This 1885 prototype by Karl Benz is generally agreed to be the first modern iteration of the automobile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHenry Ford\u2019s Assembly Line<\/h2>\n While motor vehicles had become viable and were being built throughout Europe and North America at the crossroads of the 19th and 20th century, they were still expensive and time consuming to build making them unattainable to the general public.<\/p>\n
While there where automobile manufacturing companies as early as 1893 creating reasonable volumes of motor cars, it would be the revolutionary work of Henry Ford that would make the motor car available to everyone. The development of the assembly line allowed rapid construction compared to previous practices, making the vehicles far easier to mass produce and consequently bringing down the price.<\/p>\nA photo of Ford’s Rouge assembly plant, which was considered state of the art in 1928.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis assembly line process would have far ranging applications beyond what was perceived at the time with all modern mass production founded on these early principles.<\/p>\n
War \u2013 The Mother of Invention<\/h2>\n \u201cWar is the mother of invention\u201d is an often cited sentiment for the amazing progress that is made so often during war time, but it was originally bastardised from \u201cNecessity is the mother of invention\u201d which in the right circumstance carries the same meaning.<\/p>\n
Throughout the first and second World Wars the necessity to carry artillery, supplies and troops to the front line was a key factor in investment in more powerful vehicles with more efficient and powerful engines. Great strides where made in war time to enhance the motor vehicle and this rapid development eventually filtered through to commercial distribution bringing motor vehicles ever closer to their current incarnation.<\/p>\nAs auto manufacturers focused on producing millions of vehicles for the war effort, they learned to improve every part of the vehicle production process.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nModern Technology<\/h2>\n In the modern era motor cars have become so readily available that families can often have several cars to one home (a concept that would seem absurd only a matter 50 years ago). Advancement in mechanics, electronics and computer software have made vehicle production one of the most efficient production line technologies in the world.<\/p>\n
5th Gear into the Future<\/h2>\n So where does the motor car go from here? From its humble steam powered roots to global mass production how much further can this technology evolve?<\/p>\n
While many excitable minds would envision hover cars and space highways, practicality and necessity will always be the motor cars fuel for advancement. Right now the decline of fossil fuels and global warming are the \u2018wars\u2019 that are driving the motor cars evolution as science searches for alternative fuel sources and evolving or transplanting the combustion engine.<\/p>\nWill historians one day credit the Nissan Leaf with beginning yet another new era of the automobile?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe modern electric car is the guiding light at present, but who knows that revolutionary ideas are transpiring in the mind of the next Karl Benz or Henry Ford?<\/p>\n
Guest Author Louise West works for a museum that specialises in Historical Automobiles which has helped her to build up a good knowledge in Car Valuation<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Being what can only be regarded as one of the most important inventions of the modern age, the motor car has become an intrinsic part of our functioning society. From personal transport to logistics the automobile is as essential foundation on which the world now runs. Of course with any great invention it has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[65,67,362,423,498,597],"yoast_head":"\n
A Short History of the Automobile - Accurate Auto Advice<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n