Having your own automobile gives you the independence to travel wherever and whenever you want. It can help you avoid the stress of having to follow a timetable or worrying about being on a bus at the right time. You can also save a lot of time by being able to travel to work, shopping, visiting relatives or going on vacations.
The car was first developed in the late 1800s and was perfected by engineers in Germany and France, including Karl Benz. American businessman Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing by introducing assembly lines, which allowed the production of many cars very quickly. This reduced the price of the automobile to make it affordable for middle class families. Cars soon overtook horses in popularity, and by the 1920s they were the primary form of transportation for most people.
Automobiles have changed the world’s economy and culture in many ways. The automobile created new jobs and spawned ancillary industries, such as hotels, restaurants and amusement parks. It sparked the growth of outdoor recreational activities and new services, such as campgrounds, resorts and ski areas. It also brought modern infrastructure, such as highways, roads and cities. In addition, the automobile fueled urbanization and ended rural isolation, bringing urban amenities such as schools and medical care to remote areas. It also spawned industry, such as automobile and trucking companies, that provide services for travelers, such as gas stations, motels and service centers.
Modern life would seem inconceivable—or at least highly inconvenient—without access to the automobile. There are currently around three trillion miles (five trillion kilometers) traveled by automobiles each year. The automobile has become the major mode of family transportation in most parts of the world, with the United States leading the way. It has paved the way for other countries to develop their own national systems of automotive transport.
While the invention of the automobile has greatly benefited society, there are some negative consequences. For example, the fumes from gasoline-burning automobiles contribute to air pollution. In addition, the cars require a lot of petroleum to operate, which makes it expensive for some nations to purchase oil from foreign suppliers.
The automobile has helped North Carolina in particular to grow and prosper. The state has many large auto factories, including the first Ford factory in the South, which opened in 1914. Today, there are hundreds of different models of automobiles on the road. But the era of the annualy restyled “road cruiser” came to an end with the imposing of federal standards for safety and fuel efficiency; with escalating gasoline prices following the oil shocks in 1973 and 1979; and with the penetration of the U.S. market by European compact cars like the Volkswagen Beetle, and later by Japanese cars with functionally designed, well-built bodies that use less gasoline. These developments helped to put a brake on the once-intense competition between American and foreign automakers. This trend may continue as the world faces dwindling supplies of oil.