Automobiles, also known as cars, are wheeled motor vehicles that are constructed primarily for the transport of people. They are usually powered by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel and are designed to run mainly on roads. There are a number of different kinds of automobiles, but most definitions specify that an automobile is a four-wheeled vehicle with seating for one to six passengers and that it is built principally for the transportation of people rather than cargo.

Invented in the late 19th century, the automobile revolutionized the world and has had a profound effect on society. The automobile has increased personal freedom and enabled individuals to get around more efficiently. It has also created industries and jobs in the manufacture of parts and accessories, as well as in the service sector such as gas stations. It has also led to the development of new roads, and has facilitated the growth of cities that were previously confined to rural areas. There are many benefits of having your own car but you should also remember that it comes with a number of disadvantages too. For example, you must follow the rules of the road, and respect other drivers. If you fail to do this, you can end up in a terrible accident. However, if you are careful, you can enjoy the freedom and convenience that comes with owning a car.

The first modern automobiles were developed in Germany and France toward the end of the nineteenth century by such innovators as Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, and Nicolaus Otto. Their three- to five-horsepower engines weighed less than fourteen pounds per horsepower and reached speeds of up to fifty-three miles per hour. However, these early vehicles were expensive and required frequent maintenance. A 1901 Mercedes model, for example, cost about $1,500 and had to be purchased with a loan or mortgage. In contrast, Ransom E. Olds’s one-cylinder, three-horsepower, tiller-steered, curved dash Oldsmobile of 1906-1907 sold for about $650 and was affordable to middle-class Americans.

In the United States, low manufacturing costs and a wide geographic area created a great demand for automotive transportation and spurred the creation of major American automakers in the 1910s and 1920s. Henry Ford innovated mass production techniques at his Highland Park, Michigan plant in the 1920s and 1930s, which allowed him to make a single type of automobile at a lower price than competitors. His Model T was the first successful mass-produced automobile, and by 1929 he had produced 15 million of them.

The modern automobile is an extremely complex technical system that includes a variety of subsystems with specific design functions. These subsystems are based on breakthroughs in the fields of electronic computers, high-strength plastics, and alloys of steel and nonferrous metals. The modern automobile is capable of performing a large range of tasks, and must be able to respond rapidly to changing driving conditions. It must also be safe and comfortable, with unobstructed visibility through its body and windows.