Automobile - One of the Greatest Engineering Achievement of the 20th Century

By Dale

What is an automobile?

An automobile is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.

Who designed the automobile?

Tomas Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931)

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world

When Thomas Edison did some future gazing about transportation during a newspaper interview in 1895, he didn't hedge his bets.  "The horseless carriage is the coming wonder," said American's reigning inventor.  "It is only a question of a short time when the carriages and trucks in every large city will be run with motors."  Just what kind of motors would remain unclear for a few more years?    

1901 - The telescope shock absorber developed

 C. L. Horock designs the "telescope" shock absorber, using a piston and cylinder fitted inside a metal sleeve, with a one-way valve built into the piston. As air or oil moves through the valve into the cylinder, the piston moves freely in one direction but is resisted in the other direction by the air or oil. The result is a smoother ride and less lingering bounce. The telescope shock absorber is still used today

1902 -  Standard drum brakes are invented

 Standard drum brakes are invented by Louis Renault. His brakes work by using a cam to force apart two hinged shoes. Drum brakes are improved in many ways over the years, but the basic principle remains in cars for the entire 20th century; even with the advent of disk brakes in the 1970s, drum brakes remain the standard for rear wheels.

1908 -  Model T introduced

 Henry Ford begins making the Model T. First-year production is 10,660 cars.

Cadillac is awarded the Dewar Trophy by Britain’s Royal Automobile Club for a demonstration of the precision and interchange ability of the parts from which the car is assembled. Mass production thus makes more headway in the industry.

1911 - Electric starter introduced

 Charles Kettering introduces the electric starter. Until this time engines had to be started by hand cranking. Critics believed no one could make an electric starter small enough to fit under a car’s hood yet powerful enough to start the engine. His starters first saw service in 1912 Cadillac’s.

1914 - First car body made entirely of steel

 First car body made entirely of steel.

Dodge introduces the first car body made entirely of steel, fabricated by the Budd Company. The Dodge touring car is made in Hamtramck, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit

1919 -  First single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes

 The Hispano-Suiza H6B, a French luxury car, demonstrates the first single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes. Previously drivers had to apply a hand brake and a foot brake simultaneously.

1922 - First American car with four-wheel hydraulic brakes

 The Duisenberg, made in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the first American car with four-wheel hydraulic brakes, replacing ones that relied on the pressure of the driver’s foot alone. Hydraulic brakes use a master cylinder in a hydraulic system to keep pressure evenly applied to each wheel of the car as the driver presses on the brake pedal.