Automobiles are complex machines that have a large impact on the lives of people around the world. They provide many benefits but they also have many problems. Automobiles give people more personal freedom and they have created industries that wouldn’t exist without them. But automobiles use a lot of fuel and they cause pollution.
The automobile was invented in the late 1800s. Inventors such as Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler worked to perfect the internal combustion engine which powered them. By 1920 cars were dominating the streets and byways of Europe and America. Henry Ford introduced mass production techniques at his plant in Michigan which reduced the price of his Model T and made it affordable for middle-class families.
Modern life would be difficult, if not impossible, without the automobile. It allows us to travel across cities and communities and live farther away from work. It enables us to visit friends and family in other places. And it gives us the ability to go to job interviews and other important appointments without worrying about being on time.
The auto industry provides millions of jobs worldwide in factories where cars are produced, and at gas stations and restaurants that travelers stop at. It also has a huge economic impact because it increases people’s spending power. Cars are a symbol of American culture, from the first Model T’s to roll off the assembly line to the artful mid-century modern designs that cruised our highways and byways.