An automobile is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. It usually seats one to seven people and is designed principally for transportation of people, rather than goods. It is powered by an internal combustion engine that uses gasoline, diesel or kerosene to run. The engine is located in the car’s chassis and the power is transmitted to the wheels by a transmission system.

The term automobile was derived from the French words auto- (self) and mobile (moving). An early self-propelled automobile was built by Ferdinand Verbiest for his Jesuit mission in China. The first automobiles were powered by steam or by a small water-cooled engine. By the end of the 19th century, German and European inventors such as Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, and Nikolaus Otto began building petrol driven cars.

In America, Henry Ford innovated mass production techniques that made automobiles affordable to the middle class. His Model T runabout cost about $575 in 1912, less than the average American annual wage at the time. By 1927 the Ford Motor Company had sold 15 million Model Ts.

As automobile technology advanced, it became easier and safer to operate. New features included power steering and brakes and air conditioning. The automobile has had a significant impact on American society. Automobiles have given people freedom to move where and when they wish, not just within their cities but also to visit rural areas. For women, the automobile has allowed them to travel and work outside of their homes. It has increased their personal freedom and in the 1920s prompted women to campaign for voting rights with “vote for women” banners attached to their vehicles.