Automobiles were first produced during the early 20th century. They were a product of standardization, which led to volume production of goods. Such commodities included firearms, sewing machines, bicycles, and automobiles. In 1913, the United States alone produced 485,000 motor vehicles. By the end of the century, more than a billion motor vehicles had been manufactured.
Benz’s inventions
In 1893, Benz patented the first double-pivot steering system, a solution to one of the most pressing problems of the automobile. The Victoria, the first Benz with this feature, was produced with a three-hp (2.2-kW) engine. Eventually, the Victoria was produced in larger numbers, with different body styles. By the following year, Benz had introduced his Benz Velo, which was the world’s first production car. It was a light, inexpensive, compact vehicle.
In 1888, Benz used the dowry from his wife, Bertha Ringer, to fund the development of the horseless carriage. With the money from the dowry, he built three prototypes of his Motor Car in private. After the first prototypes were completed, Benz took them to their mother’s house to test drive them. The first cross-country drive was a great success and garnered much attention.
Edouard Delamare-Debouteville’s engine
The Simplex Gas Engine was invented by a French engineer named Edouard Delamare-Deboutreville. He was a charmante speker and denker who wrote several articles on mosselkweek. He also owned an oyster farm in Aber-Benoit. The engine was named after him. He died at the age of 45. His invention was recognized internationally with seven gold medals and three honorary doctorates.
Delamare-Debouteville studied the works of Otto and Lenoir and created the first internal combustion engine. He also invented the first gas engine tricycle. His car had a gas-fueled engine and used lighting gas. His family also installed gas lights in their area.
Nicolaus August Otto’s four-stroke engine
Nicolaus August Otto was a German inventor who was interested in improving the way vehicles were powered. He left school at sixteen to work at a grocery store in Holzhausen. He went on to work as a clerk in Frankfurt, and eventually found success as a traveling salesman. Otto married a woman he met at a carnival.
The Otto engine was a major breakthrough in internal combustion engine development. It had four ignition cycles and a compression chamber to make it easier to ignite the mixture. Initially, automobiles relied on a two-stroke engine. However, Otto’s engine was more efficient and portable. It made automobiles, powerboats, and aircraft possible.
Daimler-Benz’s engine
Daimler-Benz has a long history of producing engines for automobiles. In the early 1900s, Daimler-Benz began a major spending spree that took a toll on the German economy. As a result, the company was forced to cut 14,000 jobs from its automotive division. Mercedes sales fell and Daimler’s overall profit dropped by 25 percent.
The company did not hide its association with the Nazis and even went so far as to employ women in their factories, in order to replace the men who went to the front. However, with production rising, women were not able to keep up with the demand. Daimler-Benz also employed forced laborers from Western Europe, including concentration camp inmates and prisoners of war.