Automobiles are vehicles that are designed primarily for transportation, using four wheels to carry passengers and often propelled by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel. Automobiles are complex technical systems that rely on subsystems with specific design functions, such as the automobile chassis and suspension system, passenger comfort options, engine performance and vehicle stability. Automobiles may also have special features, such as those used in off-road and emergency situations.
OPENS UP THE WORLD
Having your own car gives you the freedom to go anywhere without having to rely on others for rides. It can save you time on your commute to work or when visiting friends and family members. It also gives you the option to visit multiple places in a single day, increasing your work possibilities and giving you more choices about where you want to live.
The automobile was an important invention in the 20th century and became a main force behind changing the way people lived their lives in America. The automobile helped women to get jobs outside the home and led to a push for voting rights in America that ultimately resulted in women winning the right to vote in 1920.
Henry Ford innovated mass production techniques that made automobiles more affordable, allowing many Americans to buy one. However, as concerns surfaced in the 1930s about the nonfunctional designs of American cars and the use of oil that drained world reserves, automobile production and innovation slowed. In the 1950s, automobile companies focused on production for the war effort and by the 1960s market saturation combined with technological stagnation caused a decline in automobile sales and growth.
