| Before cars were around, people usually | | | | These improvements not only made automobiles |
| traveled distances using horse-drawn | | | | more stylish, but also safer and more |
| carriages. But as early as 1335 several | | | | comfortable for both passengers and drivers. |
| bright minds have been trying to come up with | | | | Driving was slowly becoming more pleasurable. |
| a "horseless carriage". In Italy | | | | |
| there were quite a number of designs for | | | | Apart from increased comfort and security, |
| wind-driven vehicles, none of which were ever | | | | another important characteristic of cars that |
| built. Leonardo da Vinci designed a clockwork | | | | became emergent during this period was the |
| vehicle, but that too remained just a | | | | increase in durability and affordability. |
| concept. In America there were two prominent | | | | Automobile manufacturers like Ford, |
| figures who would be remembered as | | | | Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Buick, Plymouth, |
| forefathers of the modern automobile--Ransom | | | | and Oldsmobile were mass-producing durable |
| E. Olds and Henry Ford. Olds was the first | | | | cars on assembly lines, which made it |
| mass producer of gasoline-powered automobiles | | | | possible for more people to travel around at |
| in America, while Ford built several | | | | an affordable price. In addition, smaller |
| prototypes and began selling cars in 1903. | | | | companies began producing specific car |
| | | | components, adding to the ease of production |
| However, these cars were really nothing more | | | | and sustainability, and further lowering |
| than crude horseless carriages, and they | | | | prices, which in turn increased the |
| looked a lot like them too--the open body, | | | | popularity of the automobile as the preferred |
| the large, wooden wheels all screamed | | | | mode of travel for everyone. |
| "carriage without a horse". But by | | | | |
| 1916 certain developments enabled these | | | | As the automobile's popularity rose, so did |
| carriages to become viable means of | | | | the number of manufacturing companies. Some |
| transportation, with better mechanics, | | | | experimented with electricity and steam--and |
| increased power and efficiency, and most of | | | | electricity is still being experimented with |
| all, safety and comfort. | | | | to this day--but internal combustion engines |
| | | | were clearly preferred with Packard's |
| During the 1916-1924 period, most automobile | | | | development of the V-12. Other manufactureres |
| designs have improved drastically. The | | | | produced V-8s and V-16s, and by the end of |
| dangerous hand crank was replaceed with | | | | this period the market had hundreds of |
| electric starters, and kerosene lanterns were | | | | manufacturers each producing several hundred |
| replaced by electric lighting. Enclosed | | | | different models, with a variety of engine |
| bodies were also becoming more popular, and | | | | configurations. |
| the windows can be raised or lowered at will. | | | | |