45 Automotive Fun Facts: History And Other Details Unveiled!

Automobiles refer to all cars that are used for carrying passengers.

The word comes from the Greek word 'auto' and the French word 'mobile.' To an admirer of vehicles, automobiles are well-crafted machines that deserve a closer look.

Whether you can drive or not, you have to admit that the automobile was one of the most important inventions in human history. It's made transportation so much simpler. Earlier, people used modes of animal transportation. The invention of motor cars revolutionized the history of traveling by making it a lot earlier. To know more interesting facts about automobiles, keep reading!

Historical Facts Of Automotive

The history of the automobile is full of interesting facts that are bound to fascinate you. The following car facts will tell you everything you need to know about the development of cars down the ages.

In 1905, a woman named Mary Anderson invented car windshield wipers to remove snow or rain when it fell on the front glass of the car. This was helpful to drivers, because they didn't have to get up to clean every time something fell on the front window.

The antilock braking system was discovered many years ago, probably in the '20s. However, this system became popular around the '90s, and currently all modern cars have this braking system.

Henry Ford introduced the term 'tune-up' while working on his first prototype of a car. He saw that when all the coils were positioned currently, the car would make a buzzing noise and if there was no buzz, the coils would require a 'tune-up.'

Electric cars are saturating the market, but the first electric vehicle was made in 1832. The first electric-powered car was created by Robert Anderson. However, the first mass electric cars were produced by General Motors.

The first car race took place in 1895. The winning speed in this race was 15 mph (24 kph). Today cars move at much greater speeds.

Bertha Benz, wife of the inventor of the first car Karl Benz, took the first road trip in history with her two sons. They traveled 66 mi (106 km) in seven hours.

Steering wheels were absent in cars till 1896. Instead, drivers controlled their cars with a lever.

Drivers had felt the need for brake lights for a long time, since hand gestures became difficult to follow at night. Brake lights were introduced in 1905.

The technique of cruise control that could keep the vehicle at a constant speed to save fuel was invented by Ralph Teetor, who went blind when he was five.

The company Chevrolet introduced the first car radio in 1922. This invention became famous, and even though the US government wanted to ban it, by the '60s most cars had radios in them.

The three-point seatbelt that we use at present was introduced for the first time in 1959 in two models: the Volvo Amazon 120 and the PV 544. By 1968, most vehicles had three-point seatbelts.

Automotive In Modern Day

It is practically impossible to know every car facts out there, but there are some car facts that you should know. Whether you are a fan of modern or vintage cars, these car facts will definitely interest you.

China and the US are major car manufacturers in the world. One in every four cars in the UK is made in China.

Every year, 60 million new cars are produced.

165,000 cars are produced in a day and 6,875 cars are produced in an hour.

At present, a billion cars are in use. Comparing this figure to the population of the world makes it one car for every seven persons.

Around 75% of the cars produced by Rolls Royce since the '90s are still on road.

Rolls Royce cars do not break down often, and vintage cars produced by this company are not an uncommon sight.

A survey revealed that the average American spends an extra 54 hours at traffic signals. A British driver spends 99 days of their life caught in traffic.

An American driver spends two weeks of their lives stuck behind a red light.

Modern cars don't have cassette players, and the Ford Crown Victoria 2011 model was the last car to have one.

An average vehicle spends almost 95% of its lifetime parked in a garage. Among modern cars, Audi rings have the most famous emblem.

Toyota Corolla holds the world record for the best-selling car, while Rolls Royce produces vehicles that are called the cars of a lifetime.

Elon Musk's innovation, the Tesla, popularized electric vehicles today. But in the 1900s, almost 38% of cars were electric.

The total number of cars in Los Angeles is greater than the total population of the region.

Automotive Repair Facts

A car's lifetime is limited and it needs to be repaired at regular intervals. All parts of a car have to be repaired after some time to ensure a smooth journey. Here are some fun car facts about repairing.

The workers working at Ford Escort hold the world record for removing and replacing a car engine in only 42 seconds.

A car consists of more than 30,000 parts. It is very likely for one of these parts to break down.

About $60 billion worth of car maintenance goes unattended to every year by customers. This accumulates to billions of dollars in later years.

A scheduled check-up of your car can amount to $400 yearly on average. This includes maintenance, diagnostics, and other repairs.

The average costs for repairing an automobile are $305.5. This repair cost includes labor, tax, parts, and associated inconveniences.

A vehicle runs via the functioning of various codes. The internal computer system of an automobile contains more than 100 mi (160.9 km) of codes.

Around the mid-'60s, American-made cars became common in the market and they were sold to retail buyers with an average of 24 defects in each unit.

Most of these defects were safety-related.

Faulty oxygen sensors can be very cumbersome in a car. Several times they account for check engine light issues in the car.

Nearly 900 million oil changes take place every year.

Automotive Engineering Facts

Automotive engineering is a branch of engineering that is dedicated to researching and studying various aspects of constructing, designing, and testing a vehicle.

Major functions of this field are production, development, and manufacturing.

An automotive engineer has several roles, and may work as a development engineer or as a manufacturing engineer.

A development engineer is responsible for coordinating all the attributes of an automobile as dictated by the manufacturer.

A manufacturing engineer ensures that the parts of an automobile are properly produced, from each component to the complete vehicle.

Other automotive engineering roles include those of body engineer, aerodynamic engineer, change control engineer, and NVH engineer.

At present, automotive engineers increasingly use the feature of mechatronics.

Automotive engineering is based on intelligent systems, and the field does a lot of valuable work for the automobile industry.

Some important disciplines that are part of automotive engineering include safety engineering, fuel economy, and NVH.

NVH refers to noise, vibration, and harshness, and this field of automotive engineering is based on customer feedback.

A car accident occurred in 1891 for the first time, and it prompted automotive engineers to incorporate safety equipment into the vehicle for drivers.

FAQs

What was the first car in the world?

In 1866, Carl Benz invented and patented a car that he named Benz. This is supposed to be the birth year of the car. However, Ford Motor Company's car Model T, which came out in 1908, was one of the first cars available to the public.

What are the three impacts of automobiles?

The three impacts of automobiles are the erosion of renewable resources, an increase in the number of accidental deaths, and poisonous emission causing air pollution and noise pollution.

Why are automobiles bad?

Automobiles cause widespread pollution as their poisonous vehicular emissions are bad for the environment. These pollutants have a negative effect on human health and the environment. Car horns are a major source of noise pollution.

Which is the most popular car?

There is no single-most popular car as people of different income groups buy cars according to their affordability. So the popularity of a car is a variable. However, some of the top-selling cars include the Toyota Corolla, the Ford F series, and the Volkswagen Golf.

How do automobiles affect the environment?

Cars contribute to air pollution by creating a significant amount of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Cars also emit greenhouse gases.

What was the fastest car in the world in the year 2021?

In 2021, the SSC Tuatara gained the record for the position of the fastest car in the world. It can attain a top speed of 331 mph (532.7 kph) and holds the record for a speed of 316 mph (508 kph).

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