Automobile
Automobile is a generic term to describe a wheeled vehicle that carries its own engine. Often the term is used specifically to refer to a 'car', though it is broad enough to cover cars, trucks, vans, station wagons, SUVs and crossovers. Significant numbers of automobiles first began appearing in the late 1800s.
History
The earliest ancestor of the modern automobile was created by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot in 1771 for the French minister of war. The vehicle had a steam-powered engine and rode on three wheels, only achieving a maximum speed of 2-3 miles per hour. It was known as the Fardier and was never put into production as it was less practical than a horse-drawn vehicle.
Several other steam-powered automobiles were created over the following hundred years, but it took the invention of the gasoline powered internal combustion engine and its use by Gotlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1889. The automobile they built had four wheels, a 2 cylinder 1.5 liter engine and a four speed transmission. It traveled as fast as 10 miles per hour. The same year, another German, Karl Benz, also created a gasoline-powered automobile that year. However, not until automobiles were able to be produced in quantity did they become accepted as a serious alternative to horse drawn conveyances. The first automobile produced in a considerable quantity was the Curved Dash Oldsmobile in 1901 by Ransom E. Olds.
Modern Manufacturers
Often refered to as OEMS, there are several hundred manufacturers of automobiles in the United States alone. Manufacturers are not to be confused with ‘makes’, or brands as many manufacturers have multiple brands. The largest manufacturers are currently:
This list is approximate as many Manufacturers own controlling shares of others and the ownership of many of the minor OEMs is often in flux. Throughout the initial years of the 21st century, General Motors has been losing world-wide market share, while Toyota has been steadily closing the gap between the two companies. Recent profitability issues in the second half of 2006 have caused Daimler-Chrysler to consider selling the Chrysler group (includes Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep). General Motors has shown interest in purchasing the group, possibly to cement their position as the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.
The following is a list of the major automobile manufacturers in the United States and much of the Western Hemisphere in 2006/2007 and the brands they own and manufacture under.
BMW
Fiat
Ford
Fuji Heavy Industries (Toyota owns 20%)
Honda Motors
Hyundai
Isuzu
Mitsubishi
Nissan (Renault owns ~44% of Nissan)
Porsche
Renault
Toyota
Volkswagen (Porsche owns ~20% of VW)
Manufacturers identify the vehicles they make by use of a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Most nations require vehicles to be uniquely identified by a VIN Number and the current 17-digit numbering system has been in use since 1978.