A car is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor and drives on land. Most definitions of cars say they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four tires, and mainly transport people rather than goods.

Cars came into global use during the 20th century, and developed economies depend on them. The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the modern car when German inventor Karl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Cars became widely available in the early 20th century. One of the first cars accessible to the masses was the 1908 Model T, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced animal-drawn carriages and carts, but took much longer to be accepted in Western Europe and other parts of the world.

The origins of the car can be traced back to 1769, when Swiss inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first self-propelled mechanical vehicle or car. Cugnot’s design was not very successful, as it was difficult to control and only suitable for very slow speeds.

In 1801, Richard Trevithick built and demonstrated his Puffing Devil road locomotive, believed by many to be the first demonstration of a steam-powered road vehicle. It was unable to maintain sufficient steam pressure for long periods, and was of little practical use.

The first successful internal combustion engine was created by French inventor Jean Joseph-Etienne Lenoir in 1859. Lenoir’s engine used petroleum gas as fuel, and he eventually built a vehicle with it in 1860.

German inventor Karl Benz built the first gasoline-powered car in 1886. Benz was granted a patent for his car in 1886, and he began production of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen the following year.

The first American car was built in 1893 by Charles and Frank Duryea, who founded the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1892. The Duryea’s built their vehicle using a horse-drawn carriage chassis and a four-cylinder gasoline engine.

In 1896, the first car race was held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen. The race was won by Henri Fournier, driving a three-wheeled vehicle at an average speed of 8.05 miles per hour.

In 1898, the first car dealer in the United States, William Crapo Durant, was founded. Durant later went on to co-found General Motors.

In 1899, the first car insurance company, the Travelers Insurance Company, was founded.

The 20th century saw significant advances in car design and technology. In 1908, the first mass-produced car, the Model T, was introduced by Ford. The Model T was designed for the mass market and was very affordable.

In 1913, Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line for cars, which greatly increased production efficiency.

In 1919, the first electric car was built by William Morrison.

In 1924, the first four-wheel drive car was introduced by Lancia.

In 1927, the first car with a sliding-gear transmission was introduced by Cadillac.

In 1932, the first car with an automatic transmission was introduced by Cadillac.

In 1939, the first car with independent suspension was introduced by BMW.

In 1948, the first car with a turbocharger was introduced by Ferrari.

In 1949, the first car with a diesel engine was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1950, the first car with seat belts was introduced by Nash.

In 1955, the first car with air conditioning was introduced by Packard.

In 1956, the first car with a seat belt warning light was introduced by Volvo.

In 1957, the first car with disc brakes was introduced by Jaguar.

In 1958, the first car with a sunroof was introduced by Volvo.

In 1959, the first car with a rear-view camera was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1960, the first car with a navigation system was introduced by Chrysler.

In 1963, the first car with a crash test dummy was introduced by Volvo.

In 1964, the first car with a head-up display was introduced by Chevrolet.

In 1965, the first car with a laminated safety glass windshield was introduced by Volvo.

In 1967, the first car with a side-impact airbag was introduced by Volvo.

In 1968, the first car with a three-point seat belt was introduced by Volvo.

In 1969, the first car with an anti-lock braking system was introduced by Ford.

In 1970, the first car with a driver’s side airbag was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1971, the first car with an electronic ignition was introduced by Chrysler.

In 1972, the first car with a passenger side airbag was introduced by Volvo.

In 1973, the first car with a catalytic converter was introduced by Volvo.

In 1974, the first car with a GPS system was introduced by Ford.

In 1975, the first car with an airbag was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1976, the first car with a fuel cell was introduced by General Motors.

In 1977, the first car with a radar detector was introduced by Cobra.

In 1978, the first car with a hands-free phone was introduced by Motorola.

In 1979, the first car with a turbocharger was introduced by Mitsubishi.

In 1980, the first car with cruise control was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1981, the first car with an in-dash CD player was introduced by Sony.

In 1982, the first car with a night vision system was introduced by Cadillac.

In 1983, the first car with a traction control system was introduced by Audi.

In 1984, the first car with a navigation system was introduced by Nissan.

In 1985, the first car with a satellite radio was introduced by Ford.

In 1986, the first car with a DVD player was introduced by Pioneer.

In 1987, the first car with a CD player was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1988, the first car with a driver’s side airbag was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1989, the first car with a passenger’s side airbag was introduced by Audi.

In 1990, the first car with a traction control system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1991, the first car with an anti-lock braking system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1992, the first car with an electronic stability control was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1993, the first car with a side-impact airbag was introduced by Volvo.

In 1994, the first car with a side curtain airbag was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1995, the first car with a seat belt pretensioner was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 1996, the first car with a daytime running light was introduced by Audi.

In 1997, the first car with a rain-sensing windshield was introduced by Audi.

In 1998, the first car with a heads-up display was introduced by BMW.

In 1999, the first car with a navigation system was introduced by BMW.

In 2000, the first car with an in-dash DVD player was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 2001, the first car with a night vision system was introduced by Cadillac.

In 2002, the first car with a radar detector was introduced by Valentine.

In 2003, the first car with a lane departure warning system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2004, the first car with a blind spot warning system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 2005, the first car with a tire pressure monitoring system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 2006, the first car with a rear-view camera was introduced by Lexus.

In 2007, the first car with a front-view camera was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 2008, the first car with a lane keeping assist system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2009, the first car with a brake assist system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

In 2010, the first car with a driver drowsiness detection system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2011, the first car with a front-collision warning system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2012, the first car with a pedestrian detection system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2013, the first car with an autonomous emergency braking system was introduced by Volvo.

In 2014, the first car with a traffic sign recognition system was introduced by BMW.

In 2015, the first car with a pedestrian airbag was introduced by Volvo.