Automobiles are vehicles that carry people or goods. The word automobile derives from the Latin, meaning “a carriage with a motor”. There are many different kinds of cars, but they all have something in common: an engine that drives them forward. Automobiles are a key element of modern life, allowing people to travel long distances with ease and freedom. They also open up new work possibilities for people and allow them to live in different places depending on their careers. The automobile is the basis for a complex network of interconnected industries and services that support driving, such as gas stations, repair shops, insurance companies, and restaurants.
The invention of the automobile was a turning point in human history. The cars we drive today are the result of several hundred years of engineering and technological development. Early automobiles were powered by steam, electric power and gasoline. Steam-powered cars could reach high speeds but had a limited range. Electric cars were expensive to operate and recharging stations were rare. Gasoline-powered cars became the dominant form of automobile by 1920.
After the invention of the automobile, roads and other infrastructure developed to support it. Businesses opened to manufacture parts and fuel. Industries like steel, rubber and plastics grew to supply the needs of the automotive industry. And leisure activities, such as amusement parks and fast-food chains, began to thrive in the growing cities and suburbs.
There are special automobiles for other purposes too, such as fire engines, ambulances and patrol cars. But most of the automobiles you see on the road are ordinary passenger cars, trucks and utility vehicles.
It’s hard to know exactly when and who invented the automobile. But we do know that the first motor vehicles were built in the late 1700s and 1800s. Engineers such as Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz and Wilhelm Maybach created prototypes of the modern car. But it was the American businessman Henry Ford who innovated mass production techniques that made automobiles affordable to middle class families by 1920.
Modern life would seem inconceivable without access to the automobile. Having your own vehicle opens up more career and living opportunities, as well as the ability to visit friends and family who live far away. You can also travel to different places for vacation or to get supplies. Taking public transportation can be unpredictable and time consuming. Having an automobile means you don’t have to worry about the hassles of scheduling and coordinating rides through alternative methods.
In addition to opening up more work opportunities and personal freedom, the automobile also helped push for women’s rights to vote. In 1916, two women, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke, took a pretty bold trip across the country to promote their cause. They drove their cars with banners that read, “votes for women.” It was a powerful way to make their point. They paved the way for women to start driving, a right that was finally granted in 1920.