Automobiles are motorized vehicles, and they are designed to transport passengers. However, the term “automobile” is often used in a very loose way.
In the early twentieth century, the American automobile industry dominated the market. The Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler companies became the “Big Three” automakers.
After World War II, automobile production soared in Europe. By the 1980s, the automobile was a global industry.
Today, automobiles are the most common means of transportation in the United States. They are a highly technical system, with thousands of parts.
Automobiles are a vital lifeline for humans. There are two types of automobiles. One type is a passenger vehicle, such as a car, and the other is a commercial vehicle, such as a truck.
Originally, the automobile was invented in Germany and France in the late nineteenth century. This was the answer to a nineteenth-century dream of a self-propelled carriage.
The first automobile was a three-wheeler, built in 1884 by Edward Butler. It had a drive chain from the rear wheel to a horizontal single-cylinder gasoline engine.
Another form of automobile was a self-propelled bicycle, created by Sylvester Howard Roper in 1867. His machine was similar to the Stout Scarab, an automobile designed to carry many passengers.
The Stout Scarab was a precursor to the minivan. It had a rear engine and a streamlined beetle-like shape.
Minivans are primarily passenger vehicles, but some models can be converted to haul cargo. Some permanently remove their back seats for storage purposes.