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 Very few complex inventions can be accredited to any one individual, owing to the need for many processes and items to be developed independently. These independent pieces can finally be assembled by a person or group of persons. Other inventors and tinkerers may still be needed to work out the remaining problems. The gas-powered automobile is one of these inventions. First the problems surrounding the engine itself had to be solved. Then a suitable fuel had to be discovered. Other countless engineering problems had to be surmounted before a working ‘horseless carriage’ could be built. Eventually, the problems were solved, and the automobile has become the single most important transportation medium in modern times. It was, and is, the ideal personal transportation method. The history of the automobile is an interesting story. Early cars were steam powered. Steam powered cars were better than walking, but were not convenient to operate. Their shortcomings limited their use. In 1885 a German engineer named Karl Benz staged the first demonstration of the gas powered automobile. It sported a two cycle engine and three wheels, sort of like a motorized tri-cycle. His first customer was a Frenchman - Emile Rogers. By 1888 Benz had fifty employees building cars. In 1890 Benz introduced a four wheeled version of his horseless carriage. Other inventors made refinements to the automobile, and its popularity spread. Before the automobile could be built for the masses, some fundamental changes in the way cars were built were necessary. Again, it was a lot of individuals who contributed to these changes. Specialization of labor, standardization of parts, and machinery which could cut, drill, shape, and otherwise make parts all had to be developed. Adam Smith, the economist of Colonial America who wrote The Wealth Of Nations in 1776 was one of the first proponents of mass production techniques. Eli Whitney proposed the techniques for the manufacture of flintlock guns in 1797. Other manufacturing pioneers developed the idea, using emerging steam power, tool making, and manufacturing technology to advance the budding Industrial Revolution. The first cars were largely handmade, making them very expensive to build and buy. Consequently, the horseless carriage of this age was mainly a plaything of the rich. A gentleman by the name of Henry Ford changed all that. Henry Ford wanted to make cars the ‘average Joe’ could afford, so he made some elementary changes in the way automobiles were manufactured. The parts were standardized so mass production techniques could be used. The color of choice for all the cars was the same - black. These manufacturing techniques lowered the cost of the automobile to a price many more people could afford. Production of Ford’s "Tin Lizzies" began in 1908 and continued through 1927. During this time over 15 million Model T’s were produced. Over half the cars in the world in 1920 were Model T’s. The automobile has had a profound effect on the economic and social systems of our society. Literally millions of people are employed directly building, servicing, and selling them. Highway systems have been constructed to allow convenient travel by them. You no longer have to live close to your employmet, as the automobile can allow you to travel long distances in hours. The developement of the car was another important cog in our history History Of The Balloon Back To Transportation History |