Gas-Powered Cars Give Rise to the Car Industry
How Gasoline Engines were Invented and Implemented
Jul 21, 2009
For hundreds of years, scientists and designers used gasoline engines for a variety of concepts. Designs for application into internal combustion engines featuring fuel and air became workable in the late 1800s. Since the introduction of these engines in vehicles, modifications and improved efficiency changed the concept of transportation.
Early Designs of Gas Powered Cars
Austrian inventor Siegfried Marcus invented the first gas-powered car in 1870. He used an internal combustion engine affixed to a handcart. In his first public demonstration, the vehicle was able to travel over the course of a 500-foot, rocky drive. He secured a patent in 1883 when he added a low-voltage ignition and a crude carburetor to a four-seat vehicle. This vehicle could reach speeds up to ten miles per hour.
The prototype of the modern gas engine was constructed by Gottlieb Daimler. He used a vertical cylinder, gasoline injection and a carburetor. Although this concept was patented in 1887, he was beat to the market by Karl Benz who produced the first line of gas-powered cars in 1886 for sale to consumers. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach followed in 1889, who introduced the first fully-designed automobile rather than a horse-drawn carriage fitted with an engine. The duo even ended up introducing the world's first mechanized two-wheel vehicle.
In 1895, Birmingham-based Frederick William Lanchester installed the first disc brakes and electric starter in a Benz Velo. These components were some of the final advancements that helped create the commercialization of cars.
From Henry Ford to Modern Production
When Henry Ford reached the scene in the early 20th century, he did a wide variety of research before designing his automobiles. Once he constructed what he viewed as the perfect model, he instituted an improved assembly line concept featuring one of the world's first conveyor belts. By 1913, the Ford Model T could be assembled in 93 minutes. Within less than 15 years, over 15 million Model Ts had been manufactured.
Shortly before World War II, manufacturers began to implement multiple engine sizes into cars. The power of the engine and speeds rose drastically. At the same time, multiple designs created different markets for different size vehicles. This created a postwar boom of auto manufacturers introducing new features to make cars more luxurious. By the 1970s, many car companies began to focus on increasing fuel efficiency and standardizing designs. Moving into the 21st century, this included the implementation of gas-powered engines with advanced fuel cell technology in hybrid cars.
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