Portal:Cars

The Cars Portal

The Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, is widely credited with being the first mass-affordable automobile, and it remains one of the best-selling cars of all time.

A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat 1–8 people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are over 1.6 billion cars in use worldwide as of 2025^[update].

The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769, and the Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz designed and constructed the first internal combustion-powered automobile in 1808. The modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use—was invented in 1886, when the German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Commercial cars became widely available during the 20th century. The 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash and the 1908 Ford Model T, both American cars, are widely considered the first mass-produced and mass-affordable cars, respectively. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced horse-drawn carriages. In Europe and other parts of the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II. In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialised countries.

Cars have controls for driving, parking, passenger comfort, and a variety of lamps. Over the decades, additional features and controls have been added to vehicles, making them progressively more complex. These include seat belts, airbags, rear-reversing cameras, air conditioning, navigation systems, and in-car entertainment. Most cars in use in the early 2020s are propelled by an internal combustion engine, fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels. Electric cars, which were invented early in the history of the car, became commercially available in the 2000s and widespread in the 2020s. (Full article...)

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The Chevrolet Cobalt SS comprises three sport compact versions of the Chevrolet Cobalt that were built on the General Motors Delta platform at Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, United States. The three versions included two forced induction inline-four Ecotec engines and a third naturally aspirated engine that was later called the Cobalt Sport. SS is an abbreviation of Super Sport, a historic moniker used by Chevrolet to denote high performance upgrades that meet certain criteria.

The Cobalt SS was considered GM's first foray into the tuner market, launching as a 205 hp (153 kW; 208 PS) supercharged 2.0 L coupe in late 2004, paired only with the Saab F35 5-speed manual transmission. The following year, a naturally aspirated 1SS model equipped with GM's new 2.4 L 171 hp (128 kW; 173 PS) engine was added in both coupe and sedan body styles, including automatic and manual transmission options. Production of the supercharged coupe continued until 2007, and after a brief hiatus the SS relaunched in the second quarter of 2008 with a more efficient and powerful turbocharged 2.0 L engine producing 260 hp (194 kW; 264 PS) before all Cobalt production ended in 2010. (See timeline). (Full article...)

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The Mini Moke is a small, front-wheel-drive utility and recreational convertible, conceived and manufactured as a lightweight military vehicle by British Motor Corporation (BMC), and subsequently marketed for civilian use under the Austin, Morris, Leyland, and Moke brands. The name "Mini Moke" combines mini with moke, an archaic term for a mule. The Moke is known for its simple, straightforward, doorless design and for its adaptability.

BMC's Cowley plant started building Mokes in January 1964, with 14,518 produced in the UK between 1964 and 1968; 26,000 were manufactured in Australia between 1966 and 1981; and 10,000 in Portugal between 1980 and 1993 when, after a nearly 30-year run, production ended. (Full article...)

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1999 Mazda Miata (MX-5)

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Nicolaus August Otto circa 1868

Nicolaus August Otto (German pronunciation: [ˈnɪkolaʊ̯s ˈaʊ̯ɡʊst ˈɔto]; 10 June 1832 – 26 January 1891) was a German engineer who successfully developed the compressed charge internal combustion engine which ran on petroleum gas and led to the modern internal combustion engine. The Association of German Engineers (VDI) created DIN standard 1940 which says "Otto Engine: internal combustion engine in which the ignition of the compressed fuel-air mixture is initiated by a timed spark", which has been applied to all engines of this type since. (Full article...)

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On this day October 4

1949 — The fraud trial of Preston Tucker begins; his factory is closed by the government the same day.

1955 — The Lincoln Continental Mark II is introduced.

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Did you know...

...that the racing version of the Dauer 962 Le Mans, winner of 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans, is a roadcar converted from a Porsche 962 racecar, which dominated Le Mans, Group C and IMSA during the 1980s?
...that the 25 Millionth VW Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg in March 2007? The first Golf started production in 1974, 33 years later the 1.4 litre TSI version became the 25 Millionth car.
...that the 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to offer a cassette tape player as an option?
...that the first production turbocharged cars were General Motors' A-body 1962 Chevrolet Corvair and Oldsmobile F-85?
...that Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee and 2007 Wrangler in the same way — by driving them through a plate glass window?
...that a small number of Renault 20s, badged as Dacia 2000, were made in the 1980s by Dacia in Romania for Romanian communist dignitaries of that time?
...that the Autobianchi Primula was the Fiat's first automobile with the front-wheel drive, transverse engine setup and rack and pinion steering?
...that the Plymouth Sundance is a liftback, even though the outside appearance might suggest that it is a sedan?
...that the name Volvo really means 'I Roll?' That's how Volvo rolls.

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Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines.

—Enzo Ferrari responding to driver Paul Frère as to why his 250 TR had a limited top speed on the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans

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General images

The following are images from various car-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 2The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 3The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 4The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 5Result of a serious car collision (from Car)
Image 61926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 7The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 8Percentage-of-total-sales figures for electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles approximately quadrupled from 2020 to 2026. (from History of the automobile)
Image 91959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 10A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 11Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 12The first practical car, Carl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 2 of 1886 (image from 1888) (from Car)
Image 13Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 14A Stanley Steamer racecar in 1903. In 1906, a similar Stanley Rocket set the world land speed record at 205.5 km/h (127.7 mph) at Daytona Beach Road Course. (from History of the automobile)
Image 15Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 16Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)
Image 171929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 181924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 19A Tesla Model Y electric car, the world's best-selling electric car, and the best selling nameplate in 2023. (from History of the automobile)
Image 20The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (from History of the automobile)
Image 21Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 22The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 231955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible (from History of the automobile)
Image 24Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 25Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 26Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 27The second Marcus car of 1888 (from History of the automobile)
Image 28The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 29A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 30Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 311982 Toyota Camry (from History of the automobile)
Image 322011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 33Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 34A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)
Image 351974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 36Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 37Carl Benz, creator of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, considered by many as the first modern car. (from History of the automobile)
Image 381987 Renault Espace (from History of the automobile)
Image 391929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 40The weight of the low battery stabilises the car. This is a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive layout, but many cars only have one motor. (from Car)
Image 41Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 421946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with a pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 43A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 44Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 45The first production car: 1888 Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model 2 on loan from Science Museum, London to Automuseum Dr Carl Benz, Ladenburg, 2014 (from Car)
Image 46The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 47In the Ford Model T the left-side hand lever sets the rear wheel parking brakes and puts the transmission in neutral. The lever to the right controls the throttle. The lever on the left of the steering column is for ignition timing. The left foot pedal changes the two forward gears while the centre pedal controls reverse. The right pedal is the brake. (from Car)
Image 48Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)