Portal:Cars

The Cars Portal

The Toyota Corolla, which has been in production since 1966, is the best-selling series of automobile of all time.

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 over cargo. There are around one billion cars in use worldwide. The car is considered an important part of the developed economy.

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. The 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash and the 1908 Ford Model T, both American cars, are widely considered the first mass-produced and mass-affordable cars, respectively. 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. In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialised countries.

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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The Jaguar XJ220 is a two-seat sports car produced by British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar from 1992 until 1994, in collaboration with the specialist automotive and race engineering company Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The XJ220 (with catalytic converter removed) recorded a top speed of 217 mph (349 km/h) during testing by Jaguar at the Nardo test track in Italy. This made it the fastest production car from 1992 to 1993. According to Jaguar, an XJ220 prototype managed a Nürburgring lap time of 7:46.36 in 1991 which was faster than any production car lap time before it.

The XJ220 was developed from a V12-engined 4-wheel drive concept car designed by an informal group of Jaguar employees working in their spare time. The group wished to create a modern version of the successful Jaguar 24 Hours of Le Mans racing cars of the 1950s and 1960s that could be entered into FIA Group B competitions. The XJ220 made use of engineering work undertaken for Jaguar's then current racing car family. (Full article...)

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Autobianchi Primula 65C 3-door hatchback

The Autobianchi Primula is a supermini economy car manufactured between 1964 and 1970 by the Italian automaker Autobianchi, partly owned by and later a subsidiary of the Fiat Group. The Primula was a prototype for Fiat's rack and pinion steering and is widely known for its innovative Dante Giacosa-designed front-wheel drive, transverse engine layout — that would be later popularized by the Fiat 128 to ultimately become an industry-standard front drive layout.

The Primula was originally available with two or four doors, with or without a rear hatchback, referred to in Italian as "berlina". Beginning in 1965, Autobianchi offered a coupé model, a more spacious 2-door fastback designed by Carrozzeria Touring. (Full article...)

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Bolloré in 2021

Thierry Yves Henri Bolloré (born 30 May 1963) is a French businessman, previously CEO of Jaguar Land Rover. He began his career at Michelin, then joined Faurecia in 2005 and Renault in 2012 as Chief Competitive Officer, then was named COO in 2018, before becoming CEO from November 2018 to October 2019.

Following the arrest of former Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn in November 2018, he was appointed "acting CEO" then CEO of the French carmaker. In October 2019, after growing reports of frictions with Nissan historical partner as well as misuse of company funds in consulting missions with the Boston Consulting Group, he was removed from his position with "immediate effect" by the board gathered for an emergency meeting. (Full article...)

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On this day November 21

2005 — The Canada-only Acura CSX is released for sale

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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 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to offer a cassette tape player as an option?
...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?
...that the name Volvo really means 'I Roll?' That's how Volvo rolls.

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A car for every purse and purpose (AMG)

—Alfred P. Sloan, describing the hierarchy of General Motors brands'

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General images

The following are images from various car-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1In 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 2Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 3Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 4The 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 5A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 6The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 7A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 8Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 9Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 10Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 11Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 12Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 13Gurgel Supermini (from History of the automobile)
Image 14Bertha Benz, the first long distance driver (from Car)
Image 15Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 16Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 17The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 18The original Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car, built in 1885 and awarded the patent for the concept (from Car)
Image 19Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)
Image 20The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 21The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 22The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 23Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 241885-built Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use (from History of the automobile)
Image 251929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 26A 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 271946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 281924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 29A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 301929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 312011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 32Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 33A 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 34The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (from History of the automobile)
Image 351954 Plymouth Savoy Station Wagon, one of the first US all-metal station wagons (from History of the automobile)
Image 36Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 371959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 38Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)
Image 391958 Lancia Appia (from History of the automobile)
Image 40Result of a serious car collision (from Car)
Image 41The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 42Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 431974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 441926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 45The second Marcus car of 1888 (from History of the automobile)
Image 46Stuttgart, 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)
Image 47A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)
Image 48The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 49The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car of all-time. (from Car)
Image 50Trucks' 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)