The Automobile
Few industries have had a bigger impact than the Automobile industry. When it comes to inventions, the automobile is definitely one of the greatest of all time. Since the invention, the automobile has made travel safer and easier. The Automobile is the greatest invention of all time because it provides on-demand transportation, stimulates the economy, and has sparked the development of other important industries.
The invention of the gas powered automobile was inspired by the creation of the steam engine. Before the combustion engine was popular, Sylvester H. Roper made multiple steam powered carriages. In the year 1893, Charles and Frank Duryea tested a gas powered wagon. This evolved into gas powered carriages. Over the years, the initial gas powered carriage became gas powered automobiles. By 1903, the Ford Motor Company came out with the Model T, the first mass produced vehicle. Slow and expensive production sparked Henry Ford to develop the assembly line. Ford`s invention made car production in the millions by the 1920`s. Before the assembly line, the Model T costs around six hundred dollars. After the invention, the Model T costs about three hundred dollars, and production boosted to about 248,000 cars a year. The Great Depression forced most car manufacturers to close doors, but Ford was one of the few manufacturers to pull through the hard time. Henry Ford did not make the first Automobile, but he is responsible for making cars affordable and available to everyone.
Without an on demand means of transportation, Automobiles would not be as important as they are today. According to the article, “Automobile Industry,” on demand transportation is credited for the creation of major cities and suburbs. The automobile has made it affordable for the average person to travel to work every day from a distant area. Also even the people who can`t afford their own vehicle can still travel by bus. Automobiles are used every day, taking children to school, people to work, moving things, towing things, and everything in between. Automobiles are also great because they can get you places fast, especially in an emergency. Automobiles do not just provide quick and easy transportation; they can save lives as well.
The impact the automobile industry has on the economy makes it great in itself. Four million people have jobs directly from the automotive industry, and millions more who are indirectly employed by the Industry. In the article, “The Automotive Industry: Economic Impact and Locational Issues,” states that these jobs are well-paying jobs with good benefits. The automotive industry also has linkages to many other important industries, which makes the automotive industry have a huge role in the economy. Sixty million cars are made per year. Normally about twenty million vehicles are sold in the United States alone, but since the recent economic crisis, sales have dropped at a continuous rate. Despite the drop in sales, the automob...
