Ellen Owens The Age Of The Automobile

Henry Ford Hired as an engineer for the Edison Illuminating Company in 1896 Developed plans for the Ford Quadricycle Thomas Edison advised him to continue improving the model Henry Ford Motor Company was established in 1903 In 1908, the Model T was introduced - “Tin Lizzie” or “Flivver” In 1914, he sponsored the moving assembly line technique Decreased vehicle prices Introduced $5 per day wages ($ in 2016)

The Model T Ford said the public can choose any color for a car, as long as it was black Cars were considered a luxury before the Model T because they were so expensive The Model T was durable, low cost, and easy to perform maintenance on The Model T cost $850 in 1908, but by 1925 it was less than $300 The top speeds of the Model T were mph Therefore, Ford took up 40% of the nation’s cars By the beginning of the decade, Ford had 8 million registrations and at the end it almost reached 23 million The Model T was produced many styles -Seven-seat Town Car -Two-seat Runabout -Two-seat -Five-seat touring car

The Growing Industry An economic revolution traveled across the United States due to the Automobile Industry blooming Many spin-off businesses started opening The demand for vulcanized rubber went up When the state governments started funding highway design, many jobs for road construction were created Mechanics were able to earn a living fixing cars The demand for automobiles caused an increase in steel and oil demand Motels began popping up since people on road trips needed a place to rest Roadside diners were able to provide cheap, fast food However as automobiles became popular the trains became neglected

Car Camping The closest thing to a mobile home was a tent-in-a-box People could now travel long distance, but the industry had to catch up to assist Henry Ford went car camping to promote his automobiles and often took famous people with him They camped with class Attachable tents were cheaper, easy to set up, and took up little space

Car Improvements As the 1920s rolled around, people wanted faster and stylish cars Four-wheeled drive, electric powered cars, front wheeled drive, and hybrid fuel/ electric cars were beginning to be introduced In order to keep people comfortable in the winter they started to put heaters in the more expensive cars, but there were some alternatives Many manufacturers started to incorporate more colors and improve the quality of the interior lining and upholstery in hopes to target women drivers Car comfort also improved due to better shock absorbers to make the the car rides less bumpy

Car Safety In the 1910s, car collisions, speeding, and pedestrian fatalities were an issue In the 1920s, the National Safety Council sponsored Safety Week campaigns Early brakes were only on the back wheels of cars, but by the 1920s they started to put brakes on all four wheels They also started to include improvements such as shatter-resistant windowsheilds, all steel bodies, and hydraulic brakes In 1935, only 39 states required drivers to have licensees and only a few required a test Turn signals were not invented until Buick incorporated them in their designs in 1937 Cities started to impose traffic laws such as speed limits, traffic signals, one way roads, parking meters, and parking restrictions

Federal Highway Act This landmark legislation is supported by the national Good Roads Movement The first time the government provided assistance for state highway costs The Federal Road Aid Act provided funding for the improvement of any rural roads the U.S. Mail was carried over The Federal Highway Act of 1921 and the Post Office Appropriations Act of 1922 made a multi-year federal funding plan The states were required to have highway departments capable of maintaining, constructing, and designing designated roads

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