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The First Car was Invented
The first car was patented on January 29, 1886 by Karl Benz. It had three wheels, gasoline, water radiator, gear shiftes, spark plugs and a carburetor. The car was originally made by hand. A person had to put each piece together manually. Improvements have been made over the years for safety and efficency reasons. http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1322446-1-1322325-1-0-0-1322455-0-0-135-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html -
Telescope Shock Absorber Developed
It was invented by C. L. Horock. A piston and a cylinder fit inside a metal sleeve. This causes the piston moves more freely resulting in a smoother ride with less bounce. This is still used in cars today. This was one of the product improvements.
http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3880 -
Drum Brakes Invented
Drum brakes were invented by Louis Ranualt. They were called drum brakes becaue the components were housed in a round drum that rotated along the wheel. Drum Brakes for the rear wheels helped the car stop. Many minor improvements have been made to this first design throughout the years. Still, the basic mold is still used in cars today.
http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3880
http://www.edmunds.com/car-technology/brakes-drum-vs-disc.html -
Henry Ford's Model T Car Invented
Henry Ford designed the model T. He also founded the Ford Motor Company. He made cars affordable for the middle class Americans. 10,660 cars were made in the first year of production.
http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3880 -
Electric Starters Invented
Charles Kettering invented electric starters. Cars no longer had to be hand cranked to start. This made the car more efficient and easy to start. These starters were first seen in 1912 Cadillacs.
http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3880 -
Flashing Turn Signals
A Delaware company using a thermal interrupter switch invented flashing turn signals. These let people know when you are going to turn or change lanes. They are used as a safety precaution.
http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3880 -
Air Bags were Invented
Air bags stop a person from flying into a window during a crash. These at first were only installed in the drivers seat but were later installed in the passenger's seat as well.
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The Car Today
The car today can withstand certain car crashes and is much more cost effective. Almost everyone over the age of 16 drives a car. Cars are part of everyday life and are used to transport people to various places.
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=safe&subject=crash&story=crashRatings
