Henry Ford, arguably the most famous name in cars, founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903. His cars were cheap and mass produced by a loyal work force with with highest wages of any industry at the time ($4.00/day).
By 1908, Ford’s Model-Ts “Tin Lizzies” were filling the roads. Ford’s goal had been to create a car large enough for the entire family to enjoy weekend outings, together. Easy to maintain, and affordable (4 months salary for an assembly line worker); the Model T changed the way the World moved. You would no longer both live and die within 5 miles.
It is uncertain exactly when and what was the first automobile, and who invented it. In 1769, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France created the first self propelled road vehicle. It cruised along at just over 2 miles per hour powered by steam.
In the United States, Oliver Evans patented the first automobile on record (also a steam engine) in 1789. It is debated as to whether steam powered road vehicles can be categorized as cars. Those who do accept the notion of steam powered cars call Nicolas Cugnot, of France, the first inventor of the automobile with his self propelled tricycle. Proving very popular for locomotives, the steam engine added too much weight to be feasible for the road.
Sometime between 1832 and 1839 Robert Anderson of Scotland is said to have created the first electric car which also proved to be heavy, slow and expensive. Both the steam engines and the electrical engines were abandoned in favor of gas-powered vehicles. During the early 1900s, the electrical cars had had good sales in the United States, but with the improved system of roads, people wanted cars that could go the distance.
The invention of gas fueled cars is generally credited to Karl Benz of Germany in 1883. In 1926 Benz merged companies with Daimler-Maybach and began manufacturing their legendary cars.
The United States had the Duryea Brothers who formed their automobile company in 1893. Ransom Olds, debuted his Oldsmobile in 1902 and in 1903 Henry Ford was in production with his Ford Motor Company, expanding Olds’ assembly line concept.
Automotive development continued rapidly into front engine vehicles with rear wheel drive. Engine size, power and speed became a major focus of car companies as people became enthralled with the “Merry Oldsmobile” and the V8 engine.
Beginning in 1911, Chevrolet was known for innovative designs and unique styling. Entering the automobile market to compete with the Ford Model T, Louis Chevrolet and William Durant created models that would become part of automobile history. The 1914 “Classic Six” boasted a 6-cylinder engine with a top speed of 15 miles per hour. 1918 saw the first in a long line of Chevy V8 engines.
Chevy is widely known for some of the most popular classic cars ever produced, like the Corvette – one of the most recognizable vehicles in the world. Chevy models of the mid-50s remain wildly popular among car collectors. The ‘55 Bel Air, available in convertible, hardtop coupe, and 2- or 4- door sedan versions was considered superior in style to any other vehicle at the time, particularly due to its chrome accents and classic, refined look. The small-block V8, introduced in 1955, remains in continuous production to this day. Chevy innovations of this era included the first fuel-injected engine in 1957. In 1966, Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro that would become the pace car at the Indy 500.
In 1916, 55% of the cars in the world were Ford Model-Ts. This is a record that has never been (nor likely will be) broken.
In 1964, Chevrolet became the first American automaker to build more than 3 million vehicles in one year.
