The automobile, also known as a car or motorcar is one of the most universal of modern technologies. The technological building blocks for this four-wheeled passenger transportation vehicle go back several hundred years to the invention of gunpowder by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens in the late 1600s. The automobile was first perfected in Germany and France toward the end of the 19th century by such inventors as Gottlieb Daimler, Karl Benz, and Nicolaus Otto.

The modern automobile has become a symbol of freedom and personal mobility. It enables people to travel long distances without the need for trains or airplanes, and to make better use of their time. The automobile has also created new industries and jobs, and it has transformed the way we live.

Having your own automobile means you can choose where to go and when, rather than leaving home earlier than necessary to catch a bus. It is also safer and more comfortable to travel in an automobile than in a bus or taxi. There are special automobiles designed for different purposes, such as a crane vehicle at a construction site, a road roller at road construction or a fork-lift in a warehouse.

However, in the postwar era automobile engineering was subordinated to nonfunctional styling at the expense of safety, quality, and fuel economy. Questions arose about the pollution generated by American “road cruisers” and their drain on the world’s dwindling oil reserves. These concerns paved the way for market penetration by German and Japanese fuel-efficient, functionally designed cars.