| The long and winding road must have been an uphill | | | | to electricity to gas powered engines and the |
| climb in the days before automobiles. Leonardo da | | | | introduction of the first automatic transmission, |
| Vinci played with the concept of transport vehicles in | | | | advancements to the actual performance of the car |
| the 15th century, but horse drawn carriages and old, | | | | weren't nearly as dramatic. In fact, cars could only be |
| reliable walking remained the most efficient means of | | | | driven in the summer time because antifreeze had yet |
| transportation. Thankfully, in the late 1700's, inventors | | | | to be developed. By contrast, the vast landscape of |
| concluded, there has to be a better way. For well over | | | | the United States transformed the desire for |
| two hundred years and counting, the art of | | | | automotive transportation into the need for automotive |
| transportation has been evolving. With a multitude of | | | | transportation.Automobiles made it possible for school |
| patents, inventors, mechanics, and researchers to | | | | systems to improve, health systems to improve, and |
| thank, the modern day, fuel-injected, safety efficient | | | | lifestyle standards to improve, simply by connecting the |
| automobile is light years away from the heavy, perilous | | | | city to the rural areas and the United States as a |
| steam engine powered vehicle of the early days.There | | | | whole. The ability to transport building materials, as well |
| isn't one clear cut inventor to single handedly credit | | | | as people, helped build communities and expand |
| with the invention of the automobile, although there is a | | | | cultures.By the 1900?s the United States had long |
| wealth of opinions on why certain inventors should | | | | established a tradition of manufacturing success. For |
| receive that credit. Contributions from Scotland"s | | | | this reason it was logical that the production of cars in |
| Robert Anderson, France's Nicholas Cugnot, | | | | America would result in larger volume at lower prices |
| Germany's Karl Freidrich Benz, and Charles Duryea | | | | than in Europe. Of the 485,000 automobiles produced |
| from the United States helped mold the first | | | | in 1913, the United States produced 606,000 of them. |
| automobiles to provide genuine transportation.Once the | | | | As a result, the market for domestic versus import |
| concept of automotive transportation had been | | | | cars was clearly established. Imported vehicles |
| realized, the next effort went into ways to produce | | | | obviously cost more to purchase, but also cost more |
| those vehicles. These were the days long before | | | | to manufacture. In 1912, the Model T sold for |
| standardized parts, so mass tooling was an issue. | | | | approximately $600, which was less than the average |
| Individual parts needed to be of consistent size and | | | | wage annually in the United States. The introduction of |
| material to make the production process more | | | | the Mercedes Grosser undoubtedly defined the |
| efficient. Skilled labor was the next biggest challenge to | | | | distinction between luxury automobiles and economy |
| enabling every home the opportunity to own an | | | | automobiles. This distinction during the |
| automobile. Henry Ford's vision to build "cars for the | | | | economically-trying war eras further developed the |
| great multitude" helped ignite a flood of almost 500 | | | | class system, which to this day is still somewhat |
| automotive manufacturers into the U.S. market, while | | | | defined by the type of vehicle a person owns. The |
| Mercedes and Oldsmobile helped fuel the fire | | | | Mercedes focus shifted from merely providing |
| worldwide.Mass producing one of the world's most | | | | transportation to providing transportation in the most |
| historical advancements was no small task. The | | | | luxurious way possible. Luxury or economy the United |
| Mercedes folks needed seventeen hundred workers | | | | States was declared "auto dependent" in the 1980's |
| to produce one thousand cars per year. Henry Ford's | | | | because almost every household owned one, if not |
| introduction of the first assembly line in 1913 | | | | two vehicles.The evolution of the automobile industry is |
| revolutionized the business of producing cars. Major | | | | a truly fascinating one that has yet to reach its final |
| advancements in machinery and technology made the | | | | chapter. Underneath the research programs focused |
| process of building cars open to the multitude of new | | | | on designing less environmentally harmful vehicles and |
| automotive manufacturers; however, in 1927, Ford was | | | | the business programs focused on producing the least |
| the winner with fifteen million units manufactured.Once | | | | expensive vehicles possible, the simple luxury of |
| the automobile had been designed, established, and | | | | transportation is almost lost. In the end, the opportunity |
| mass produced, the focus shifted to how to make the | | | | to travel the long and winding road in comfort is truly a |
| most profit from it. Besides the evolution from steam | | | | gift. |