Portal:Cars

The Cars Portal

An electric car charging station at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This station is run by Petrobras and uses solar energy.

A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people over cargo. There are around one billion cars in use worldwide. The car is considered an essential part of the developed economy.

The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769, while 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 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 are predicted to cost less to buy than petrol-driven cars before 2025. The transition from fossil fuel-powered cars to electric cars features prominently in most climate change mitigation scenarios, such as Project Drawdown's 100 actionable solutions for climate change. (Full article...)

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The Lancia LC2 (sometimes referred to as the Lancia-Ferrari) was a series of racing cars built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia and powered by engines built by their sister company Ferrari. They were part of Lancia's official factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986, although they continued to be used by privateer teams until 1991. They were also the company's first car meeting the FIA's new Group C regulations for sports prototypes.

More powerful than their primary competition, the Porsche 956s, the LC2s were able to secure multiple pole positions during their three and a half seasons with the factory Martini Racing squad. However, deficiencies in reliability and fuel consumption hampered the LC2s' efforts for race wins against the Porsches. LC2s earned three race victories over their lifetimes in the hands of Italian drivers Teo Fabi, Riccardo Patrese, Alessandro Nannini, and Mauro Baldi, as well as German Hans Heyer and Frenchman Bob Wollek. (Full article...)

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The Mazda3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan (first three generations), a combination of "accelerate" and "excellent") is a compact car manufactured by Mazda. It was first introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model, replacing the Familia/323/Protegé in the C-segment.

The second-generation Mazda3 for the 2009 model year was unveiled in late 2008, with the sedan premiering at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the hatchback at the Bologna Motor Show. For the 2012 model year, Mazda began offering the Mazda3 with their newly developed Skyactiv technology, including a more rigid body, a new direct-injection engine, and a new 6-speed transmission. (Full article...)

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Osamu Suzuki

Osamu Suzuki (鈴木修, Suzuki Osamu, born January 30, 1930) is a Japanese businessman and the current Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation. He has been either president, chairman, or CEO of the company since 1978. In February 2021, the company announced that Suzuki will retire in June 2021 and become an adviser. (Full article...)

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On this day August 11

1916 — The first Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is held

1939 — Jean Bugatti dies at the wheel of a Type 57S Tank-bodied racer

1966 — The first Chevrolet Camaro is produced in Norwood, Ohio

1970 — The Ford Pinto is introduced.

1980 — The "World" Ford Escort and Mercury Lynx models are 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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Selected quote of the day

Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.

—Ernest Hemingway

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General images

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

Image 11946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 2A 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 3Gurgel Supermini (from History of the automobile)
Image 41885-built Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use (from History of the automobile)
Image 52011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 6The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 7Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 8Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 9Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 10A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)
Image 11Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 121926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 13The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 14The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 15The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 16A Tesla Model Y electric car, the world's best-selling car in the first and second quarters of 2023. (from History of the automobile)
Image 171929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 18The second Marcus car of 1888 (from History of the automobile)
Image 19The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 20Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 21The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (from History of the automobile)
Image 22Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 23Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 24Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 25The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 26Trucks' share of US vehicles produced, has tripled since 1975. Though vehicle fuel efficiency has increased within each category, the overall trend toward less efficient types of vehicles has offset some of the benefits of greater fuel economy and reductions in pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Without the shift towards SUVs, energy use per unit distance could have fallen 30% more than it did from 2010 to 2022. (from Car)
Image 271954 Plymouth Savoy Station Wagon, one of the first US all-metal station wagons (from History of the automobile)
Image 28The 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 29The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all-time. (from Car)
Image 301958 Lancia Appia (from History of the automobile)
Image 31A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 32Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 331924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 34The original Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car, built in 1885 and awarded the patent for the concept (from Car)
Image 351929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 361959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 37Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 38The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 39Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 40Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 41Bertha Benz, the first long distance driver (from Car)
Image 42Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 43In 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 44Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)
Image 45A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 46Stuttgart, a cradle of the car with Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach working there at the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and place of the modern day headquarters of Mercedes-Benz Group and Porsche (from Car)
Image 471974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 48A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 49Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)
Image 50Result of a serious car collision (from Car)