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69-555: In the early 1950s, fuel injection was the topic of a significant amount of research by the auto industry in the US and internationally. Ed Cole , who had become the chief engineer of Chevrolet in 1952, pushed for Chevrolet to be the first GM brand to offer a fuel injection option on a production car . Much of the development of the Ramjet was done by engineer John Dolza, with supporting effort from Zora Arkus-Duntov . Dynamometer-based tests of

138-513: A 265 cid small block engine running with fuel injection were performed as early as 1955. Between 1957 and 1965, the Ramjet was offered as the top performance option on the Corvette. When it was first introduced, it passed the threshold of one horsepower per cubic inch of engine displacement , and this fact was used in marketing material. In addition to the Corvette, the system was offered on Chevrolet and Pontiac passenger cars; each of which used

207-493: A big edge in marketing, production, and technological innovation. Most of the Big Three's competitors ended production by the 1960s, and their last major domestic competitor- American Motors Corporation, was acquired in 1987. Crosley Motors ceased auto production in 1952. Packard and Studebaker merged in 1954, but ended production of Packard-branded cars in 1958 and ceased all auto production in 1966. Kaiser-Frazer Corporation

276-549: A cable drive to the high-pressure fuel pump. Although the Ramjet system allowed a significant increase in engine performance, its innovative design had several inherent issues that affected reliability and tuning . On the early systems (1957 through 1961), one of these problems affected the cold-start fuel enrichment: it would tend to discretely toggle on or off, rather than using a gradual series of steps. Later systems used electric chokes or exhaust-heat chokes for cold enrichment, although these had issues of their own. Additionally,

345-536: A decision that was revised in 1982. With the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act of 1965, emission controls began being instituted in 1968. The use of leaded gasoline began being curtailed in the early 1970s, which resulted in lower-compression engines being used, and thus reducing horsepower and performance. Catalytic converters began being widely used by

414-620: A final test of durability and refinement. Charles Duryea moved to Reading in February 1900. By 1901, Duryea and Sternbergh incorporated the Duryea Power Company "for the manufacture of iron, steel, bath, any metal or wood or both, including automobiles, motors, propellers, and part of either." By March 1902, after overcoming difficulties procuring factory space, and a devastating flood of the Schuylkill River , Duryea

483-538: A four-wheeled car. Selden filed a series of amendments to his application which stretched out the legal process, resulting in a delay of 16 years before the patent was granted on 5 November 1895. Selden licensed his patent to most major American automakers, collecting a fee on each car they produced and creating the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers . The Ford Motor Company fought this patent in court, and eventually won on appeal. Henry Ford testified that

552-595: A large market segment. Pony cars were introduced with the Ford Mustang in 1964. This car combined sporty looks with a long hood, small rear deck, and a small rear seat. The car proved highly successful and imitators soon arose, including the Chevrolet Camaro , Pontiac Firebird , Plymouth Barracuda (actually introduced two weeks prior to the Mustang), AMC Javelin , and the two-seat AMX , as well as

621-525: A local responsibility with limited government assistance. During this time, there was an increase in production of automobiles coupled with a swell of auto dealerships, marking their growth in popularity. State governments began to use the corvee system to maintain roads, an implementation of required physical labor on a public project on the local citizens. Part of their motivation was the needs of farmers in rural areas attempting to transport their goods across rough, barely functioning roads. The other reason

690-439: A motorcycle. It was also extremely affordable, costing only $ 250 and boasting an impressive 65 miles of driving per gallon of gasoline. Once again, however, lack of funding forced Duryea to drop the project, with only six being thought to have been built. The GEM was the last automobile built by Charles Duryea. Although Charles did discuss with Frank Duryea the building of the first commercially successful American automobile, Frank

759-553: A number of other car companies and parts suppliers. Durant was interested in acquiring Ford, but after initial merger talks, Henry Ford decided to keep his company independent. In 1910, Durant lost control of GM after over-extending the company with its acquisitions. A group of banks took over control of GM and ousted Durant. Durant and Louis Chevrolet founded Chevrolet in 1913 and it quickly became very successful. Durant began acquiring stock in GM and by 1915 had majority control. Chevrolet

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828-513: A slightly different configuration with respect to the air cleaner and other components. Within the Chevrolet brand in 1957, Ramjet was covered by RPO -578 on the passenger cars and RPO-579 on the Corvette. Although offered on Corvettes until 1965, the Ramjet system was available on Chevy passenger cars from 1957 through 1959. The Ramjet is a continuous-flow port-injection system. Unlike later fuel injection systems that used electronics, this one

897-405: A small and local scale. Increasing sales facilitated production on a larger scale in factories with broader market distribution. Ransom E. Olds and Thomas B. Jeffery began mass production of their automobiles. Henry Ford focused on producing an automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. A patent filed by George B. Selden on 8 May 1879 covered not only his engine but its use in

966-578: Is a pioneer of the automotive industry and mass market production process. During the 20th century, global competitors emerged, especially in the second half of the century primarily across European and Asian markets, such as Germany, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. is currently second among the largest manufacturers in the world by volume . American manufacturers produce approximately 10 million units annually. Notable exceptions were 5.7 million automobiles manufactured in 2009 (due to crisis ), and more recently 8.8 million units in 2020 due to

1035-417: Is based on purely mechanical principles. The two main sub-assemblies of the system are the air meter and the fuel meter . The air meter measures airflow into the engine and manages thermostatic warmup enrichment, fuel shutoff on overrun, and idle settings. These measurements are sent via pressure and vacuum signals to the fuel meter, which contains the high-pressure fuel pump and controls delivery of fuel to

1104-575: Is considered the first successful gas-engine vehicle built in the U.S. In 1895, a second Duryea (built in 1894), driven by Frank, won the Chicago Times Herald race in Chicago on a snowy Thanksgiving day. He traveled 54 miles (87 km) at an average speed of 7.5 mph (12 km/h), marking the first U.S. auto race in which any entrants finished. That same year, the brothers began commercial production, with thirteen cars sold by

1173-1015: The Doble Steam Motors Corporation (advanced steam engines) and Franklin Automobile Company (air-cooled aluminium engines) going out of business. Errett Lobban Cord , who controlled the Auburn Automobile Company (which also sold the Cord ) and the Duesenberg Motor Company, was under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service . His auto empire collapsed in 1937 and production ceased. Major technological innovations were introduced or were widely adopted during

1242-546: The Maxwell Motor Company , revitalized the company and, in 1925, reorganized it into Chrysler Corporation . In 1927, he acquired Dodge . The acquisition of Dodge gave Chrysler the manufacturing facilities and dealer network that it needed to significantly expand production and sales. In 1928, Chrysler introduced the Plymouth and DeSoto brands. Chrysler overtook Ford to become the second largest auto maker by

1311-590: The Model A in 1927, after a six-month production stoppage to convert from the Model T, and produced it to 1931. While the Model A was successful, Ford lost ground to GM and eventually Chrysler, as auto buyers looked to more upscale cars and newer styling. Ford was a pioneer in establishing foreign manufacturing facilities, with production facilities created in England in 1911, and Germany and Australia in 1925. Ford purchased

1380-579: The attack on Pearl Harbor . All factories were enlarged and converted, many new ones such as Ford's Willow Run and Chrysler's Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant were built, and hundreds of thousands more workers were hired. Many workers were new arrivals from Appalachia. The most distinctive new product was the Jeep , with Willys making 352,000 and Ford another 295,000. The industry produced an astonishing amount of material, including 5.9 million weapons, 2.8 million tanks and trucks, and 27,000 aircraft. This production

1449-404: The vapor pressure of modern pump gasoline may not be appropriate to prevent percolation in the Ramjet fuel distribution spider. The cranking signal valve was also the source of reliability issues. It was intended to pass a certain maximum vacuum signal that would be used for fueling during cranking (i.e. before engine start). The valve would sometimes fail in a partially open position and cause

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1518-668: The "luxury" version of the Mustang, the Mercury Cougar . Muscle cars were introduced in 1964 with the Pontiac GTO . These combined an intermediate-sized body with a large high-output engine. Competitors were quickly introduced, including the Chevrolet Chevelle SS , Dodge R/T ( Coronet and Charger ), Plymouth Road Runner /GTX, Ford Torino , and AMC's compact SC/Rambler . Muscle cars reached their peak in

1587-459: The 1930s, following similar strategies as General Motors. General Motors wanted automobiles to be not just utilitarian devices, which Ford emphasized, but status symbols that were highly visible indicators of an individual's wealth. Through offering different makes and models, they offered different levels in social status, meeting the demands of consumers needing to display wealth. Ford and General Motors each had their own impact on social status and

1656-548: The 1930s, such as synchromesh manual transmissions, semi-automatic transmissions, automatic transmissions , hydraulic brakes , independent front suspension , and overhead-valve engines. The Cord 810 used front-wheel drive, had hidden headlights, and was offered with a supercharger. Exterior styling designs were more flowing, as shown most noticeably on the Auburn Speedster and the Cord 810/812. Radical air-streamed design

1725-469: The 1950s and 1960s – from a very low base. In 1966, the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) had market share of 89.6% (44.5% in 2014). From 1966 to 1969, net imports increased at an average annual rate of 84%. The Volkswagen Beetle was the biggest seller. The compact Nash Rambler had been around since 1950, and American Motors Corporation (AMC) expanded into a range of smaller cars than were offered by

1794-412: The 1960s, with the Big Three dominating the industry. Meanwhile, with the passage of the $ 33 billion Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 , a network of regional and interstate roads continued to enhance transportation. As urban areas became more congested, more families migrated to the suburbs. Between 1960 and 1970, 70 percent of the population's growth occurred in the suburbs. Imported vehicles grew during

1863-760: The 1970s, a period known as the Malaise Era of auto design during which American cars suffered from very poor performance. Seat lap belts were mandated by many states effective in 1962. Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards required shoulder belts for front passengers, front head restraints, energy-absorbing steering columns, ignition-key warning systems, anti-theft steering column/transmission locks, side marker lights and padded interiors starting in 1968. Beginning in 1972, bumpers were required to be reinforced to meet 5-mph impact standards,

1932-639: The Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and AMC . Their U.S. market share has dropped steadily as numerous foreign-owned car companies have built factories in the U.S. As of 2012, Toyota had 31,000 U.S. employees, compared to Ford's 80,000 and Chrysler's 71,100. The development of self-powered vehicles was accompanied by numerous technologies and components giving rise to numerous supplier firms and associated industries. Various types of energy sources were employed by early automobiles including steam, electric, and gasoline. Thousands of entrepreneurs were involved in developing, assembling, and marketing of early automobiles on

2001-528: The Big Three and struggled financially. The French auto maker Renault took control of AMC in the early 1980s, but financial difficulties continued and AMC was purchased by Chrysler Corporation in 1987. Periodically, other entrepreneurs would found automobile companies, but most would soon fail and none achieved major sales success. Some of the best known included Preston Tucker 's 1948 sedan , Earl Muntz 's Muntz Car Company , Malcolm Bricklin 's Bricklin SV-1 ,

2070-535: The Big Three. By 1960, Rambler was the third most popular brand of automobile in the United States, behind Ford and Chevrolet. In response to this the domestic auto makers developed compact-sized cars, such as the Ford Falcon , Chevrolet Corvair , Studebaker Lark , and Plymouth Valiant . The four-seat 1958 Ford Thunderbird (second generation) was arguably the first personal luxury car , which became

2139-482: The Great Depression were General Motors Corporation , Ford Motor Company , Chrysler Corporation , Hudson Motor Car Company , Nash-Kelvinator Corporation , Packard Motor Car Company , Studebaker Corporation , and Crosley Motors . The former three companies, known as the Big Three , enjoyed significant advantages over the smaller independent auto companies due to their financial strength, which gave them

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2208-537: The U.S. About 3,000 automobile companies have existed in the United States. In the early 1900s, the U.S. saw the rise of the Big Three automakers , Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The industry became centered around Detroit, in Michigan, and adjacent states and in nearby Ontario, Canada. Historian John Rae summarizes the explanations provided by historians: a central geographic location, water access, and an established industrial base with many skilled engineers. The key factor

2277-482: The addition of government financing reflected that change. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 allocated $ 75 million for building roads. It was also responsible for approving a refocusing of military vehicles to road maintenance equipment. It was followed by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 , which provided additional funding for road construction. By 1924, there were 31,000 miles of paved road in

2346-466: The auto companies switched to making military equipment and weapons. By the end of the 1950s the remaining smaller producers disappeared or merged into amalgamated corporations. The industry was dominated by three large companies: General Motors , Ford , and Chrysler , all based in Metro Detroit . Those " Big Three " continued to prosper, and the U.S. produced three-quarters of all automobiles in

2415-473: The automakers granted workers a company-paid pension to those 65 years old and with 30 years seniority. In the mid-1950s, the automakers agreed to set up a trust fund for unemployed auto workers. In 1973, the automakers agreed to offer pensions to any worker with 30 years seniority, regardless of age. By then the automakers had also agreed to cover the entire health insurance bill for its employees, survivors, and retirees. The only major auto companies to survive

2484-399: The backbone of United States manufacturing during the 20th century. The practicality of the automobile was initially limited because of the lack of suitable roads. Travel between cities was mostly done by railroad, waterways, or carriages. Roads were mostly dirt and hard to travel, particularly in bad weather. The League of American Wheelmen maintained and improved roads as it was viewed as

2553-611: The biggest miscues in auto marketing with the Ford Edsel , which was the result of unpopular styling and being introduced during an economic recession. The introduction of the Interstate Highway System and the suburbanization of America made automobiles more necessary and helped change the landscape and culture in the United States. Individuals began to see the automobile as an extension of themselves. Big changes were taking place in automobile development in

2622-468: The business in 1907. Undaunted, Charles Duryea designed a new automobile with significant design innovations, including a two-cylinder, air-cooled engine, which he named the "Buggyaut." Manufactured in a garage at 32 Carpenter St., the Buggyaut was an inexpensive auto with large wheels designed for rural markets and unpaved roads. To make the car affordable, Duryea introduced a simple body design, mounted on

2691-525: The century, over a dispute for financing that would have required moving the company to Detroit. Frank helped produce the Stevens-Duryea (at gun maker Stevens ) until 1927, while Charles produced Duryea vehicles as late as 1917. Based in Reading, Pennsylvania , it was not uncommon for residents to see him motoring a brand new automobile from City Park out to Mount Penn, using the switchback road as

2760-599: The demise of many auto makers due to the economic effects of the Great Depression , stiff competition from the Big Three, and/or mismanagement. Luxury car makers were particularly affected by the economy, with companies like Stutz Motor Company , Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company , Peerless Motor Company , Cunningham , and the Marmon Motor Car Company going out of business. The 1930s also saw several companies with innovative engineering, such as

2829-454: The end of 1896. Their first ten production vehicles were the first automobiles sold in the United States. Banking on the idea that future racing successes would propel their market share, the brothers entered two vehicles in Britain's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run . Frank placed first and beat out the nearest competition by 75 minutes. The brothers went their separate ways by the end of

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2898-407: The ensuing years, the US companies periodically bounced back, but by 2008 the industry was in turmoil due to the aforementioned crisis . As a result, General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy reorganization and were bailed out with loans and investments from the federal government. June 2014 seasonally adjusted annualized sales were the biggest in history, with 16.98 million vehicles and toppled

2967-423: The first conveyor belt-based assembly line in 1913, producing the Model T , which had been introduced in 1908. These assembly lines significantly reduced costs. The first models were priced at $ 850, but by 1924 had dropped to $ 290. The Model T sold extremely well and Ford became the largest automobile company in the U.S. By the time it was retired in 1927, more than 15 million Model Ts had been sold. Ford introduced

3036-519: The fueling to run much richer than stoichiometric . Automotive industry in the United States Employment In the United States, the automotive industry began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The United States was the first country in the world to have a mass market for vehicle production and sales and

3105-435: The global COVID-19 pandemic. Production peaked during the 1970s and early 2000s at 13–15 million units. Starting with Duryea in 1895, at least 1,900 different companies have been formed, producing over 3,000 makes of American automobiles. World War I (1917–1918) and the Great Depression in the United States (1929–1939) combined to drastically reduce the number of both major and minor producers. During World War II, all

3174-403: The injector nozzles. There are three easily identifiable revisions of the Ramjet, each spanning three years of the system's nine year production life. The first of these (1957-1959) are identified by the "finned top" sand cast plenum, followed by the "flat top" plenum (1960-1962), and finally the die-cast plenum (1963-1965). All versions of the system required a special distributor that provided

3243-429: The late-1940s proved to be very successful and helped ignite the horsepower race, the second salvo of which was Chrysler's 1951 Hemi engine . Longer, lower, and wider tended to be the general trend. Exterior styling was influenced by jets and rockets as the space-age dawned. Rear fins were popular and continued to grow larger, and front bumpers and taillights were sometimes designed in the shape of rockets. Chrome plating

3312-414: The late-1960s, but soon fell out of favor due to high insurance premiums along with the combination of emission controls and high gas prices in the early 1970s. While the personal luxury, pony, and muscle cars got most of the attention, the full sized cars formed the bulk of auto sales in the 1960s, helped by low oil prices. The styling excesses and technological gimmicks (such as the retractable hardtop and

3381-415: The leadership of Charles F. Kettering . GM followed Ford by expanding overseas, including purchasing England's Vauxhall Motors in 1925, Germany's Opel in 1929, and Australia's Holden in 1931. GM established GMAC, now Ally Financial , in 1919 to provide credit for buyers of its cars. Walter Chrysler was formerly president of Buick and an executive of GM. After leaving GM in 1920, he took control of

3450-514: The luxury Lincoln automaker in 1922 and established the Mercury division in 1939. General Motors Corporation (GM), the company that soon became the world's largest automaker, was founded in 1908 by William Durant . Durant had previously been a carriage maker, and had taken control of Buick in 1904. In 1908, the company initially acquired Buick , Oldsmobile and Oakland (later to become Pontiac ). In 1909, GM acquired Cadillac , along with

3519-637: The mid-1970s. Duryea Motor Wagon Company The Duryea Motor Wagon Company , established in 1895 in Springfield, Massachusetts , was the first American firm to build gasoline automobiles . Founded by Charles Duryea and his brother Frank , the company built the Duryea Motor Wagon , a one-cylinder four-horsepower car, first demonstrated on September 21, 1893, in Springfield, Massachusetts , on Taylor Street in Metro Center . It

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3588-509: The modern Stutz Blackhawk , Clénet Coachworks , Zimmer , Excalibur , and John DeLorean 's DeLorean . Initial auto production after World War II was slowed by the retooling process, shortages of materials, and labor unrest. However, the American auto industry reflected the post-war prosperity of the late-1940s and the 1950s. Cars grew in overall size, as well as engine size during the 1950s. The Overhead valve V-8 engine developed by GM in

3657-410: The patent did more to hinder than encourage development of autos in the United States. Originally purchased by wealthy individuals, by 1916 cars began selling at $ 875. Soon, the market widened with the mechanical betterment of the cars, the reduction in prices, as well as the introduction of installment sales and payment plans. During the period from 1917 to 1926, the annual rate of increase in sales

3726-705: The people." With financing from Keyser Fry of Reading, he created the Duryea GEM, a cross between an automobile and a motorcycle, with a newly designed engine and suspension. Advertised as the "Biggest Idea in the History of the Motor Car and the Last Word in Automobile Construction," the Duryea GEM combined the comfort and stability of an automobile with the simplicity, handling, and economy of

3795-421: The previous record of July 2006. Chrysler later merged into Fiat as Fiat Chrysler and is today a part of the multinational Stellantis group. American electric automaker Tesla emerged onto the scene in 2009 and has since grown to be one of the world's most valuable companies, producing around 1/4th of the world's fully-electric passenger cars. Prior to the 1980s, most manufacturing facilities were owned by

3864-604: The pushbutton automatic transmission) of the 1950s were de-emphasized. The rear fins were downsized and largely gone by the mid-1960s, as was the excessive chrome. Safety and environmental issues during the 1960s led to stricter government regulation of the auto industry, spurred in part by Ralph Nader and his book: Unsafe at Any Speed : The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile . This resulted in higher costs and eventually to weaker performance for cars in

3933-409: The side bars of the chassis, in usual buggy fashion, that made the Buggyaut light and easy riding. The two-passenger model, complete with a top, sold for only $ 700, but the Buggyaut never achieved the success that he had envisioned. In 1914, Duryea closed the garage and left Reading. In 1916, eight years after Henry Ford introduced his Model T , Duryea made another attempt to produce his own "car for

4002-496: The type of market they were targeting. Henry Ford focused on delivering one inexpensive, efficient product for the masses. Ford's offer was one car, one color, for one price. He manufactured a product for the masses, and provided a $ 5 daily wage so that there was a local market to buy this product. By contrast, General Motors offered a product that catered to those looking to gain status by having that sense of individualism and offering different make, models, and quality. The 1930s saw

4071-404: The world by 1950, 8.0 million out of 10.6 million produced. In 1908, 1 percent of U.S. households owned at least one automobile, while 50 percent did in 1948 and 75 percent did in 1960. Imports from abroad were a minor factor before the 1960s. Beginning in the 1970s, a combination of high oil prices and increased competition from foreign auto manufacturers severely affected the US companies. In

4140-499: Was a major factor in the victory of the allies. Experts anticipated that Detroit would learn advanced engineering methods from the aviation industry that would result in great improvements for postwar civilian automobiles. Due to the difficult working conditions in the auto production plants, auto workers began to seek representation to help improve conditions and ensure fair pay. The United Automobile Workers union won recognition from GM and Chrysler in 1937, and Ford in 1941. In 1950,

4209-425: Was acquired by GM in 1917 and Durant was back in charge of GM. In 1921, Durant was again forced out of the company. During the late 1920s, General Motors overtook Ford to become the largest automaker. Under the leadership of Alfred P. Sloan , General Motors instituted decentralized management and separate divisions for each price class. They introduced annual model changes. GM became an innovator in technology under

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4278-437: Was considerably less than from 1903 to 1916. In the years 1918, 1919, 1921, and 1924 there were absolute declines in automotive production . The automotive industry caused a massive shift in the industrial revolution because it accelerated growth by a rate never before seen in the U.S. economy. The combined efforts of innovation and industrialization allowed the automotive industry to take off during this period and it proved to be

4347-703: Was introduced on the Chrysler Airflow , a sales flop, and the Lincoln-Zephyr (both of which used unit-body construction). Packard introduced their "Air Cool-ditioned" car in 1940. After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, all auto plants were converted to war production, including jeeps, trucks, tanks, and aircraft engines. All passenger automobile production ceased by February 1942. The industry received $ 10 billion in war-related orders by that month, compared to $ 4 billion before

4416-437: Was manufacturing one three-wheel, three-cylinder, gasoline-powered automobile each week. Most buyers were doctors, who enjoyed the power, reliability, and heady 20 mile-an-hour top speed of his vehicles. By 1905, Duryea's fifty workers were manufacturing sixty cars a year, including the four-wheel Phaeton, which soon sold for $ 1,600. Duryea's automobiles were a success, but a dispute among the company's partners led to collapse of

4485-417: Was started in 1945 and acquired Willys-Overland Motors (maker of the Jeep ) in 1953. Production of passenger cars was discontinued in 1955. In 1970, the company was sold to American Motors Corporation . In 1954, Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson merged to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). The company introduced numerous product and marketing innovations, but its small size made it difficult to compete with

4554-552: Was that Detroit was the base for highly talented entrepreneurs who saw the potential of the automobile: Henry Ford, Ransom E. Olds, Roy D. Chapin, Henry Joy, William C. Durant, Howard E. Coffin, John Dodge and Horace Dodge, and Benjamin Briscoe and Frank Briscoe. From 1900 to 1915 these men transformed the fledgling industry into an international business. Henry Ford began building cars in 1896 and started his own company in 1903. The Ford Motor Company improved mass-production with

4623-616: Was the actual builder during their collaboration. He did correspond with his brother Charles regarding what did and did not work in the design. Charles left Springfield in 1892 before construction began. This was documented in transcripts during the Selden Patent trial. Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles in Boyertown, Pennsylvania hosts an annual Duryea Day Antique and Classic Car Show, which features an extensive collection of automobiles manufactured in southeastern Pennsylvania in

4692-469: Was the weight of the wartime vehicles. The materials involved altered during World War I to accommodate the heavier trucks on the road and were responsible for widespread shift to macadam highways and roadways. However, rural roads were still a problem for military vehicles, so four wheel drive was developed by automobile manufacturers to assist in powering through. As the prevalence of automobiles grew, it became clear funding would need to improve as well, and

4761-511: Was very popular, as was two-tone paint. The most extreme version of these styling trends were found in the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and Chrysler Corporation's 1957 Imperial . The Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird , introduced in 1953 and 1955 respectively, were designed to capture the sports car market. The Thunderbird grew in size in 1958 and evolved into a personal luxury car . The 1950s were also noted for perhaps one of

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