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Internal Combustion engine invented
Gottlieb Daimler paved the way for auto manufacturers by inventing the internal combustion engine in 1885. -
Olds Motor Vehicle Company Founded
The predecessor to the General Motors Company was founded this year. It was the first factory in Detroit, Michigan. At the time, they did not manufacture cars. -
Karl Benz Invents the Car
Karl Benz made a one cylinder engine, then mounted it to a horse carriage creating a self-propelled vehicle. (Victoria) -
Supercharger and forced induction invented
Shortly after the invention of the internal combustion engine, forced induction (a means of getting more air into the engine faster) was invented. Superchargers use power from the crankshaft in order to accomplish this. -
General Motor Company produces first car
General Motors manufactured the "Curved Dash". It was the first car to be made on an assembly line. -
Steering Wheel
Karl Benz invented a way of connecting a steering wheel to the front axle as opposed to the previous two sticks used to steer. -
Turbocharger invented
Another form of force induction was invented in 1905. This type uses exhaust fumes to spin a turbine and eventually forcing air into the engine. -
Model T
Ford released the Model T in 1908. It was priced at $825. Henry Ford made "a car for the multitudes." -
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11,000 Model T's
In the first year of their production, 11,000 Model T's were sold and the Ford Motor Company made 9 million dollars. -
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World War I
During World War I many car companies switched from manufacturing cars to vehicles for war. This was done in order to stay in business during the war; it also affected the vehicles they continued to make afterwards. -
One Millionth Model T built
During this year, the one millionth Model T rolled off the assembly line. -
General Motors owns 30+ auto companies
By 1920 General Motors owned more than 30 car companies. General Motors was one of the most stable companies, and many car companies also collaborated with them for protection during the Great Depression. -
Tear-drop car
The Rumpler-Tropfenauto (tear-drop car) was the first car made with aerodynamics in mind. Although it never caught on, it had very good aerodynamics, similar to statistics of today. -
First production station wagon
Up until this time, companies would make their own station wagons and use them as commercial vehicles. -
Volvo starts manufacturing cars
Volvo, a Swedish car company, started making cars in 1926. Due to the snowy weather they were accustomed to in that part of the world, their vehicles were very durable and rugged. -
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Great Depression
The Great Depression was a time when many companies struggled to stay in existence. Lots of car companies went bankrupt and others combined with each other to survive. -
Ford invents flathead V8
Up until this point, most cars were equipped with inline four, six, and sometimes eight cylinder engines. Many companies experimented with different configurations; including various designs of eight cylinder engines. Ford wanted to release a car with an eight cylinder engine and eventually he came to the flathead V8 configuration, the most common eight cylinder setup in modern vehicles. -
Nissan founded
In 1933, Kwaishinsha Co. and Jitsuyo Jidosha Co. merged to form "Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd." Later the name was changed to Datsun and finally Nissan. -
Nissan makes first car
Nissan manufactured their first car and named it "Datsun". -
Chrysler Airflow
The Chrysler Airflow was one of the first aerodynamic cars built by a mainstream company. Although this model was not particularly popular, it set an example for future cars. -
First convertible with power top
Convertibles are a very popular form of cars today; almost all modern ones use small motors to operate the top. Plymouth made the first power top convertible in 1939. -
Formula One becomes official motor sport
In 1946, a set of standard rules for Formula One were released: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA's). -
First NASCAR race
Although the organization had had a few races prior to this one, it is the first time they had a race and were known as NASCAR. -
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Aerodynamic studies
During the 50's and 60's scientists were trying to develop cars in shapes that can move with little air resistance for race cars. They experimented with spoilers, nose shapes, and aero kits. Eventually during this time, high end car companies (Lotus, Citroen, Porsche) started incorporating wings, etc. in their cars. -
Rallycross
Rallycross existed as an unorganized motor sport for many years, but in the 60s it started to become more official. It was during this decade that the Mini Cooper was introduced (a car literally designed for rallying). A Mini was also driven by the first professional rally team of the time. -
NASCAR is televised
Starting in the 1970s, NASCAR was televised and became a greatly popular form of motocross. -
Audi 100 aerodynamics
In the 1980s, the Audi 100 was built in a shape which gave it a very small amount of drag. The design had statistics that were unheard of at the time. The minimal drag would in turn give a car a better top speed as well as better gas mileage. As soon as the Audi 100 was redesigned, almost every car was designed with aerodynamic qualities in mind. -
On-board diagnostic
OBD is built into the Engine Control Unit (ECU) or the car's computer. It has connections to various areas of the engine and it helps diagnose issues with the car. A mechanic can plug a laptop directly into the OBD and find out what and where the problem is. It has been used in vehicles since the 1980s. -
Audi Quattro released
In rallycross, it was very common to find two wheel drive cars, but this all changed when the four-wheel-drive Audi Quattro was introduced. The Quattro was so superior to all the other cars on the track that it was decided in order to be competitive, a team's car had to be all wheel drive. The Quattro drivetrain was so good that it is still used in Audi's cars today and is regarded as one of, if the not the, best all wheel drive system. -
DOHC and SOHC
DOHC - Dual overhead camshafts
SOHC - Single overhead camshafts
Camshafts control the flow of fuel and air into the engine. The original form of camshafts were called overhead valves. They used rods pushed by cams to measure the amount of time for fuel to be injected. Overhead camshafts use camshafts above valves in order to allow fuel and air into the engine. OHC are mush smaller than OHV and they allow for more valves. OHC is still not universally used but is very common in small engines. -
Formula One cars use Energy Recovery Systems
In 2014, Formula One rules were updated and allowed a 1.6 liter V6 engine along with ERS. An Energy Recovery System is a generator that uses power from the engine to change it to electricity. This is a very new innovation and it encourages high performance car companies to integrate electric motors into their vehicles.
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