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The first self-propelled car
Nicolas Cugnot, a French military engineer developed a steam powered road-vehicle for the French army to haul heavy cannons. this povided a base for all car development -
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History timeline
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first 4 cylinder engine
Nikolaus August Otto invented and later patented a successful four-stroke engine, known as the “Otto cycle. with the 4 stroke engine a car can now be propelled. -
First Production Cars
Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz worked together to make a powered automobile. now transportation could be acessed by the upper class. -
Grand Prix racing begins
Motor racing began as cars were built. Races quickly evolved from a simple chases from town to town, to organised events like time trials endurance tests for car and driver. events where people could enjoy races was now founded. -
First Road Traffic Death
Bridget Driscoll, a 44-year old mother of two from Croydon, stepped off a kerb and into the history books. She was hit by a passing motor car near Crystal Palace in London. She died from head injuries. now a public scare has been recognized by the public, and people were scared of automobiles -
The Ford Motor Company Formed
after fitting moving assembly lines to the factory in 1913, Ford became the world's biggest car manufacturer. He made cars cheap and easy to make allowing middle class to own more. -
General motors
1908 William Durant forms General Motors William Durant forms General Motors. His combination of car producers and auto parts makers eventually becomes the largest corporation in the world. -
Model t
Henry Ford begins making the Model T. First-year production is 10,660 cars. -
1rst Electric Starter
Charles Kettering introduces the electric starter. Until this time engines had to be started by hand cranking. and now peolple could star the motor inside the car. -
Car Keys
Working for Cadillac’s design and development department, Charles Kettering invented the electric ignition and starter motor. Cars could now start themselves with a key. -
Assembly Line
Ford Motor Company develops the first moving assembly line for automobiles -
First power steering system
Francis Wright Davis uses a Pierce-Arrow to introduce the first power steering system. now steering is much easyer with the assistance of power steering -
First successful mass-produced front-wheel-drive car
The French automobile Citroën Traction Avant is the first successful mass-produced front-wheel-drive car -
Flashing turn signals introduced
A Delaware company uses a thermal interrupter switch to create flashing turn signals. Electricity flowing through a wire expands it, completing a circuit and allowing current to reach the lightbulb. -
First air conditioning system
The Nash Motor Company adds the first air conditioning system to cars. -
the Jeep
Karl Pabst designs the Jeep, workhorse of WWII. More than 360,000 are made for the Allied armed forces. -
Cruise Controll
Ralph Teeter, a blind man, senses by ear that cars on the Pennsylvania Turnpike travel at uneven speeds, which he believes leads to accidents. Through the 1940s he develops a cruise control mechanism that a driver can set to hold the car at a steady speed. -
Electronic fuel injection system developed
An electronic fuel injection system is developed in Britain. Fuel injection delivers carefully controlled fuel and air to the cylinders to keep a car’s engine running at its most efficient. -
Airbags become standard
Originally installed only on the driver's side, they begin to appear on the front passenger side as well. -
Antilock braking system (ABS)
ABS uses computerized sensing of wheel movement and hydraulic pressure to each wheel to adjust pressure so that the wheels continue to move somewhat rather than "locking up" during emergency braking. -
automatic stability control
Cadillac is the first American carmaker to offer automatic stability control, increasing safety in emergency handling situations.