Automobiles are self-propelled vehicles that transport people and things on land. Most have four wheels and an internal combustion engine powered most often by gasoline, a liquid petroleum product. Having your own car gives you freedom from having to rely on others for transportation, opening up a wide range of possibilities for where and how you live.
It also enables you to have more leisure time and do what you want to do, whether that is go shopping, play golf or just visit friends. Having a car also opens up the opportunity to work and travel in other areas of the country or world, expanding your options for jobs and relationships.
The scientific and technical building blocks for the modern automobile began to emerge in the late 1600s, with Christiaan Huygens developing a steam-powered internal combustion engine that was sparked by gunpowder. By the 1880s, inventors had developed several prototypes of “horseless carriages” that were powered by gas and coal. Eventually, a visionary entrepreneur named Henry Ford would bring the automobile into mass production with his Model T runabout. By the end of the 20th century, there were nearly 590 million passenger cars in operation around the globe, most of them driven by private individuals.
In recent years, the number of cars in operation worldwide has been steadily increasing. Manufacturers of automobiles offer hundreds of models that are constantly being improved and updated to take advantage of new technologies such as computerized systems that control transmissions, fuel injection and other automotive functions. Having your own vehicle allows you to travel with your family safely and quickly from place to place, making family outings a pleasure rather than a hassle.
With the advent of automobiles, new industries were created such as automobile parts, auto manufacturing, and gasoline stations. In addition, more leisure activities could be pursued such as hunting and fishing, visiting theme parks and recreational facilities, and attending sporting events. Having your own car also increases the range of social interactions you can have with your friends, as it allows you to visit far away places without having to make arrangements for a ride or stay.
A major downside of having your own car is the increase in traffic and air pollution, as well as the dependence on oil as a source of energy. Environmentalists have urged governments to regulate the manufacture and use of automobiles in an effort to protect the environment, and some cities have even banned them altogether.
In the early 1900s, authors such as Booth Tarkington decried the advent of automobiles in novels such as The Magnificent Ambersons and Sinclair Lewis wrote Free Air. Other social critics such as Vance Packard blamed the geographic mobility made possible by automobiles for social problems such as isolation, loneliness and degeneration of urban life. However, these negative aspects have not prevented the automobile from continuing to dominate global transport. Until the 1970s, manufacturers regularly offered restyled versions of their existing models to maintain consumer interest, but in the 1960s these changes slowed down and consumers began to question the safety and quality of automobiles; they were concerned about non-functional designs, questions of safety and concerns about oil consumption as the world’s oil reserves were being rapidly depleted.