How Were Cars Invented History of the Automobile Short Documentary Video

The automobile has had a profound impact on the way that we live our lives. Over 1.2 billion vehicles populate the roads worldwide, and 88 million cars were sold in 2016 alone. How did such a humble invention change the face of global transportation? This is the history of the automobile. The first attempts to develop an automobile focused on building a reliable power source. For much of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, steam power was the area of interest. By the mid to late 1800s, some steam vehicles enjoyed sufficient success and practicality to provide mass transit in the United Kingdom. This era also saw the successful development of electric motors, via the invention of the lead-acid battery. In 1870, Siegfried Marcus became the first person to propel himself via a gasoline-operated internal combustion engine. In 1885, Karl Benz built his first automobile and what was probably the first practical vehicle propelled by gasoline. For the next 30 years, the steam engine, electric motor, and internal combustion engine competed to become the dominant form of automobile propulsion. France and the US began mass-producing vehicles by the year 1900. In 1908, Henry Ford began production of the Model T, the first affordable and reliable car for the emerging American middle class. Development of petroleum fields and widespread drilling ensured that by 1915, the internal combustion engine began to dominate its electric and steam competition. The end of World War I in 1918 and subsequent economic boom ensured that automobile production exploded in the 1920s. An increasingly competitive industry meant that the number of car manufacturers shrunk from 175 to 70 between 1922 and 1925. The now widely available automobile began to change the way that society behaved, especially in the US. Modern concepts such as suburban living and road trips became possible for large swathes of the population. This era of prosperity came to a screeching halt with the start of the Great Depression in 1929. This economic upheaval further consolidated the automobile industry, with many companies going out of business in the 1930s. However, automobiles in the 30s bore a much more striking resemblance to modern cars and possessed similar mechanical features as today's vehicles. Many manufacturers also offered V12 engines, an option that would not reappear for several more decades. The start of World War II in 1939 led most automobile manufacturers to switch over a significant portion of their industrial capacity to producing military vehicles. This was exacerbated by increased governmental regulation, greater individual taxation, and shortages of materials such as gasoline and rubber. The end of World War II led to a time of unbounded prosperity and optimism in both the US and Western Europe. The 1950s saw the production of faster vehicles, with extravagant styling inspired by the space age and the new interstate highway system. Chrome trim was commonplace, while automatic transmissions and air conditioning became standard features. The 1960s saw the emergence of foreign competitors to the American Big Three automakers. German and Japanese firms built smaller, fuel-efficient cars that attracted many cost-conscious consumers. This led US manufacturers to emphasize performance by developing the muscle car. The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, both affordable, speedy vehicles with V8 engines, were introduced in 1964 and 1966. By the end of the decade, automobiles were large, low, powerful, and fuel-hungry. The 1970s marked the end of cheap fuel, due to the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. These led to a temporary quadrupling and doubling of oil prices. Combined with the passage of automobile safety laws and environmental regulations, consumers chose smaller, slower, and more fuel-efficient vehicles. This led to an erosion of market share for American firms, as their Japanese and German competitors gained ground. The 1980s and 90s saw the rise of computer simulations and digital ECUs, which led to more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient automobiles. Both manufacturers and third-party organizations began to use crash tests to analyze the effectiveness of airbags. Today's automobile market is dominated by machines that have undergone a century of continuous refinement. Advancing technology has allowed for fuel efficiency, engine power output, and car handling to improve simultaneously. In combination with modern safety measures, cars today are faster, more agile, more fuel-efficient, more comfortable, more reliable, and safer than their historical counterparts. Electric cars have made a comeback, as the world seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Every year, larger numbers of vehicles require decreasing amounts of human interaction to drive. The future of the automobile is bright, as autonomous vehicles that can efficiently navigate roadways continue to shape the way that humanity travels and lives. Thanks for watching, and please subscribe to the channel for more videos like this. Feel free to drop a like below and provide any suggestions in the comments. I'll see everyone in the next video.