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Steam Engined automobile
The history of the automobile begins as early as 1769, with the creation of steam engined automobiles capable of human transport. -
The First electric powered AutoMobile
In 1891, William Morrison built the first successful electric-powered automobile in the United States. Electric-powered automobiles were an improvement over steam-powered automobiles because they were quiet, cost less, and they did not produce smelly fumes. The disadvantages of electric cars were that they could only travel about 20 miles per hour, and the batteries needed to be recharged about every 50 miles. -
Internal-combustion engines
In 1860, Jean Lenoir of France patented an internal- combustion engine that is similar to the type of engine used in automobiles today. Internal-combustion engines run on gasoline or diesel (oil) fuel. -
First gasoline powered car
Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz developed the first successful gasoline-powered automobiles separately in 1885 in Germany. Eventually, gasoline powered engines were used for nearly all automobiles because they provided for faster and longer trips than engines powered by electricity or steam. -
The first Automobile
The first modern automobiles were made in Germany and France in the 1890’s. Many small companies made them by hand. -
The first automobiles made for sale
The first automobiles built for sale to the public in the United States were made by Charles and J. Frank Duryea in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1893. -
United States
The reason that the automobile industry grew in the United States was because gasoline prices dropped in the United States when oil was discovered in Texas in 1901. Gasoline is made from oil, so fuel prices went down, making the automobile less expensive to operate. -
Model T-the affordable car for the average american
Detroit soon became the Automobile Capital of the World. Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903, and five years later introduced the famous Model T. This automobile was popular, because it was the first affordable automobile made for the average American. -
Moving assembly line
In 1913, Ford introduced the moving assembly line, which allowed his company to build automobiles faster and at a lower cost. -
Changing model style
In 1923, when Alfred Sloan was the president of General Motors Company, he introduced the concept of changing model styling each year. This meant that, even though an automobile had the same name, the body design or features offered would be changed and improved. Eventually, this practice was used by the other automobile companies. -
How Model T changed America
By 1924, the price of the Model T had dropped to $290. More than 15 million Model T’s were sold by the time. The model was not continued in 1927. The Model T changed the United States because many people can own automobiles led to the growth of motels, shopping centers, and highways. -
Rolls-Royce Phantom III
The Rolls-Royce Phantom III was the final large pre-war Rolls-Royce. Introduced in 1936, it replaced the Phantom II. It had superior performance and quality. -
Tires from before stilll used today
Today, automobiles use pneumatic tires, which are rubber tires filled with air. Michelin, a French rubber-making company, introduced the first pneumatic tires used on automobiles in 1895. Before this time, most vehicles had wooden wheels and steel tires. Pneumatic tires were an improvement over steel tires because they gave a smoother ride.
