Looking at the History of the Automobile

Carl Benz
1. The automobile has been around for about 120 years.
2. Patent- a government authority or license conferring a right or title for a short period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.
3. The title that Carl Benz uses to describe the automobile is "a vehicle with gas engine". Carl Benz's wife, Bertha and his 2 eldest sons test drive his automobile in August of 1888, without him knowing. The first petrol station is born from this.
4. The "axial pivot steering system" helps with the problem of not being able to steer the front two wheels simultaneously.
5. The new name of the company when the two companies are merged is Mercedes Benz.
6. Something that Benz experienced as a pioneer in technology that many other pioneers will never be able to experience is that he lived to see his dream come true, which was the breakthrough of the automobile.

Henry Ford and Model T
1.The assembly line was suggested by three of Henry's employees. This wasn't just an assembly line that the workers moved down the line, but the idea of one in which the line moved and the workers stayed in place, with the task that he/she was good at popping into sight.
2.Workers tended to be more committed to Ford's company than other companies at the time because he wanted his employees to be fairly treated in terms of their wage, he gave them a better of more liveable wage.
3.The cost of the first Model T was a little over $1000, with the cost dropping to $800 soon after. The Model T was made for the common man, unlike most cars at the time.
4.After nearly 100 000 Model Ts were made, the price then dropped to a little over $365. It probably dropped so quickly because even $800 at the time was probably still a ton of money for people to pay back in the old days.
5.As the Model T was becoming the main mode of transportation, it began to offer people the choice of when and where to work, and the opportunity to travel for pleasure and to visit relatives and friends without relying on railroads. The car was also considered the "ticket to your personal freedom."


My Video Selections

1. The Invention of the Automobile

•  The early automobiles used the steam engine as their main source of power. They were slow, cumbersome, and uncomfortable for people sitting near the engine. 
• French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is credited with the invention of the first automobile. 
• Cugnot's first automobile had a top speed of 2mph and was financed by the French government.

2. The Rise of Henry Ford

• Henry Ford came from an agricultural background, but he hated it. 
• Henry Ford didn't invent the internal combustion engine, he read articles about it and developed his own version of it. 
• In 1903, Ford created the Ford Motor Company was formed with the help of investors. 
• His car was priced at $800, compared to the average $1500 of other cars.

Automobile Timeline 

• 1908- Model T is introduced. Henry Ford starts making the Model T. This is interesting because it's really cool that they made that many cars, 10 660 cars in the first year of production. 
• 1913- First moving assembly line for automobiles developed. This is interesting because as a result of this, the Model T's prices can go lower and become more affordable. 
• 1919- First single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes. I find this interesting because before this, drivers had to use separate hand and foot brakes simultaneously. 
• 1939- First air conditioning system added to automobiles. I find this interesting because without this first air conditioner, there wouldn't be much chance of us having air conditioners now, that was our foundation for the modern-day thing.