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, not cargo.

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. One of the first cars affordable by the masses was the Ford Model T, begun in 1908, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. 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. The car is considered an essential part of the developed economy.

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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2008 Holden Calais (VE MY09) V sedan

The Holden Commodore (VE) is a full-size car that was manufactured by Holden, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 2006 to 2013. The range includes the luxury variants, the Holden Berlina (VE) and Holden Calais (VE), as well as a utility model marketed as the Holden Ute (VE).

Succeeding the VZ series, the VE represented the first iteration of the fourth generation of the Holden Commodore, a series of automobiles built since 1978. As opposed to the VE's predecessors which used Opel-sourced platforms adapted mechanically and in size for the local market, the re-engineered VE was the first Commodore to be developed wholly by Holden in Australia. Despite its status as an all-new model, engines—comprising the 3.6-litre V6 and the 6.0-litre V8—have been largely carried over from the VZ series. Innovative features to minimise export redevelopment costs, such as a symmetrical centre console housing a flush-fitting hand brake lever, facilitated the conversion to left-hand drive. Internationally, the VE was badge engineered as the Chevrolet Lumina, Chevrolet Omega, Bitter Vero Sport and Pontiac G8. (Full article...)

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce-branded motor cars. The company's administrative and production headquarters are located on the 42-acre (17 ha) Goodwood Estate in Goodwood, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom.

From 1906 to 2003, motor cars were manufactured and marketed under the Rolls-Royce brand by Rolls-Royce Motors. The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship to Rolls-Royce-branded vehicles produced before 2003, other than having briefly supplied components and engines. The Bentley Motors Limited subsidiary of Volkswagen AG is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors and various other predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and 2003, when the BMW-controlled entity started producing cars under the Rolls-Royce brand. (Full article...)

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Trabant 601

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Nordmann as a Luftwaffe officer in 1943

Karl-Gottfried "Karlfried" Nordmann (22 November 1915 – 22 July 1982) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II and, after the war, a president of Mercedes-Benz in North America. As a fighter ace he was credited with 78 enemy aircraft shot down in over 800 combat missions. He claimed the majority of his victories over the Eastern Front, with one during the Invasion of Poland and eight during the Battle of France and Britain.

Born in Giessen, Nordmann volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of the Third Reich in 1936. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 132 (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) in October 1938. After a series of redesignations his unit was subordinated to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). He fought in the aerial battles over Poland, France and Britain, claiming nine victories. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of the IV. Gruppe (4th Group) of JG 51. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 August 1941 following his 31st aerial victory and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 16 September 1941 after 59 victories. The Oak Leaves grades to the Knight's Cross was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Nordmann. (Full article...)

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On this day May 11

1947 — Enzo Ferrari debuts the first product of his new Ferrari company, the 125 Sport racer.

1992 — Chrysler Corporation announces that it may discontinue either the Plymouth or Eagle brands — both are eventually dropped.

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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 nearly identical Ford Model T engines were produced for exactly 12,000 days
...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?

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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 1Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 2Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 3The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (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 51946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 6The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 71924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 81926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 9The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 10The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 11A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 121959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 131929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 14The original Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car, built in 1885 and awarded the patent for the concept (from Car)
Image 15A 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 16Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 17Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 18A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 192011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 20The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 21A 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 22Gurgel Supermini (from History of the automobile)
Image 23The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all-time. (from Car)
Image 24Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 25Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 26Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 27In 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 28A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)
Image 29Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)
Image 30Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 31Scaled model of the second Marcus car of 1875 (from History of the automobile)
Image 321929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 33The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 34The 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 351974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 36Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 37The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 38Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 391954 Plymouth Savoy Station Wagon, one of the first US all-metal station wagons (from History of the automobile)
Image 40Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 41Result of a serious car collision (from Car)
Image 42Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)
Image 43A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 44Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 45Trucks' 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 46The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 47Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 48Bertha Benz, the first long distance driver (from Car)
Image 491958 Lancia Appia (from History of the automobile)
Image 50Stuttgart, 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)