History of the Automobile

  • First gasoline car

    First gasoline automobile was designed by J. Frank and Charles Duryea.
  • First American car race

    J. Frank and charles Duryea won the first American car race.
  • First modern car

    First modern car
    Mercedes was the first modern car created.
  • Period: to

    Oldsmobile

    Ransom Olds created the Oldsmobile. It was a one-cylinder, three-horsepower car that cost only $650.
  • Period: to

    Model T

    Ford created the Model T and sold it for $825.
  • Period: to

    Great Depression

    The Great Depression wiped out many of the automobile manufacturers. Car sales also stalled.
  • Daimler factory

    Daimler employed 1700 employees and made the most integrated factory.
  • Mass-production

    Mass-production
    First mass-production plant was opened by Ford.
  • Period: to

    Assembly line

    First moving assembly line was created
  • New additions

    New additions were made to the Model T.
  • Model T

    Model T
    Model T sells 15 million units and the price was only $290. This made owning a vehicle a reality for a lot of Americans.
  • Ford loses lead

    Ford loses lead
    Ford loses sale lead to Chevrolet.
  • Period: to

    European cars

    European car makers begin using factories.
  • Period: to

    WWII

    Automobile industry makes military vehicles for World War II.
  • Japanese automobiles

    Japanese automobiles
    Japanese automakers increase because they found ways to make cars more efficient than the Americans.
  • Volkswagen

    Volkswagen
    Volkswagen Bug is considered the modern Model T.
  • Car owners

    Car owners
    87.2% of American homes owned one or more cars. 51.5% owned more than one car.
  • Period: to

    Present

    Modern cars are often programmed to have more stuff, like turning off at stoplights, blind spot sensors, and cell phone technology, and car wi-fi.