Automobiles have been produced since 1760, when steam engine driven automobiles were first made. In 1807, a man called Francis de Rivaz designed the first automobile that had an internal combustion engine using fuel gas. The modern car has its roots in 1886 when Karl Benz, a German inventor, made an automobile which had wire wheels and a 4- stroke gasoline engine mounted on the rear wheels. The “Benz Patent Motorwagen”, was the first automobile that produced its own power. For this reason Karl Benz is called the father of modern automobiles and was given the automobile’s patent.
Interesting facts about cars and automobiles
The first road worthy automobiles had a control lever and not a steering wheel. The interesting fact is that the lever was designed and functioned like a joy stick.
In 1895, Frank Dureyea won the first automobile race to be held in the United States.
In his youth, Henry Ford was a watch repairer. He became a car maker and in 1916, 55% of all automobiles worldwide were Model T Ford, a record that still stands today.
Models from the Ford’s F- series have been topping the best seller list in Canada for the last 40 years. In 2013, over 122 000 of these units were sold across Canada.
Rolls Royce Ltd, an engine manufacturing company was founded in 1906, and in the same year produced the first Rolls Royce car, the Silver Ghost. The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost set a record in 1907 for covering 24 000 kilometers in reliability tests.
In 1930’s, German dictator Adolf Hitler ordered German engineer, Ferdinand Porsche, to produce a “volks wagen” which means “people’s car” in German, leading to the Volkswagen Beetle. An interesting fact is that the sketch of the car is thought to have been done by the dictator himself.
A car is made with about 30 000 parts, including the bolts, screws and washers.
An interesting facts about cars is that Vehicle windscreen wipers were invented by a woman.
In 2010, there were 1 billion cars in use in the world, 250 million of them in the United Stares of America. In 2012, about 165 000 automobiles were produced per day, this translates to more than 60 million automobiles per year.
An interesting fact is that the “new car smell “comes from several chemical compounds inside a vehicle and some emit volatile organic compounds (VOC). It is these VOC’s that produce that lovely scent and not the leather!
The most expensive automobile ever sold in a public auction is a 1954 Mercedes Benz Formula 1 race car. It was auctioned at Bonhams in 2013 for $30 000 000.
Paul Gavin invented the first car radio in 1929.
An interesting facts is that Car airbags kill one person for every 22 people they save.
The biggest speeding fine ever awarded is 1 million dollars in Switzerland to a driver who was doing 180mph.
The “Midnight Rider”, which is the heaviest limousine, weighs 50 560 lbs, houses 40 passengers, and has 3 lounges and a separate bar.
The German vehicle, the Auto Tram Grand, is worth over a million US dollars, measures 30.8 meters long and can carry 256 passengers.
These are just some of the interesting facts about automobiles. The world of the automobile is large and dynamic. New and interesting facts arise daily!
