Steam, electricity, and
petrol/gasoline-powered automobiles competed for decades, with
petrol/gasoline internal combustion engines achieving dominance by the
1910s. Dual- and even quad-engine cars were designed, and engine
displacement ranged to more than 12 L (3.2 US gal). Many modern advances,
including gas/electric hybrids, multi-valve engines, overhead camshafts, and
four-wheel drive, were attempted and discarded at this time.
Innovation was not limited to the vehicles themselves. Increasing numbers of
cars propelled the growth of the petroleum industry,[47]: 60–61  as well as the
development of technology to produce gasoline (replacing kerosene and coal
oil) and of improvements in heat-tolerant mineral oil lubricants (replacing
vegetable and animal oils).[47]: 60 
There were social effects, also. Music would be made about cars, such as "In
My Merry Oldsmobile" (a tradition that continues) while, in 1896, William
Jennings Bryan would be the first presidential candidate to campaign in a car
(a donated Mueller), in Decatur, Illinois.[49]: 92  Three years later, Jacob German
would start a tradition for New York City cabdrivers when he sped
down Lexington Avenue, at the "reckless" speed of 19 km/h (12 mph).[49]: 92  Also
in 1899, Akron, Ohio, adopted the first self-propelled paddy wagon.[49]: 92 
By 1900, the early centers of national automotive industry developed in many
countries, including Belgium (home to Vincke, that copied Benz; Germain, a
pseudo-Panhard; and Linon and Nagant, both based on the Gobron-Brillié),[12]: 
25 
 Switzerland (led by Fritz Henriod, Rudolf Egg, Saurer, Johann Weber,
and Lorenz Popp),[12]: 25  Vagnfabrik AB in Sweden, Hammel (by A. F. Hammel
and H. U. Johansen at Copenhagen, in Denmark, which only built one car, ca.
1886[12]: 25 ), Irgens (starting in Bergen, Norway, in 1883, but without success), [12]: 
25–26 
 Italy (where FIAT started in 1899), and as far afield as Australia
(where Pioneer set up shop in 1898, with an already archaic paraffin-fueled
center-pivot-steered wagon).[12] Meanwhile, the export trade had begun, with
Koch exporting cars and trucks from Paris to Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, and
the Dutch East Indies.[12]: 25  Motor cars were also exported to British colonies,
for example, the first was shipped to India in 1897.
Throughout the veteran car era, the automobile was seen more as a novelty
than as a genuinely useful device. Breakdowns were frequent, fuel was
difficult to obtain, roads suitable for traveling were scarce, and rapid
innovation meant that a year-old car was nearly worthless. Major
breakthroughs in proving the usefulness of the automobile came with the
historic long-distance drive of Bertha Benz in 1888, when she traveled more
than 80 km (50 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, to make people aware of
the potential of the vehicles her husband, Karl Benz, manufactured, and
after Horatio Nelson Jackson's successful transcontinental drive across the
US in 1903 on a Winton car. Many older cars made were made with an
assembly line that would help mass-produce cars, a system that continues to
be used because of its efficiency.
Brass or Edwardian era[edit]
Main article: Brass Era car
See also: Antique car

A Stanley Steamer racecar in 1903. In 1906, a similar Stanley Rocket set the world land speed
record at 205.5 km/h (127.7 mph) at Daytona Beach Road Course.

Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915

The Brass or Edwardian period lasted from roughly 1905 through 1914 and
the beginning of World War I. It is generally referred to as the Edwardian era,
but in the United States is often known as the Brass era from the widespread
use of brass in vehicles during this time.
Within the 15 years that make up this era, the various experimental designs
and alternate power systems would be marginalized. Although the
modern touring car had been invented earlier, it was not until Panhard et
Levassor's Système Panhard was widely licensed and adopted that
recognizable and standardized automobiles were created. This system
specified front-engine, rear-wheel drive internal combustion-engine cars with
a sliding gear transmission. Traditional coach-style vehicles were rapidly
abandoned, and buckboard runabouts lost favor with the introduction
of tonneaus and other less-expensive touring bodies.
By 1906, steam car development had advanced, and they were among the
fastest road vehicles in that period.[citation needed]
Throughout this era, development of automotive technology was rapid, due in
part to hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's
attention. Key developments included the electric ignition
system, independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes.[12]: 27 [47]: 61  Leaf
springs were widely used for suspension, though many other systems were
still in use, with angle steel taking over from armored wood as
the frame material of choice. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely
adopted, allowing a variety of cruising speeds, though vehicles generally still
had discrete speed settings, rather than the infinitely variable system familiar
in cars of later eras. Safety glass also made its debut, patented by John
Crewe Wood in England in 1905.[47]: 62  (It would not become standard
equipment until 1926, on a Rickenbacker.)[47]: 62 
Between 1907 and 1912 in the United States, the high-wheel motor
buggy (resembling the horse buggy of before 1900) was in its heyday, with
over 75 makers including Holsman (Chicago), IHC (Chicago),
and Sears (which sold via catalog); the high-wheeler would be killed by the
Model T.[12]: 65  In 1912, Hupp (in the US, supplied by Hale & Irwin) and BSA (in
the UK) pioneered the use of all-steel bodies, [47]: 63  joined in 1914
by Dodge (who produced Model T bodies).[47]: 62  While it would be another two
decades before all-steel bodies would be standard, the change would mean
improved supplies of superior-quality wood for furniture makers. [12]
The 1908 New York to Paris Race was the first circumnavigation of the world
by automobile. German, French, Italian, and American teams began in New
York City 12 February 1908 with three of the competitors ultimately reaching
Paris. The US-built Thomas Flyer with George Schuster (driver) won the race
covering 35,000 km (22,000 mi) in 169 days. Also in 1908, the first South
American automobile was built in Peru, the Grieve.[50] In 1909, Rambler
became the first car company to equip its cars with a spare tire that was
mounted on a fifth wheel.[51]
Some examples of cars of the period included: [citation needed]

 1907 Takuri—the first entirely Japanese-made gasoline engine car

produced by Komanosuke Uchiyama in April 1907. Also, in Japan, the
Hatsudoki Seizo Co. Ltd. is formed, which was later renamed in 1951
as Daihatsu Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha.
 1908–1927 Ford Model T—the most widely produced and available four-
seater car of the era. It used a planetary transmission, and had a pedal-
based control system. Ford T was proclaimed as the most influential car of
the 20th century in the international Car of the Century awards.
 1909 Hudson Model 20—named after its rated power output, and sold on
its first market for US$900 (equivalent to $27,143 in 2021).
 1909 Morgan Runabout—a popular cyclecar, cyclecars were sold in far
greater quantities than four-seater cars in this period. [52]
 1910 Mercer Raceabout—regarded as one of the first sports cars, the
Raceabout expressed the exuberance of the driving public, as did the
similarly conceived American Underslung and Hispano-Suiza Alphonso.
 1910–1920 Bugatti Type 13—a notable racing and touring model with
advanced engineering and design. Similar models were Types 15, 17, 22,
and 23.
 1914–1917 Dattogo—a two-cylinder, 10 hp (7,500 W) "all-Japanese" car
manufactured in seven units by the Kaishinsha Motor Works operated by
Masujiro Hashimoto in Tokyo, while importing, assembling, and selling
British cars. Kaishinsha was the first automobile manufacturing business
in Japan.
 1917 Mitsubishi Model A—an all hand-built car built by Japanese
company Mitsubishi in limited numbers for Japanese executives.
Vintage era[edit]
Main article: Vintage car
See also: Antique car and Cars in the 1920s

1926 Bugatti Type 35

1929 Austin Seven

1929 Alfa Romeo 6C

The vintage era lasted from the end of World War I (1918), through to the Wall
Street Crash at the end of 1929. During this period the front-engine car came
to dominate with closed bodies and standardized controls becoming the norm.
In 1919, 90 percent of cars sold were open; by 1929, 90 percent were closed.
[12]: 7 
 Development of the internal combustion engine continued at a rapid pace,
with multivalve and overhead camshaft engines produced at the high end,
and V8, V12, and even V16 engines conceived for the ultrarich. Also in
1919, hydraulic brakes were invented by Malcolm Loughead (cofounder
of Lockheed); they were adopted by Duesenberg for their 1921 Model A.[47]: 
62 
 Three years later, Hermann Rieseler of Vulcan Motor invented the
first automatic transmission, which had two-speed planetary gearbox, torque
converter, and lockup clutch; it never entered production.[47]: 62  (It would only
become an available option in 1940.)[47]: 62  Just at the end of the vintage
era, tempered glass (now standard equipment in side windows) was invented
in France.[47]: 62  In this era the revolutionary pontoon design of cars without fully
articulated fenders, running boards and other noncompact ledge elements
was introduced in small series but mass production of such cars was started
much later (after WWII).
American auto companies in the 1920s expected they would soon sell six
million cars a year but did not do so until 1955. Numerous companies
disappeared.[53] Between 1922 and 1925, the number of US passenger car
builders decreased from 175 to 70. H. A. Tarantous, managing editor of
"MoToR Member Society of Automotive Engineers", in a New York
Times article from 1925, suggested many were unable to raise production and
cope with falling prices (due to assembly line production), especially for
lowpriced cars. The new pyroxylin-based paints, eight-cylinder engine, four-
wheel brakes, and balloon tires as the biggest trends for 1925. [54]
Examples of period vehicles:[citation needed]

 1922–1939 Austin 7—a widely copied vehicle serving as a template for

many cars such as BMW and Nissan.
 1922–1931 Lancia Lambda—an advanced car for the time, first car to
feature a load-bearing monocoque and independent front suspension.[citation
needed]

 1924–1929 Bugatti Type 35—one of the most successful racing cars with

over 1,000 victories in five years.[citation needed]
 1925–1928 Hanomag 2/10 PS—early example of pontoon styling.
 1927–1931 Ford Model A (1927–1931)—after keeping the brass era
Model T in production for too long, Ford broke from the past by restarting
its model series with the 1927 Model A. More than four million were
produced, making it the bestselling model of the era. The Ford Model A
was a prototype for the beginning of Soviet mass car production (GAZ A).
 1930 Cadillac V-16—developed at the height of the vintage era, the V16-
powered Cadillac would join Bugatti's Royale as a legendary ultraluxury
car of the era.
Pre-war era[edit]

Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A

Rolls-Royce Phantom III

Volkswagen Beetle

Main article: Classic car

The pre-war part of the classic era began with the Great Depression in 1930,
and ended with the recovery after World War II, commonly placed during
1946. It was in this period that integrated fenders and fully-closed bodies
began to dominate sales, with the new saloon/sedan body style even
incorporating a trunk or boot at the rear for storage. The old open-
top runabouts, phaetons, and touring cars were largely phased out by the end
of the classic era as wings, running boards, and headlights were gradually
integrated with the body of the car.
By the 1930s, most of the mechanical technology used in today's automobiles
had been invented, although some things were later "re-invented", and
credited to someone else. For example, front-wheel drive was re-introduced
by André Citroën with the launch of the Traction Avant in 1934, though it had
appeared several years earlier in road cars made by Alvis and Cord, and in
racing cars by Miller (and may have appeared as early as 1897). In the same
vein, the independent suspension was originally conceived by Amédée
Bollée in 1873, but not put in production until appearing on the low-
volume Mercedes-Benz 380 in 1933, which prodded American makers to use
it more widely.[47]: 61  In 1930, the number of auto manufacturers declined sharply
as the industry consolidated and matured, thanks in part to the effects of
the Great Depression.
Examples of pre-war automobiles:[citation needed]

 1932–1939 Alvis Speed 20—the first with all-synchromesh gearbox[citation needed]

 1932–1948 Ford V-8 (Model B)—introduction of the flathead V8 in
mainstream vehicles
 1934–1938 Tatra 77—first serial-produced car with an aerodynamical
design
 1934–1940 Bugatti Type 57—a refined automobile for the wealthy
 1934–1956 Citroën Traction Avant—first mass-produced front-wheel drive
car, built with monocoque chassis
 1936–1955 MG T series—sports cars
 1938–2003 Volkswagen Beetle—a design that was produced for over 60
years with over 20 million units assembled in several countries
 1936–1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III—V12 engine
Postwar era[edit]

1946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with pontoon design

1954 Plymouth Savoy Station Wagon, one of the first US all-metal station wagons

1958 Lancia Appia

1959 Morris Mini-Minor

1974 Citroën DS
Gurgel Supermini

Main article: Classic car

A major change in automobile design since World War II was the popularity
of pontoon style, in which running boards were eliminated and fenders were
incorporated into the body. Among the first representatives of the style were
the Soviet GAZ-M20 Pobeda (1946), British Standard Vanguard (1947),
US Studebaker Champion, and Kaiser (1946), as well as the Czech Tatra
T600 Tatraplan (1946) and the Italian Cisitalia 220 sports car (1947).
Automobile design and production finally emerged from the military orientation
and other shadow of war in 1949, the year that in the US saw the introduction
of high-compression V8 engines and modern bodies from General
Motors's Oldsmobile and Cadillac brands. Hudson introduced the "step-down"
design with the 1948 Commodore, which placed the passenger compartment
down inside the perimeter of the frame, that was one of the first new-design
postwar cars made and featured trend-setting slab-side styling.
[55]
 The unibody/strut-suspended 1951 Ford Consul joined the 1948 Morris
Minor and 1949 Rover P4 in the automobile market in the UK. In Italy, Enzo
Ferrari was beginning his 250 series, just as Lancia introduced the
revolutionary V6-powered Aurelia.
Throughout the 1950s, engine power and vehicle speeds rose, designs
became more integrated and artful, and automobiles were marketed
internationally. Alec Issigonis's Mini and Fiat's 500 diminutive cars were
introduced in Europe, while the similar kei car class became popular in Japan.
The Volkswagen Beetle continued production after World War II and began
exports to other nations, including the US. At the same time, Nash introduced
the Nash Rambler, the first successful modern compact car made in the US,
[56]
 while the standard models produced by the "Big Three" domestic
automakers grew ever larger in size, featuring increasing amounts of chrome
trim, and luxury was exemplified by the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. The
markets in Europe expanded with new small-sized automobiles, as well as
expensive grand tourers (GT), like the Ferrari America.
The market changed in the 1960s, as the US "Big Three" automakers began
facing competition from imported cars, the European makers adopted
advanced technologies and Japan emerged as a car-producing nation.
Japanese companies began to export some of their more popular selling cars
in Japan internationally, such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Corona, Nissan
Sunny, and Nissan Bluebird in the mid-1960s. The success of American
Motors's compact-sized Rambler models spurred GM and Ford to introduce
their own downsized cars in 1960.[57] Performance engines became a focus of
marketing by US automakers, exemplified by the era's muscle cars.[58] In 1964,
the Ford Mustang developed a new market segment, the pony car.[59] New
models to compete with the Mustang included the Chevrolet Camaro, AMC
Javelin, and Plymouth Barracuda.[60]
Captive imports and badge engineering increased in the US and the UK
as amalgamated groups such as the British Motor Corporation consolidated
the market. BMC's space-saving and trend-setting transverse engine, front-
wheel-drive, independent suspension and monocoque bodied Mini, which first
appeared in 1959, was marketed under the Austin and Morris names, until
Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[61] Competition increased,
with Studebaker, a pioneering automaker, shutting down, and the trend for
consolidation reached Italy where niche makers like Maserati, Ferrari,
and Lancia were acquired by larger companies. By the end of the decade, the
number of automobile marques had been greatly reduced.
Technology developments included the widespread use of independent
suspensions, wider application of fuel injection, and an increasing focus on
safety in automotive design. Innovations during the 1960s
included NSU's Wankel engine, the gas turbine, and the turbocharger. Of
these, only the last endured, pioneered by General Motors, and adopted
by BMW and Saab, later seeing mass-market use during the 1980s
by Chrysler. Mazda continued developing its Wankel engine, in spite of
problems in longevity, emissions, and fuel economy. Other Wankel licensees,
including Mercedes-Benz and GM, never put their designs into production
because of engineering and manufacturing problems, as well as the lessons
from the 1973 oil crisis.
The 1970s were turbulent years for automakers and buyers with major events
reshaping the industry such as the 1973 oil crisis, stricter automobile
emissions control and safety requirements, increasing exports by the
Japanese and European automakers, as well as growth in inflation and the
stagnant economic conditions in many nations. Smaller-sized cars grew in
popularity. During the Malaise era, the US saw the establishment of
the subcompact segment with the introduction of the AMC Gremlin, followed
by the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto.[62][63] The station wagon (estate, break,
kombi, universal) body design was popular, as well as increasing sales of
noncommercial all-wheel drive off-road vehicles.
Toward the end of the 20th century, the US Big Three (GM, Ford, and
Chrysler) partially lost their leading position, Japan became for a while the
world's leader of car production and cars began to be mass manufactured in
new Asian, East European, and other countries.
Examples of postwar cars:

 1946–1958 GAZ-M20 Pobeda—Soviet car with full pontoon design

 1947–1958 Standard Vanguard—British mass-market car with full pontoon
design
 1948–1971 Morris Minor—an early postwar car exported around the world
 1953–1971 Chevrolet Bel Air and 1953–2002 Cadillac Eldorado
Brougham—first generations were representative of tailfin design
 1955–1976 Citroën DS—aerodynamic design and innovative technology,
awarded third place as Car of the 20th Century
 1959–2000 Mini—a radical and innovative small car that was
manufactured for four decades; awarded second place as Car of the 20th
Century
 1960-1990 Volkswagen Brasília
 1961–1975 Jaguar E-Type—a classic sports car design
 1963–1989 Porsche 911—a sports car was awarded fifth place as Car of
the 20th Century
 1964–present Ford Mustang—the pony car that became one of the
bestselling cars of the era
 1966–end of the 20th century Fiat 124—an Italian car that was produced
under license in many other countries including the Soviet Union
 1966–1971 Subaru 1000—one of the first Japanese built sedans using
a boxer engine, front wheel drive and introducing the "double offset joint"
driveshaft to the front wheels
 1967 NSU Ro 80—the basic wedge profile of this design was emulated in
subsequent decades,[64] unlike its Wankel engine
 late 1960s–early 1980s Gurgel BR-800
 late 1960s–early 1980s Gurgel Supermini
 1969 Nissan S30—Japanese sports car[65]
 1977–present Lada Niva—the first mass-produced full-time all-wheel drive
car
Modern era[edit]

The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate.

The modern era is normally defined as the 40 years preceding the current
year.[66] The modern era has been one of increasing standardization, platform
sharing, and computer-aided design—to reduce costs and development time
—and of increasing use of electronics for both engine management and
entertainment systems.
Some particular contemporary developments are the proliferation of front-
and all-wheel drive, the adoption of the diesel engine, and the ubiquity of fuel
injection. Most modern passenger cars are front-wheel-drive monocoque or
unibody designs, with transversely mounted engines.
Body styles have changed as well in the modern era. Three types,
the hatchback, sedan, and sport utility vehicle, dominate today's market.[citation
needed]
 All originally emphasized practicality, but have mutated into today's high-
powered luxury crossover SUV, sports wagon, and two-volume Large MPV.
The rise of pickup trucks in the US and SUVs worldwide has changed the face
of motoring with these "trucks" coming to command more than half of the
world automobile market.[citation needed] There was also the introduction of the MPV
class (smaller noncommercial passenger minivans), among the first of which
were the French Renault Espace and the Chrysler minivan versions in the US.
The modern era has also seen rapidly improving fuel efficiency and engine
output. The automobile emissions concerns have been eased with
computerized engine management systems.
The financial crisis of 2007–2008 cut almost a third of light vehicle sales from
Chrysler, Toyota, Ford, and Nissan. It also subtracted about a fourth of
Honda's sales and about a seventh of sales from General Motors. [67]
Since 2009, China has become the world's largest car manufacturer with
production greater than Japan, the US, and all of Europe. Besides the
increasing car production in Asian and other countries, there has been growth
in transnational corporate groups, with the production of transnational
automobiles sharing the same platforms as well as badge engineering or
rebadging to suit different markets and consumer segments.
Since the end of the 20th century, several award competitions for cars and
trucks have become widely known, such as European Car of the Year, Car of
the Year Japan, North American Car of the Year, World Car of the
Year, Truck of the Year, and International Car of the Year.
Examples of modern cars:[citation needed]

 1966–1992 Oldsmobile Toronado—First modern-era American car with

front wheel drive as well as introduced electronic antilock braking
system and airbag.[68][69]
 1972–present Mercedes-Benz S-Class—Seat belt pretensioner, and
electronic traction control system
 1975–present BMW 3 Series—the 3 Series has been on Car and
Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 17 times
 1977–present Honda Accord saloon/sedan—a Japanese sedan that
became popular in the US
 1983–present Chrysler minivans—the two-box minivan design nearly
pushed the station wagon out of the market
 1984–present Renault Espace—first mass one-volume car of
noncommercial MPV class
 1986–2019 Ford Taurus—a midsized front-wheel drive sedan that
dominated the US market in the late 1980s
 1997–present Toyota Prius—launched in the Japanese market and
became a popular hybrid electric vehicle in many markets.[70]
 1998–present Ford Focus—a popular hatchbacks and Ford's
bestselling world car
 2008–2012 Tesla Roadster—first highway-capable all-electric vehicle
in serial production for sale in the US in the modern era. Sold about 2,500
units worldwide.
 2008–2013 BYD F3DM—first highway-capable series production plugin
hybrid, launched in China in December 2008, sold over 2,300 units. [71][72]
 2009–present, Mitsubishi i-MiEV—first highway-capable series
production all-electric car, launched in Japan in July 2009 for fleet
customers, and in April 2010 for retail customers. Rebadged versions of
the i-MiEV are sold in Europe by PSA Peugeot Citroën (PSA) as the
Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero.[73][74]
 2010–present, Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt—all-electric car and plugin
hybrid correspondingly, launched in December 2010, are the world's top
selling mass production vehicles of their kind.[75] As of December 2015,
global Volt sales totaled over 100,000.[76] Nissan Leaf global sales
achieved the 300,000 unit milestone in January 2018, making the Leaf the
world's all-time bestselling highway-capable electric car in history. [77]
 2012–present, Tesla Model S—Plugin electric vehicle was ranked as the
world's bestselling plugin electric vehicle in 2015. [78] It was also named car
of the century by Car and Driver.[79]
Iconic modern cars include:[citation needed]