Automobiles are four-wheeled vehicles with a motor that runs on gasoline, diesel fuel or another type of fuel to produce the power needed to drive. They have become a symbol of the American dream, enabling individuals and families to travel and reach distant locations with ease. For many, owning a car gives a sense of pride and accomplishment that is reflected in the status and reputation of the owner.
Although the modern automobile was perfected by Germany and France toward the end of the nineteenth century, Henry Ford introduced mass production techniques that made it affordable to most people. This enabled the manufacture of a wide range of cars tailored to different needs and driving conditions. Automobiles are designed to be safe, comfortable, and economical with respect to passenger, cargo, and fuel requirements. In addition, they are built for optimal vehicle stability and high-speed handling.
In the late 1600s, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens conceived the idea of a horseless carriage using an internal combustion engine sparked by gunpowder. By 1900, this concept had developed into a fully functional prototype. The first commercially successful automobiles used steam, electric power or battery-powered engines. Electric cars offered a greater range than the steam models, but their engines were hampered by a cumbersome starting process and a shortage of charging stations.
Despite its shortcomings, the modern automobile was to revolutionize society and serve as the backbone of a new consumer goods-oriented economy in the 1920s. It ranked as the biggest customer for the steel and petroleum industries, and its demand spawned a host of ancillary businesses. But its use also posed serious health and safety issues and contributed to pollution, as well as the destruction of vast swaths of land.