9 Car History Facts That You Didn’t Know About
9 Car History Facts That You Didn’t Know About
Posted on February 6, 2017
Cars have been around for a long time, since 1886 in fact. That’s a little over 230 years of history what is arguably one of the most important inventions ever created. A lot of amazing developments have taken place during that time.
With self-driving cars so close to being a reality, we decided to look at back at the history of the car. Read on, and see which of these facts surprises you.
1) The first engine crank ever built was by James Watt in 1782. This paved the way for the creation of commercial vehicles nearly 100 years later.
2) The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was built in 1885 and started selling in 1886. It could be bought with $150 US dollars at the time.
3) The first Grand Prix Race was won in 1901. The winning car was only capable of a top speed of 46 MPH.
4) Car adoption grew quickly in the US. 27 years after the first car was introduced to the public, there were over one million people using cars.
5) 1914 saw the installation of the first electric traffic light. It was installed in Cleveland. Electric turn signals took a little longer, only being introduced in 1938 by Buick.
6) Although a common piece of safety equipment today, safety belts were absent from most cars until 1963 when they became mandatory in US automotive. Passenger seat belts were installed two years later.
7) Charles Goodyear invented the tire, but he couldn’t put it to any practical use. He is the person who accidentally discovered the rubber vulcanizing process and patented it.
8) Henry Ford didn’t create the first car, but he did create the assembly line production model for automobiles. Ford paved the way for affordable cars that is still being used to this day.
9) Enzo Ferrari was a mechanic, then a race car driver and then a race car team owner. The racing industry was dominated by his cars, even years after the World War II.
Those were only a few interesting car history facts. Being over two centuries old, cars have a rich history. While you’re looking through the feature of list of a hot new car, take a moment and appreciate how far the technology has come. From automobiles that could barely maneuver over a pot hole, to today’s premium tech-rich luxury vehicles, cars have played a big part in driving progress.