As far as automobiles in America they have been around for quite sometime but it took one man for the car industry to boom. Its truly hard to imagine the world without highways and interstates. The auto industry created many other jobs. It continues to be one of the largest industries in the world.
Henry T. Ford the founder of Ford Motor Company revolutionized the production of cars with the assembly line to produce an affordable car quickly and in mass amounts. The assembly line is still used today in car factories, but of course with some modifications. He was not the inventor of the car but he made it more affordable as well as easier to make. His first automobile was the Model T which cost $490 in 1914. By the 1920s auto industry was booming, and by the 30s there were over 23 million drivers on the road.
General Motors (GM), Ford, Hertz Car Rental, these all sound rather familiar, correct? These business which are still around to this day began in the 1920s. Ford bought Henry Leland’s Lincoln Motor Co. and is still partnered together. A former Ford employee began his own company widely known as Chevrolet and began to compete with the Model T, but Chevy struggled. Durant Motors also wanting to compete with Ford’s Model T by selling it cheaper, but Ford cut their price and it drove Durant Motors from the industry. In 1923 John D. Hertz bought a rental company. He called it the Drive-Ur-Self-System.
The design and look of many 1920s cars was much different than todays. Many roads were made of dirt or wood for horse and buggy later the roads were paved for cars. The tires of the first automobile were very skinny and large in diameter. Most of the first Model Ts were convertibles but later the Model A came with a covered top and a heater for more comfort.
A significant amount of jobs have to do with the automobile industry and shape the world today. Tourism would not be possible without the invention of cars as well as motels, gas stations, and restaurants. Many industries have the auto industry to thank for their success.
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Be sure to label your pictures and add more personal thoughts. Good summary though!