Coming Of The Automobile Essay, Research Paper
In 1900 the average American traveled about 1200 miles in a lifetime, mostly on foot, and
mostly within his or her own village or town. By the end of the century, the typical
American adult would travel some 12,000 miles by automobile alone, in just one year.
About 8,000 cars were registered in the America at the start of the 20th century. There
are now some half billion in the world, with one-third in the United States, where more
than 1.5 trillion miles are traveled each year. How the auto industry grew from a few
thousand Tin Lizzies to the modern, aerodynamic and multipurpose vehicles of today is a
chronicle of engineering at its most resourceful – from materials development to mass
production techniques.
For hundreds of years, humans have attempted to develop means for faster, more
economical travel. Vehicles have been powered by humans, animals, springs,
clockwork, and wind. In 1769, Frenchman Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first
automobile, which was actually a steam-powered tricycle. For much of the 19th century,
steam power prevailed, despite the danger of boiler explosions and unpleasant odors
left by exhaust fumes.
Electric cars made their appearance in the late 1800s. Cleaner than steam-powered
cars, they had a large bank of storage batteries under the hood. They could travel at 10
to 20 miles per hour for a distance of 50 miles before the batteries needed recharging. In
the second half of the 19th century, Siegfried Marcus of Austria created the forerunner
of the modern automobile, German engineer Gottlieb Daimler put a gasoline-powered
engine on a bicycle, and Karl Benz followed with the first gasoline car.
By 1900 a typical automobile in the United States looked something like this: It was
shaped like a box, much like a horseless carriage, with little protection from rain, dust, or
other hazards. It was started by a hand-crank – a dangerous undertaking since a
backfiring engine could turn the crank into a whirling weapon known to shatter bones.
Engines were mounted haphazardly under the body, and steering was often by tiller. All
of the parts including the gears and drive systems were exposed to the elements. Early
tires were solid rubber, and did not cushion bumps. The arrival of pneumatic tires made
the ride more comfortable, but punctures every 10 or 20 miles were the norm. Kerosene
side lamps and smelly acetylene head lamps lit the traveler’s way. There were no shock
absorbers or heating systems.
People who drove autos in the early days were seen as heroic adventurers. Backyard
tinkers and bicycle makers were the auto repairmen of the day, and owners were
encouraged to carry repair kits that listed at least 60 things one should not be without on
the road – mastic to seal leaks in the gas line, extra hoses, wire, spark plugs, towing
cable, oil, grease, and a can of gasoline with funnel and chamois for straining.
By 1900 there were 50 automobile-manufacturing companies and some 8,000 cars
registered in the United States. Each car was hand-made and cost about $1,550. With an
average wage of $12.74 per week, only the wealthy could afford cars. The masses
rode horses, hopped trains, or walked. It was 20th century engineering, through the
advent of mass production, that opened the door to mass car ownership.
The first to originate this key industrial innovation was Ransom E. Olds in 1901, who had
his workers wheel carts of car parts to each car frame during production. This method
boosted factory output from 425 cars a year to 2500 in 1907. In 1908, Henry Ford – Olds’
great rival – improved the system by adding a conveyor belt that brought the car frame to
the workers. This cut production time for one Model T from a day and a half to an
unbelievable 93 minutes. Ford was able to reduce its cost from $850 in 1906, to $400 in
1916, and $290 by 1924. Ford’s mantra was “fast and cheap” – and that did not leave
any room for variety. All his cars were painted black, because it was the color of enamel
that dried the fastest. He sold 1 million cars by 1921 and 15 million between 1908 and
1927 – 50 percent of the market. His operation made him the pacesetter of the industry,
and it made the industry the paragon of technological progress.
Engineering milestones began to enhance the popularity of the car and improve its
safety. They included the electric starter in 1911, introduced by Charles Kettering; the
synchronized transmission for easier gear shifting; improved carburetors; heaters;
mechanically operated windshield wipers; and interchangeable parts. Henry Leland,
president of Cadillac Automobile Co., believed that car parts should be the same for
similar models. Skeptics disagreed, so to prove his point, he shipped three cars to
England, had them disassembled, their parts all mixed together, and then reassembled.
This successful innovation increased production efficiency and reduced costs, adding to
the affordability of the auto.
By the mid-1920s, other innovators were changing the industry. William Durant
surpassed Ford in sales by offering variety. He began buying different car firms that built
to different tastes – luxury, speed, comfort, and utility. The first were Olds, Oakland (later
the Pontiac), and Cadillac. Then he bought out makers of motors, spark plugs, and other
components and accessories. His acquisitive nature and vision resulted in the General
Motors Company, the forerunner of the modern automotive operation.
The 1930s saw more reliable braking, higher-compression engines, and the world’s first
diesel engine by Mercedes. Automobile engines were becoming larger, and many had 12
and 16 cylinders. Independent front suspension was added to make larger cars more
comfortable. Design-wise, automobiles on both sides of the Atlantic were styled with
gracious proportions, long hoods, and pontoon-shaped fenders.
In 1941, the brilliant engineering that had built the automotive industry was directed
toward other activities that would help win the war. Auto companies used their
production machinery, leadership, and experience to build 4 million engines of all types, 6
million guns, 3 million tanks and trucks, and 27,000 aircraft – plus an amazing assortment
of miscellaneous military hardware. After the war, they returned to the business of
building automobiles.
Large-scale production began in the early 1950s. New automotive features included air
conditioning, electrically operated car windows, seat adjusters, and a change from a
6-volt to a 12-volt ignition system which improved engine performance. American cars
tended to borrow design features normally found on aircraft and ships, including tailfins
and portholes. Cars increased in size and weight, but power steering and brakes made
them easier to handle. Across the Atlantic, Europeans were making smaller and lighter
cars that weighed less than 2800 lb. Their sports cars had hand-fashioned aluminum
bodies over a steel chassis and framework.
In the early days of the car, the biggest worry was keeping it running. Today we are
concerned with aerodynamic designs for speed and fuel efficiency, passenger safety
issues, and pollution control systems. In 1900 a car might have a total of 100 parts, while
today it has some 14,000. Design innovations incorporate breakthroughs in
computerization, high-strength plastics, and alloys of steel and nonferrous metals.
Accessories can include CD players, tape decks, television and phone installations, and
separate sound and temperature controls in the front and back of a vehicle. Some cars
come equipped with satellite-aided global positioning system (GPS) locator beacons,
enabling a remote operator to locate a vehicle, map its location, and, if necessary, direct
repair or emergency workers to the scene.
In one form or another, the vehicle has become the major transporter of people and
goods in the world, whether designed for urban use or rough terrain, one passenger or
a dozen. Its basic design and power systems have been widely adapted to vehicles
such as the ambulance, jeep, police car, minivan, limousine, pickup truck, and tractor
trailer.
Today’s automobile industry has helped to shape the financial world, from banks to the
stock market, and is a major barometer of the economic health of a nation. Automobile
sales represent more than one-fifth of U.S. wholesale business, and more than
one-fourth of its retail trade. Japan and Western Europe are rapidly approaching these
levels.
Massive and internationally competitive, the automobile industry is the largest single
manufacturing enterprise in the United States in terms of total value of products and
number of employees. One out of every six U.S. businesses depends on the
manufacture, distribution, servicing, or use of motor vehicles. The industry is primarily
responsible for the growth of steel and rubber production, and is the largest user of
machine tools. Specialized manufacturing requirements have driven advances in
petroleum refining, paint and plate-glass manufacturing, and other industrial processes.
Gasoline, once a waste product to be burned off, is now one of the most valuable
commodities in the world.
As for changing social patterns, a historian has said that Henry Ford freed common
people from the limitations of geography, creating social mobility on a scale previously
unknown. Few, if any, other machines have been as widely adopted or used as an
agent of change in so many societal institutions and practices.
McGraw-Hill.Encyclopedia of technology and science. NY 2000