The_American_Automobile

In the 1770s people tried to make cars that run on steam. Some steam cars worked well, some did not. Some were fire pumpers that moved by themselves and others were small trains with road wheels. Henry Ford changed the world he lived in because he had an idea he really believed in even if people were making fun of his idea. His idea was to build an automobile that was affordable so everyone could own one. It would be just as cheap as a horse or a buggy. To any reasonable person at that time thought the idea of a cheaper car seemed crazy. When Henry went to The House of Morgan, the biggest bank in the nation at that time, to ask for a loan to get started, they turned him down. They said automobiles were for rich people. Wealthy people bought cars for pleasure, comfort, and status. By the way, cars were called “horseless carriages” back then. If you were rich and liked new things back then, you might own a Stanley Steamer, an awesome car powered by a steam engine or you might have an electric car powered by a battery. But, the problem with the steam engine was that it sometimes blew up, and the problem with the electric car was that it always needed to be recharged. Henry Ford loved to mess around with things to design and make things. He believed he would be able to make a low-priced car powered by a liquid fuel. Ford was a farmer’s son with a head filled with insane ideas. He ran every day before running was even a popular thing to do, and sometimes he even ate grass sandwiches. He was never stuck up, but he could be stubborn. He believed in the value of hard work. When Ford was young, he became a trainee in a machine shop. Later, he got a job at Thomas Edison’s company. He told Edison about his idea about the low-priced car powered by a liquid fuel. Edison liked the idea and encouraged Ford. He designed several cars to get what is known as the Model T. It was exactly what he wanted: a car that worked well and was easy to build. But, he needed to find a way to make it affordable. Ford took the idea of exchangeable parts from Eli Whitney and adapted it to cars. All the Model Ts were exactly the same so the parts of one Model T could be used on another. Ford made the factory system work better than it had ever worked before. Albert Kahn, an architect, supplied many of the ideas for Ford’s factory. Back then, before modern factories, skilled employees built products completely by hand. In the newer factories, workers made the same part of a product every day. The workers hated it because it made work boring, but it made car building very well-organized. In 1908, the first Model T came out and cost $850. Many Americans could afford that at the time. By 1916, the price of the Model T dropped to $360 because more and more people owned cars. People that had never walked far now used cars to travel. Henry Ford proved making products for average people was more profitable than for rich people because there are more average people than there are rich people. Ford’s concept led to more American factories that made products such as washing machines, refrigerators, and other machines that were affordable to average people. It occurred to Henry Ford that if consumers are going to buy his products, they needed to have the money to buy it first. So, he had the idea to pay his workers for more. Back then, most workers got paid $2.40 a day and work nine hours. He offered $5 a day for eight hours. It was a smart decision because this way Ford Motor Company’s workers could afford to buy Ford cars, too. Henry was making his own customers, and soon other businessmen followed this idea. America became a nation full of consumers. Henry Ford, a man that enjoyed simple life, helped bring out our modern lifestyle, and democracy into the marketplace. Starting in the 1880s, inventors tried hard to make cars that could work well every day. They tried experimenting cars with steam, gasoline, and electricity. By the 1890s, Europeans drove cars made by Benz, Daimler, Panhard, and others, and Americans drove cars made by Duryea, Haynes, Winton, and others. By 1905, gasoline cars were more popular than steam or electric cars because they were easier to use and could travel further. There was always a problem with these cars, though – rain. There were no tops to keep people dry from the rain. By 1910, gasoline cars became larger and more powerful, and some had folding tops to keep drivers and passengers out of the rain. The gasoline engine has been reliable, practical, and fairly efficient since about 1900. It is easier to control than a steam engine and less likely to burn or explode. A gasoline car can go much further on a tank of gasoline than an electric car can go between battery charges. Gasoline engines have been improved by the use of computers, fuel injectors, and other devices. But growing concern about chemicals that gasoline engines release into the air (i.e., pollution) have led to new interest in clean, electric cars and cars that run on natural gas, a vapor that is different from gasoline. Many doctors bought small, cheaper cars because they were more useful than horses and easier to keep ready. Americans liked cars because they could travel long distances without depending on trains. They used cars to carry groceries, went to stores and theaters in town, and even used them to plow fields. Families in towns and cities liked cars because they were helpful in ways such as running errands, visiting relatives, and going to church. A family’s house with a car in the driveway has been common since about 1910. Young people liked cars because they could go out with their friends to movies, restaurants, and other fun places instead of staying at home with their parents. Cars are fast, comfortable, nice looking, and fun to drive. They can go almost anywhere, and are always ready for use. Driving is much easier than walking, biking, or riding in a train, bus, or airplane in many ways. But owning a car is a big responsibility. It takes a lot of money to buy one and keep it running, and drivers must be trained, licensed, and always alert to avoid mistakes and accidents. It takes space to park cars, and too many cars cause blockage on roads and in parking lots. Some car owners have returned to walking, biking, or riding a train or bus when it’s more convenient. For most Americans, cars are a more common way to travel, but there will always be a need for other kinds of transportation. You can see more of the early cars at the Smithsonian Museum. There are more than 60 cars in the Smithsonian collection today, but only 12 to 15 are displayed at the National Museum of American History. Some cars are in storage, and others are on loan to other museums. The Smithsonian has been collecting cars since 1899, and almost all of them have been given by people or businesses.