 |
Car
Facts
| Cars
on the Road |
| |
passenger
& commercial vehicles
registered in US |
passenger
& commercial vehicles
produced in US |
| 1900 |
8,000 |
4,000 |
| 1905 |
79,000 |
25,000 |
| 1910 |
469,000 |
187,000 |
| 1915 |
2,491,000 |
970,000 |
| 1920 |
9,239,000 |
2,227,000 |
| 1922 |
12,274,000 |
2,544,000 |
| 1923 |
15,102,000 |
4,034,000 |
| 1924 |
17,618,000 |
3,603,000 |
| 1925
|
19,941,000
|
4,266,000 |
| 1926 |
22,058,000 |
4,301,000 |
| 1927 |
23,140,000 |
3,401,000 |
| 1928 |
24,512,000 |
4,359,000 |
| 1929 |
26,503,000 |
5,358,000 |
| 1930 |
26,532,000 |
3,363,000 |
| 1931 |
25,862,000 |
2,390,000 |
| 1932 |
24,133,000 |
1,371,000 |
| 1933 |
23,877,000 |
1,920,000 |
| 1934 |
24,954,000 |
2,753,000 |
| 1935 |
26,230,000 |
3,947,000 |
| 1936 |
28,172,000 |
4,454,000 |
| 1937 |
29,706,000 |
4,809,000 |
| 1938 |
29,443,000 |
2,489,000 |
| 1939 |
30,615,000 |
3,577,000 |
| 1940 |
32,035,000 |
4,472,000 |
1897
the first auto insurance policy was sold ($7.50 for $1,000 worth
of insurance)
1901
first license plate
1912
the first gas station was opened (Cincinnati).
1917
the term "jaywalking" was first used.
1925
the first suburban shopping center was built
1934
the first drive-in theater appeared
1936
the first drive-in restaurant
1948
the first car wash.
1925,
the first interstate highway was opened
Billboards
began popping up on everyhighway and automobile advertising became
amain financial support of newspapers, magazines, radio and, ultimately,
television.
The
cars themselves changed radically as well.
At
first all automobiles were open-aired buggies, with no amenities.
1900,
the first steering wheel was introduced.
1901
the first speedometer.
1903
the Duryeas put out the first closed car.
1910
the first rear-view mirror was developed
1910,
the first car heater was developed for a vehicle bought by Czar
Nicholas.
1911,
the electric self-starter was invented and used by Cadillac.
Color:
Initially
all cars were black, because painttechnology was such that all
other colors faded, ran or changed shades over time. Some cars
were dark green or navy blue, but not until 1924, when General
Motors, with the DuPont Company, developed a fast-drying paint
with long-lasting finish, were automobiles produced with lighter
and brighter colors.
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