Americans love their cars from pickups and fast sporty models to both European and American classics. So how did all of this auto lust come into fruition? With the first car, of course! I’m sure you’ve heard of the Model T, but there are actually some interesting background in the history of the car both for American and international industry. Here is the history of how the cars we love came to be:
1769: Development of the First Self-Propelled Car
French military engineer Nicolas Cugnot developed a steam-powered road vehicle for the French army to haul heavy cannons. It was comprised of a steam engine affixed to a three-wheeled cart. Cugnot was able to successfully convert the back-and-forth action of a steam piston into rotary motion. Cugnot’s vehicle reportedly reached walking speeds while carrying four tons. The army later abandoned Cugnot’s invention.
1858: Introducing the First Coal-Gas Engine
Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir, a Belgian-born engineer invented and patented a two-stroke internal combustion engine in 1860. It was fuelled by coal gas and triggered by an electric spark-ignition. Lenoir later attached an improved engine to a three-wheeled wagon and completed a fifty-mile road trip.
1889: The First Motor Company Opens Its Doors
Two former French wood machinists, Rene Panchard and Emile Levassor, set up the world’s first car manufacturers. Their first car was built in 1890 using a Dalmler engine. Peugeot, another French company, was formed the following year and is still a strong company even today.
1903: Ford Motor Company Alters the History of the Car Forever
After fitting moving assembly lines to the factory in 1913, Ford became the world’s biggest car manufacturer. By 1927, 15 million Model Ts had been made. Workers on the production line were amble to assemble the car in just ninety-three minutes.
1997: Car Manufacturers Go Green
Auto manufacturers begin acknowledging that oil reserves will dry up in the future. They’re now developing engines that use more than one fuel source: enter the birth of the hybrid engine. Honda and Toyota introduced their petrol/electric hybrids to the Japanese market before releasing them in America and Europe in 2002.
There’s no denying that cars have come a long way and so have their service requirements. If you’re driving a fine European auto, finding the best repair shop is one way to keep your prized auto in tip top shape. Take care of your vehicle! After all, it’s a part of history!
