History of Cars

History of Cars

The earliest automobiles recorded were actually steam engines attached to wagons. This was invented by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in the late 1700's. The steam engines were heavy and therefore the wagon was very slow and hard to control. Cugnot was the very first person to get into a motor vehicle accident when he crashed his wagon into a wall!

Also, there were in the 1830's that were powered by electricity, but these were also very slow and heavy so they were eventually left behind.

The internal combustion engine changed the way automobiles were to be powered. The engine used either gasoline, diesel, or kerosene to work. When the gas is exploded in a cylinder it pushes the piston down and turns the wheel.

Although many people tried to make a good car that would work well and sell well, people say that Karl Benz invented the modern automobile. He used a four-stroke type of internal combustion engine to power his "car". He began to sell his production vehicles in 1888.
Benz may have invented the first modern car, but Henry Ford is the man who sold the most cars to the most people. In 1910 he began making and selling his Model T, which was a huge success. Many people could afford this car, not just the rich. Ford mass produced his Model T, meaning he made a lot of them in a short time in a factory. People say that the Model T is the car that "put America on wheels". The Model T was the most popular car of the time because it was so cheap but it was still a good quality car that everyone could own.

Since then, many different kinds of cars have been designed and built, from minivans to sports cars.