Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

cars

98

Daimler anD Benz

in the 1880s, German engineers

Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler

worked independently to

produce the first gasoline

engine. in 1885, Karl Benz

built his flimsy motorized

tricycle (left), the first

gasoline-powered car.

ForD moDel T

early cars were handmade and cost so much money that only the

rich could afford them. in 1908, Henry Ford opened a factory to

produce large numbers of the model T (above). This was the first

car cheap enough to be purchased by more people.

HisTory oF THe car

People laughed at the first rickety “horseless

carriages” of the 1880s. But rapid technical

progress soon made it clear that cars were here

to stay. in 1903, cars could already reach speeds

of more than 70 mph (110 km/h). But they were

expensive and often broke down.

since then, cars have become

steadily cheaper and more

reliable. now they are

everyday transportation

for millions of people

throughout the world.

racecar

Grand Prix racecars are

designed for speed alone, so

they are built very differently

from road cars. They have

big, powerful six-cylinder

engines made of special light

materials. This allows them

to reach top speeds of up to

250 mph (400 km/h). Their

ultra-low shape allows them to

slice through the air easily so

they can travel as fast as

possible. in fact, the driver

has to lie almost flat to fit in.

PanHarD anD levassor

in the 1890s, two Frenchmen,

rené Panhard and emile

levassor, built the first car

with the engine in the front,

the arrangement found in

most cars to this day.

The production

line for the Ford Model T

engines

Plastics

Physics

Pollution

Technology

Transportation, history of

Wheels

Find out more

New desigNs

Prototypes (test models) of new cars are

packed with electronics and computers

that can do anything from parking the

car auto matically to steering the car

automatically. many parts of these cars are

made from plastics and other new materials;

some new engine designs contain ceramic

components instead of metal ones.

nicolas cuGnoT

The first road vehicles were

powered by steam. in 1769,

nicolas cugnot, a French

soldier, built a steam carriage

for dragging cannon. it travelled

about 3 mph (5 km/h) and had

to stop about every 10 minutes

to build up steam.

A computer continually

adjusts the suspension to

make sure that the wheels do

not bounce up from the track.

Airfoils at the front and

back work like upside-down

airplane wings. Air rushing

over them pushes the car

firmly onto the track, which

improves traction.

The lightweight

body is carefully

shaped to keep

drag to a minimum.

The frame is made

from ultra-light

carbon-fiber

composites.

Wide tires, called slicks,

are smooth to minimize

rolling resistance, but

wide to give a good grip

on the track.

Powerful disc brakes

can slow the car

from 200 mph to

40 mph (300 km/h

to 65 km/h) in less

than three seconds.

Rear airfoil

US_098_Cars_2.indd 98 05/02/16 12:34 pm