There are forty million cars on British roads, and over a billion around the world. From the smallest supermini to vast, rumbling sedans, the automobile defined the 20th century and continues to be an icon of civilised life.
But where did it come from, and how did the car evolve from a haphazardly-constructed wooden contraption into the 150mph, NCAP-rated machine of today? This is a highly abridged history of the motor car.
Da Vinci
Most people assume that the car appeared at some point in the 19th or 20th centuries. But in the 1400s, Leonardo Da Vinci – most famous for his images of the human form and perhaps his outlandish helicopter idea – drew up plans for a horseless carriage.
It was a three-wheeler, relying on a sort of wind-up mechanism for drive and a brake that could be released remotely. Despite all this, it was the first recognisably self-propelled vehicle design, sketched half a millennium before anything similar was actually manufactured.
Steamers
The very first automobiles – the kind of machines that bear a passing resemblance to the vehicle you drive to the shops – were steam-powered.
Taking inspiration from the lucrative railway industry, designers miniaturised designs for the steam trains of the day and converted them to run on fuel oil rather than coal. While smaller, these machines still needed a cumbersome (and fairly dangerous) boiler, and unless you wanted to keep topping it up with water, you’d need a similarly heavy condenser too.
The steam engine remained a sensible powertrain for transport applications from around 1770 until well into the 20th century. Manufacturers have continued to toy with the idea and have even produced seriously efficient prototypes, but the market isn’t ready for steam powered cars just yet.
Internal combustion
The advent of the internal combustion engine was a turning point in the history of the motor car. In developing a new type of engine, carmakers were able to significantly reduce the weight of their creations – a trend that continues to this day.
The internal combustion engine differs from the steam engine by burning fuel within. It’s much lighter and generally much smaller than a steam engine, and it was these properties that allowed cars to become more practical and far safer. Really, the internal combustion engine is what made the car what it is today.
Diesel
Rudolf Diesel revolutionised engines. The diesel engine is used in industry and at home, on land and at sea. The 70% efficiency of his engines made a great deal more sense than the paltry 10% efficiency of contemporary steam engines, and as a result Diesel’s invention was immediately popular. The fuel we know as diesel is one of several liquids that diesel engines can run on – the main difference between the diesel at the pumps and other similar distillates is the tax!
Post-war developments
Cars developed rapidly after the war, as did the market for them. The kinds of machines that dominated the roads prior to the war – featuring running boards, brass and fenders – gave way to more modern designs such as that of the Beetle, the Morris Minor, and countless other cars boasting ponton styling.
Different flavours of ‘car’ soon followed. Whereas previous incarnations of the shooting brake were popular before the war, estate-type vehicles soon became popular family cars. Land Rover and Jeep ploughed their own respective furrows with what we now know as the 4×4, with Range Rover riding the tailcoat of Land Rover’s success.
Safety
There are ten times as many cars on the road now as there were in 1950. As the number of cars grew over the second half of the 20th century, manufacturers turned their attention to the safety of their customers and their customers’ passengers.
EuroNCAP was founded in 1997 and provides a star rating out of five for new cars. These days, even pedestrians are taken into consideration – manufacturers strive to make cars as safe as possible in every way.
The road ahead
Rudolf Diesel designed an engine to run on peanut oil. At the time, fossil fuels were considered to be more plentiful – over a century later and with dwindling supplies, we’re starting to return to vegetable-based fuel oils. We’re likely to move away from conventional fuels and towards more efficient, sustainable alternatives such as biofuel, electricity and hydrogen.
What do you reckon is the next big thing in car development? It’s a topic that has spawned countless hours of pub debates and after-dinner speculation, and we’d like to hear what you think.
