Automobile is the most important means of personal transportation for many millions of people around the globe. People depend on their cars and trucks to travel to and from work, to run errands, to visit friends, and to take vacations. Companies and government organizations operate commercial fleets of automobiles.
The United States, Canada, Japan, Western European countries, and other developed nations have the most automobiles. But even in developing nations, more and more people own cars, and bumper-to-bumper traffic clogs the streets of big cities in many of those countries.
The origin of the automobile can be traced to Europe. But it became a major form of transportation first in the United States. Most European cars were built by hand. They were expensive, and few people could afford them. In the early 1900's, Ransom E. Olds, Henry Ford, and other pioneer automakers began mass-producing cars. Although some people disliked the "horseless carriage," many welcomed the introduction of the new machine because it would replace horse-drawn carriages. Unsightly horse droppings would no longer litter the streets, creating a stench and attracting disease-bearing flies. No longer would people be burdened by the need to keep horses or be limited to traveling short distances.
The giant U.S. auto industry developed over the years as an increasing number of people bought cars. Americans were said to have a love affair with the automobile, and the United States became a nation on wheels. The automobile revolutionized the American way of life and would change living patterns in much the same way when it spread to other countries. The automobile helped give people the freedom to live, work, and travel wherever they wanted. It ended the lonely lives of farm families by placing neighbors, cities, and towns within easy reach. The automobile led to the growth of suburbs, motels, shopping centers, superhighways, theme parks, drive-in restaurants, and drive-through banks.
But along with all the glories of the automobile culture came serious problems. Car accidents became a major cause of death and injury throughout the world, exhaust fumes fouled the air, and the roar of city traffic became nerve-racking. Some people yearned for the old days before the automobile, when life seemed simpler, slower, and gentler. But there could be no going back. The automobile had become woven into the fabric of modern life. And the auto industry itself had become basic to the economic well-being of developed countries. Today, many developing nations also seek to set up an automotive industry because it generates and supports a wide range of businesses, such as automobile dealerships, garages, and filling stations, and so can stimulate economic growth.
