Cars are such an important part of our modern lifestyle that it is difficult to imagine a time period when the automobile was not immediately available. More than just a means of transportation, cars symbolize power, wealth, luxury, and indisputable convenience. However, cars were not always the powerful, reliable machines that they are today. In the beginning of automobile manufacturing, cars were often nothing more than steam-driven carriages that sometimes traveled at less than walking speed. It is certainly true that cars have traveled a road of undeniable improvement and advancement from the time the first models rolled onto the thoroughfare to the introduction of the powerful vehicles of the twenty-first century.

Early Experimentation

Some historians believe that steam-powered cars were first invented as early as the late 1600s. In 1678, a young Flemish engineer was thought to have created the first steam-powered car in a demonstration for the Chinese emperor, but there is no archival evidence to support this claim (Setright, 2004). However, despite the question about the car’s official date of birth, steam-powered automobiles were definitely on the road by 1769. In this year, French engineer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot had officially created a working prototype of the car and had released it for the perusal of the general public (Setright, 2004). While certainly impressive, the vehicle did not take off in France, and early automobile engineering largely passed to the talents of British engineers. 

By the turn of the nineteenth century, steam-powered carriages were in operation on British roads and enjoyed some commercial success in mass transit. However, British car manufacturing suffered a major setback in 1865 when a law was passed that required every automobile to be preceded on the road by a man on foot carrying a red flag and blowing a horn (Setright, 2004). While the law was intended to keep pedestrians and horse carriage drivers safe from the large, steam-powered vehicles, it greatly limited the potential of the car for speedy transit. Eventually, vehicle engineers in Great Britain were forced to concentrate their efforts on the more lucrative locomotive industry.

By the late 1870s, experimentation with cars had passed largely to German and Austrian engineers. Steam, the major mode of mobilization for most self-propelled vehicles, was already beginning to become somewhat obsolete by this time period, as engineers turned toward gasoline engines as a more compatible source of power for the car. In 1870, Austrian engineer Siegfried Marcus succeeded in powering a simple handcart with a gasoline engine, making his creation the first gasoline-powered “car” (Setright, 2004). By 1883, he had so improved his gasoline engine that his design would be used for all future engines manufactured in the late 1800s. Simultaneously, German engineers were hard at work on their own automobile creations and had fashioned two independent models of the car by 1889. The most notable of these engineers were Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, who had each been granted patents for his innovative work on the internal combustion engine. As the turn of the century approached, cars were well on their way to becoming marketable and viable vehicles. 

Production Expands

By 1888, cars had been launched into full-scale production in Germany by Karl Benz. Benz’s innovative vehicles were attractive as novelty items, especially after the historic, long-distance drive of more than 50 miles (the longest distance yet recorded by an automobile) by his wife, Bertha Benz (Setright, 2004). Soon after witnessing Benz’s moderate success with automobile sales, a variety of other car manufacturing industries sprang up around Europe and the United States, including Peugeot in France and Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Ford in the United States. In the U.S., cars were soon produced by the thousands, as assembly-line production was invented and perfected. 

As the turn of the twentieth century approached, cars were being manufactured all throughout the Western world with a variety of different technologies. Engines powered by steam, gasoline, and even electricity all competed during the early 1900s, but gasoline eventually emerged as the most powerful and viable propellant. Technological advances that are still innovative on modern-day cars, such as four-wheel drive and gas/electric hybrid engines, were also attempted and abandoned at this time. While there were no set standards for automobile features, most cars were steered by a tiller (rather than a wheel), and most operated under a single speed (Lamm & Holls 1996). In general, the cars of the early 1900s were viewed largely as novelty items and were subject to frequent breakdowns. It would not be until well into the century that cars would transform from interesting hobby items to genuine transportation tools.

Car Is Standardized

In the era prior to World War I, the car made a notable shift from a curious novelty to an item that was widely marketable to the general public. During this period, experimental designs and alternate power systems were largely phased out, and the car began to have a fairly standard appearance throughout Europe and the U.S. The touring car--with its front internal combustion engine, rear-wheel drive, and convertible top--became the most popular body style, and other body styles were soon considered obsolete. As car manufacturers all competed for market recognition and increased sales, automobile technology developed rapidly during the era. A number of different features--including electric ignitions, independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes--were all invented and implemented prior to World War I, as cars became increasingly more attractive and practical for the modern user. After the war, engineers continued to develop the car at rampant speed, and the internal combustion engine became ever more powerful. In fact, by the eve of the Great Depression, V8, V12, and even V16 engines were all available as standard features in luxury cars (Setright, 2004).

As the world was gripped by the effects of the Great Depression, automobile technology continued to advance. During the period prior to World War II, the new, fully closed sedan body style took center stage, as the open-top touring car declined in popularity. Sedans featured running boards, wings, headlights, and even storage trunks and proved to be quite popular with pre-war consumers. By the end of the 1930s, most of the technology considered standard in today’s vehicles had been invented and implemented in the car, and the automobile industry had consolidated to include only select manufacturers. Notable car models of the pre-war period included the Volkswagen Beetle, the Ford V8, and the automatic transmission Oldsmobile (Lamm & Holls 1996).  

From the 1950s to Today

As World War II swept through the world during the 1940s, innovations in automotive design declined. However, by 1949, post-war automobile engineers were eager to put their new innovations into practice. Car giants like Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Ford, and Ferrari were all beginning to produce fresh models to appeal to a new generation of car buyers (Lamm & Holls 1996). Throughout the 1950s, engine power and automotive speeds increased dramatically, mini cars became progressively more popular in Europe, and Japanese manufacturers began experimenting with their own automobile designs. 

As the car industry entered the 1960s, the manufacturing scene began to change somewhat. U.S. automakers began to face serious competition from foreign imports, and many small, niche manufacturers were consolidated under parent companies to maximize profits. British car manufacturers also began to consolidate, while Japanese manufacturers emerged as serious car-making competitors. By the end of the 1960s, there were far fewer car manufacturers, and the industry had spread across both the Eastern and Western worlds.

On the technology front, the decade of the 1960s was highly concentrated on increased performance and speed. Muscle cars and pony cars became incredibly popular in the United States, and the legendary Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette made their debuts (Lamm & Holls 1996). Features like independent suspension and fuel injection became increasingly more common in cars, and safety became an important concern in automobile design for the first time. However, the industry would drastically change in the 1970s, as fuel emissions regulations, oil shortages, and a lack of new innovations doomed the U.S. market. Imported cars with smaller engines were generally deemed more practical than large-engined American cars, and brands like Toyota, Nissan, and BMW edged out the competition (Setright, 2004). American models, while still present and popular, would never again enjoy complete domination of their own market.

As cars have entered the modern era, features like front-wheel drive, fuel injection, and the V6 engine configuration have all become ubiquitous and even standard on contemporary models. The body style of the modern car has also changed somewhat; while the sedan body is still widely used by many car manufacturers, the minivan, sport utility vehicle (SUV), and hatchback designs are all quite popular as well. In the United States, the rise of the pickup truck and SUV in the last three decades has greatly changed the face of cars on the road; these large, high-capacity vehicles now control more than half of the worldwide automobile market (Setright, 2004). Fuel efficiency and engine output have also increased dramatically in the last 30 years. The average car of today has an engine as powerful as the high-performance sports cars of 20 years ago, while today’s sports cars boast nearly three times as much power (Setright, 2004). 

While the future of cars may lead toward changes in fuel use and motor efficiency, as the world becomes increasingly more environmentally conscious, the car will likely continue as the most convenient mode of transportation for the average person. From the first experimentations of the eighteenth century to the safe, speedy autos of today, the car has definitely earned its indisputable title of the king of the road.

-- Posted June 26, 2007

References

Lamm, Michael & Holls, Dave. 1996. A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design. Stockton, CA: Lamm-Morada Pub. Co.