Influential Brands of the Automotive Industry

Since 1886, there have been significant changes in the automotive industry. The Great Depression, World Wars I and II, and the Clean Air Act have all influenced changes in the way cars are designed and manufactured. Changes include the way cars are produced, design changes that made cars more streamlined, lightweight or with added safety features, and more recently, alternative ways to power cars that are gentler on the environment. Some brands have led the way with these changes, leading other brands to follow suit.

Changing How Cars Are Produced

Early cars resembled horseless buggies, unlike our modern cars today. The Benz Patent Motorcar in 1886 was the first automobile, kicking off the transportation revolution. It was a three-wheeled buggy with a one-cylinder engine that reached 10 mph. In 1894, Benz & Company introduced the Benz Motor Velocipede, which was the world’s first mass-produced automobile. It featured a 1.5 horsepower engine with a top speed of 12 mph. In 1896, Ford entered the scene with its Quadricycle, which had a four-horsepower engine and bicycle wheels.

But it wasn’t until Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 that cars became a common method of transportation. It was the first affordable mass-produced vehicle on an assembly line. After its initial launch, Ford worked to make production faster. In 1913, he established the moving assembly line, which made it possible to build a Model T in only 90 minutes. Because of the monotonous work on the assembly line, Ford experienced high turnover rates, causing him to double the pay rate to $5 a day. At the same time, he reduced the workers’ hours to 8 hours a day, which allowed him to add a third shift. This concept changed the business and manufacturing world as other companies quickly followed in their footsteps.

Design Changes

The early cars had problems that needed to be solved. This led to technical improvements in steering, starting and body designs. The first cars used tillers to steer, which were ineffective. In 1893, Carl Benz solved the steering problem with his double-pivot steering system in the Victoria. Early cars also had hand-cranked starters, which required a lot of muscle and frequently caused broken wrists or thumbs from kickbacks. In 1906, Cadillac introduced the first electric starter on the Touring Edition.

By 1929, the majority of the industry’s cars were produced by Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. When the Great Depression hit, most of the independent manufacturers were wiped out. During both World Wars, automakers shifted to produce vehicles for the military. Tires and gasoline were rationed, and civilian cars that had survived the Great Depression had to be fixed up to keep them running through the war years.

Body changes are one of the most noticeable style changes to cars. Post-war cars became longer, heavier, more powerful and more aerodynamic. Chrysler led the way in aerodynamics with its Airflow, and every car produced after that was aerodynamic. In the 1950s, cars were designed with color, lots of chrome details, and tailfins. Two of the leading brands were Ford and Chevrolet with Cadillac leading the way in luxury vehicles. Chrysler went with functionality over style with its Plymouth Savoy Wagon, which was the first station wagon ever built. It featured air conditioning and wood paneling and was considered the ultimate family vehicle.

The 1960s saw a rise in imports, while American car makers focused on speed and power, giving birth to the muscle car. The Ford Mustang was the first pony car, the Chevrolet Corvette was the first car made with a fiberglass body, and the Pontiac GTO rounded out the most popular cars at that time. While Americans tried to outdo each other with powerful engines, Europe and Japan focused on smaller size and better fuel economy. Created in 1959 to solve a fuel shortage problem in Europe, the subcompact MINI was the beginning of an era of smaller cars in Europe. Its unique transverse engine design easily fits four adults. The Volkswagen Beetle gained popularity with its four-wheel independent suspension and rear-mounted engine. Largely unchanged from the 1930s, it is one of the most produced cars in history.

By the 1980s, Japan had become the world’s leading auto producer with Nissan, Toyota and Honda brands offering more utilitarian, boxy models. Because of this, GM, Ford and Chrysler revamped their organizations to reduce personnel and modernize their plants, resulting in more fuel-efficient, less polluting and safer cars.

Safety Features

In 1965, Ralph Nader published Unsafe at Any Speed, which brought into question the auto industry’s lapse in quality control. This led to the creation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. New federal safety standards required cars to have seatbelts, air bags, electronic stability controls and automated emergency braking. In 1965, GM offered the first passenger airbag on the Oldsmobile Toronado. Even before safety became a priority in America, the Swedish company Volvo made safety a primary concern. In 1959, they were the first to have a three-point front seatbelt, and they waived the patent rights so the entire world could benefit.

Environmentally Friendly Changes

Originally enacted in 1963, significant amendments were made to the Clean Air Act in 1970, forcing auto manufacturers to make adjustments to reduce emissions. The introduction of the catalytic converter took the fun out of cars, but it was effective in helping to reduce smog. Fewer people were being admitted to hospitals with respiratory and cardiac problems from air pollution.

With global warming becoming a concern, automakers started looking into alternative fuel options. In 1997, Toyota launched the Prius, the first mass-produced, widely-used hybrid. But it was actually Porsche that pioneered the first hybrid car well before its time in 1901. It had a combustion engine that powered a generator, which sent a charge directly to the wheel hubs. It was another 110 years before Porsche launched another hybrid — this time with a battery. In 2010, Nissan launched a movement toward all-electric vehicles with its Leaf, the first mass-produced EV for everyday use. Although Nissan started the EV movement, it was Tesla that really started the move to an EV future when its Model S launched in 2012, which featured a considerably longer range than what was already out there.

Throughout history, there have been automakers who have come and gone and others who contributed to the industry with innovative ideas that changed the future of cars. The industry is constantly changing with outside influences and trends. Research and safety tests have led to cleaner and safer cars, and we’re moving toward a cleaner planet for future generations. What will the next 100 years bring? Perhaps it won’t be long before we see flying cars.