automobiles

     

An automobile (via French from Greek auto, self an Latin mobilis moving, a vehicle that moves itself rather than being moved by another vehicle or animal). A motor car is a wheeled passenger vehicle which carries its own engine also known as a motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods. However, the term is far from precise because there are many types of vehicles that do similar tasks.

Trivia about automobiles

  • During the 1920s Charles Nash was president of a company that made these
  • Encarta says in 1900 NYC, Chicago & Boston, 1,170 of these were powered by steam, 800 by electricity & 400 by gas
  • The leading accidental cause of death in the U.S. involves these
  • Charles & Frank Duryea are credited with producing the first of these for consumer sale in the U.S.
  • Prince Borghese was victorious in a 1907 Beijing to Paris race using these; winning time, 61 days