Automobiles come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are purely utilitarian while others have many options. Some are convertibles. The latter may have a removable roof. Some cars also have multiple doors. They also have automatic transmissions. Read on to find out more about the various types of automobiles.
Benz
Mercedes Benz Automobiles are luxury automobiles produced by Mercedes-Benz AG in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company produces commercial and luxury vehicles. Its headquarters is in Stuttgart. The company has produced vehicles for over 100 years and is known for its high quality and innovative designs. The Benz brand is recognizable the world over.
Benz was born in Baden Muehlburg, Germany. He was the son of a locomotive engine driver. His father passed away when he was only two years old, but his mother made sure that he received a good education. He attended a grammar school in Karlsruhe and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe. In 1879, he received his first patent.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an industrialist and pioneer who helped ushered in a new age of mass production and made automobiles affordable to the middle and working class. His innovations revolutionized the automotive industry and forever changed America’s culture. His company is one of the most recognized names in American history, producing more than fifteen million Model T cars.
His fascination with materials science and plastics developed from agricultural products inspired him to research and use them in his manufacturing. Through George Washington Carver’s help, Ford discovered that soybean-based plastics could be used to build a car that weighed 30 percent less than a steel one. In 1942, Ford patented a plastic car that was lighter, stronger, and could withstand 10 times more blows than a steel car. His experiments also led to the development of a battery-operated car and a fuel-efficient electric vehicle.
General Motors
The General Motors Company is an American multinational automobile manufacturing corporation with its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States, and for 77 years was the world’s largest. However, in 2008 it lost the top spot to Toyota. The company makes many different types of cars, including trucks, sports utility vehicles, and SUVs.
In its history, the company has had several major acquisitions. For example, in 1984 it purchased Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) and later acquired the Hughes Aircraft Company. This helped it grow rapidly in the United States, eventually holding between forty-five percent of the total automotive sales.
Ford Motor Co.
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The company was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. It sells vehicles under the Ford brand and the Lincoln luxury brand. It also produces commercial trucks, buses, and motorcycles. The company has been a leading automobile manufacturer for over a century and currently employs over 80,000 people worldwide.
The company was founded in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan and is now the third largest automaker in the world. Henry Ford started the company there and introduced his famous Model T car in 1908. It sold 15 million cars between 1908 and 1927 and made Ford the largest automaker in the world by 1918. General Motors eventually overtook the company, but Ford continued to thrive for the rest of the twentieth century.
Chrysler
The history of Chrysler automobiles dates back to the 1930s. The company was formed to produce automobiles that would appeal to the middle-class. The company used ex-Studebaker engineers to create its vehicles, and it marketed them as “affordable luxury vehicles” with top-of-the-line engineering. The company’s first car was the Chrysler Six, which cost about $1,565. It featured a light and powerful six-cylinder engine, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, aluminum pistons, a tubular front axle, shock absorbers, and indirect interior lighting.
In the late 1970s, Chrysler faced competition from Japanese automobiles, which were more fuel-efficient and cost less to fuel. Chrysler struggled to create a competitive lineup of compact cars. To overcome the challenge, the company hired Lee A. Iacocca, who had worked as a chief engineer at Ford in the 1960s. This executive was responsible for creating the sporty Mustang shown at the 1964 World’s Fair.