10 Amazing Facts About Cars You Might Not Know

You’ll be amazed to know about the evolution of cars since their inception if you tried to delve deeper. Initially, a buggy that was simply supported with four wheels has now transformed into fast cars that can travel faster than sound. Cars have a long history and they have gone through pathbreaking innovations and amazing technologies. They have some freaking stories behind their invention. Right from the four wheels to the technologies used in the engines, everything has altered how the cars are built today.

Let’s get real! you love your car, you love traveling long kilometers with it, you somehow are good in its mechanics, but how well do you know about them? Unfortunately, very little!  So here we are unveiling their history, manufacturing, technologies used and some other quick facts related to them. (18.1)

1. First Automobile Was Developed by Karl Benz in 1885

Source = Wired

The first car invented by Karl Benz in 1885 had only one cylinder 4-stroke engine added horizontally on a designed chassis. The car was named as the Benz patent Motorwagen. His wife Bertha wanted to prove that his husband’s invention was durable. So she traveled to a nearby town nearly 66 miles each way with the car ( the trips were very short during that time).

She came back in two days and even solved many car issues by herself. Bertha invented brake lining, used a hatpin to clean the blocked pipe and even gave a suggestion regarding the need for gear to climb hills. (18.2)

2. First Motorized Vehicle Discovered in 1769

Source = Ftcdn

You are probably wrong if you still believe that cars were not around until the 19th century. The first self-propelled vehicle was invented by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1769. The first car he built was actually a tricycle and was an innovation in itself. It was considered as a steam-powered tricycle. His car lost control and ran into a wall. Even today, this damaged car is kept preserved in the Conservative Nationale des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

3. Every Minute One Person Meets With Car Accident

Source = Netdna-ssl

You won’t believe but car accidents are one of the common causes of death across the world. According to the reports, nearly 45,000 people in the US die each year due to car accidents and nearly 3 million get injured. While the new cars built are safe, the number of car accidents is rapidly increasing each year.

4. Over 1 Billion Cars Rule the Road Today

Source = Wired

Another surprising fact about the cars is associated with their numbers on earth today. The facts tell us that there are over 1 billion cars currently being driven on the road today. The number of cars in 90’s was just half a billion. Two countries including India and China saw the rapid increase in cars on road in 2-3 years. Every one of the 5 cars in the world comes from China. At present, the US has nearly 300 million cars being driven on the road.

5. Early Cars Were Not Designed To Have Steering Wheels

Source = Historygarage

The common thing that you know about cars is that it is controlled by the steering. But lesser known thing is that early cars were controlled and operated by the joystick type of lever which was referred to as a tiller. It was in 1894 when Alfred Vacheron raced with a Panhard 4hp model in Paris-Rouen having a steering wheel installed in it. This was the first example of a steering wheel ever added in the car.

6. The Longest Time A Car Was Owned By A Person Is 82 Years

Source = Pcdn

This record belongs to Allen Swift, a man who got a Rolls-Royce Piccadilly-P1 Roadster from his father as a graduation gift in 1928. He drove this car until his death (he was 102 year old at the time). During that time, the car’s cost was 10,900 USD, so you can calculate how much it would be now in 2018. (18.3)

7. Google’s Self Driving Cars Completed 140,000 Miles

Source = Androidcentral

Do you know how did Google’s self-driving car concept came into existence? It was in 2004 when Nevada hosted the first ever DARPA Grand Challenge. It was the competition for driverless cars but none of the participants completed the course. Then Google’s self-driving cars completed nearly 140,000 miles of road travel with only 2 accidents.

8.  The Invention of Cars Provided Many Jobs in the US

An amazing fact about car industry is that it provides numerous jobs in the US. During 1982, the automobile industry provided 1 out of every 5 people jobs in different cities. Since then, the automobile became the force of change in the 21st century.

9. An Average Car Has More Than 30,000 Parts

When you acknowledge that a car possesses a break, engine, bonnet and doors, you will be surprised to know that an average car consists of more than 30,000 parts.

10. 95% of Car’s Lifetime Is Spent In Parking

Source = Accommodationtimes

And while you consider that, you travel nearly 4-5 hours with the car every day. There are also some who don’t drive their car for 3-4 months. According to the stats, almost 95% of car’s lifetime is spent in parking.