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The history and evolution of the automobile, and its affect on American society

By Ryne Gray

The first automobiles

The first automobile to ever be patented was a one cylinder two-stroke unit developed by German engineer Carl Benz, also known as Karl Friedrich Benz. It was first patented in 1886, being able to hold two people, with its frame being constructed of tubular steel.

In 1893, Benz patented the double-pivot steering system for the automobile. The development of the twin engine came in 1897, and was immediately followed by the more efficient contra engine.

In the beginning

1908

Ford’s Model T was the world’s first car produced by assembly line, and was an astounding leap in technology from the design patented by Carl Benz. Assembly-line production allowed the price of the touring car version to be lowered from $850 in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925. The Model T was also made with consumers in mind, being made more affordable in order to allow for an increase in consumer purchases.

Model T

1890-1950

Car owner-ship in the early 1900s spurred on urban sprawl, with the evolution of the suburbs being a key feature of this throughout the 1900s. Ownership of cars also led to Americans changing the ways that they spent their leisure time. Gas stations, motels, and

drive-in restaurants soon catered to drivers, and use of the railroad for transport quickly fell out of fashion. The American Automobile Association, estimated that by 1929 almost a third of the population took vacations by car. The purchasing of cars by Americans also helped to lead to the development and expansion of the suburbs .

Societal Impacts

1890-1950

The effect of the automotive industry on the economy was one with both positive and negative results. The industry helped to stimulate steel, petroleum, chemical, rubber, and glass production, while also creating 3.7 million jobs both both directly and indirectly. With these developments, highway construction became a billion-dollar-a-year enterprise, being financed by federal subsidies and state gasoline taxes.

The purchase of cars during this time was mainly done through use of credit, which created risks not only for buyers but for the whole

economy. Borrowers who could not pay off car loans

lost their entire investment in the vehicle, and if they

defaulted, banks were left holding unpaid loans.

Economic Impacts

Developments in technology

1911 – Electric ignition starters:

Invented to replace manual hand cranks and to start the engine with a button instead.

1921 – Cigarette lighters:

Wireless cigarette lighters had a removable component that was heated by electricity, allowing for easy smoking access to Americans.

1930 – Car radio:

Created in 1930 for monophonic AM frequency.

1934 – Coil spring suspension:

Each car wheel was given its own metal coil spring, allowing for better shock absorption and a smoother feeling when driving.

1949 - Car keys:

Invented by Chrysler in an attempt to find a better way to start cars. This allowed for drivers to start both the electric starter and the ignition.

1953 – Air conditioning:

The Chrysler Imperial was the first car introduced to ever come with an air conditioner, which had three settings of low, medium, and high.

1960's – Electric windows:

This feature was originally only available on luxury car models

Evolution

U.S. policies on cars

Automobiles contribute 10% of all exported goods in the United States. In 2019, this accumulated to be a total of $162 billion. Along with this, the fourth-largest import category is automotive vehicles, parts, and engines, accumulating to a total of around $376 billion.

Foreign Policy

Cars over seas

The main European car brands list include Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Opel, Volkswagen in Germany, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari in Italy, Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar in Great Britain, and Volo in France. France is the producer of Renault, Peugeot and Citroen, while smaller countries like Romania or the Czech Republic produce Dacia and the Skoda.

Eurasian Cars

1950-2000

The role of women in society was also affected by the automobile, as while many Americans deemed that it was unnecessary for women who lived in the city to own cars since they lived within walking distance of everything that they needed, the growth of the suburbs meant that women needed a comfortable and fast way of transportation. This meant that women were no longer limited to their domestic roles in society.

Societal Impact

1950-2000

America’s landscape was also affected by the automobile, with large trucks starting to be used in the 60’s for mass transit of goods. This, along with the creation of an Interstate Highway System, further allowed for the cross country shipping of all various kinds of consumer goods. This service or delivering goods has expanded into its own business, with the operation of delivery companies such as FedX or Amazon which transport specific packaged goods to individual customers, as opposed to the transport of multiple goods to local distributors of such goods, such as supermarkets.

Economic Impacts

Electric Cars

Since the beginning of the 21st century, interest in the use of electricity and other alternative sources of fuel for cars has increased greatly due to growing concern over the problems associated with fossil fuel use. Since 2010, the combined sales of all-electric cars and utility vans achieved 1 million units delivered globally in September 2016, and 4.8 million electric cars in use at the end of 2019. As of August 2020, the fully electric Testla Model 3 is the world's all-time best selling plug-in electric passenger car.

Modern Day

MLA formatted

¨Benz Patent Motor Car: The first automobile (1885-1886)¨

Daimler, 2021

https://www.daimler.com/company/tradition/company-history/1885-1886.html

Picture: https://www.daimler.com/bilder/konzern/tradition/geschichte/anfaenge-des-automobils/benz-patent-motorwagen-w1024xh512-cutout.png

¨The History of Car Technology¨

Jardine Motors Group

https://news.jardinemotors.co.uk/lifestyle/the-history-of-car-technology

Picture: https://ecklers.com.imgeng.in/media/wysiwyg/clp/modelt_transparent.png

Picture: https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5fdf2818bd44cff53c2d5020/960x0.jpg?fit=scale

Picture: https://cdn.nextgov.com/media/img/cd/2020/02/05/NGroads20200205/route-fifty-lead-image.jpg?1618363385

"Model T, Description and Facts"

Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/technology/Model-T

"The Automobile: Effects/Impact on Society and Changes in Cars Made by Generation"

Axle Addict

https://axleaddict.com/auto-industry/Affects-of-the-Automobile-on-Society-and-Changes-Made-by-Generation#:~:text=Automobiles%20helped%20change%20the%20role%20of%20women%20in,fashioned%20beliefs%20of%20family%20and%20unity%20were%20forgotten.

"History of the electric car"

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle

Citations

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