The innovation of the automobile was very important because it gave a chance for people to travel faster rather than having to take a train. It allowed for high-class people to be able to show off their wealth and have a luxury to use to travel in. The innovation of the automobile wasn’t just a luxury, it became so much more than that and affected the US economy forever.
The automobile came about in the 1900s but could have been developed in the late 1800s because America had the technology to create cars but it took Henry Ford to develop the car into what it is today. Ford used the idea of the assembly line he saw from Swift butchering and used that method to mass produce cars.He stated, “The first step forward in assembly came when we began taking the work to the men instead of the men to the work. We now have two general principles in all operations - that a man shall never have to take more than one step, if possibly it can be avoided, and that no man need ever stoop over.” Also, in order to make sure his workers were motivated, Ford paid them twice as much as the average worker would make which was roughly five dollars instead of two. To be able to mass produce cars, Ford had to reduce the option and variety of a cars design and looks. He stated, “The public can choose whatever color they want so long as it’s black.” Through this, Ford didn’t have to worry about new paint jobs or new designs and he could produce cars at such a high rate. In his first year of business, he sold his first car in July 1903, just a month after organizing as a corporation. He also produced over 1700 cars in his first year also, but the production rate only increased from there. Because Ford could get a good deal on materials and was producing cars at such a high rate, he was able to sell the cars at a decreased price allowing anyone to be able to purchase these so called “luxury items.” This was Ford’s idea all along, “to go from the automobile industry as a luxury to a necessity by making it cheap, versatile, and easy to maintain.” (Britannica) By the 1920s, America was driving cars and the number of registered drivers went up to 23 million, almost three times as much as before.
America was now driving which had its pros and cons. The demand for rubber increased, oil and steel industries boomed, gas stations began to pop up everywhere because of the Federal Highway Act of 1921, road construction created new jobs, mechanics began to earn more money, motels started to pop up for travelers, and people had more freedom to do what they wanted to. People could now go to spots and destinations they couldn’t get to before. Also, food began to change. Hamburgers, french fries, milkshakes, and apple pies became typical for the new roadside diner and drive in restaurants. These are some of the pros but, there were also cons to the “new” automobile industry. Because of cars being readily available, the railroad industry started to be neglected by the public and wasn’t in as much use as it used to be. People now had a faster way of traveling and could leave whenever they wanted to. They didn’t have to be on a schedule. Also, as more and more drivers came about, there were lots of traffic jams and accidents so there were high demands for licensure and safety regulation to ensure that people wouldn’t get injured or hurt as much.
Because of Henry Ford’s brilliant idea, more and more manufacturers in both America and Europe adopted this technique of production. The only problem with that is is that the bigger companies would buy out the smaller independent companies so not many businesses could survive in the automobile industry. The number of active automobile manufacturers, independent and big corporations, was 253 in 1908. The number dropped almost 80 percent to 44 manufacturers in 1929. Almost 80 percent of the automobile industry’s output in the 1930s were from Ford, General Motors Company (GMC), and Chrysler. The reason for this is because the majority of the independent companies were either bought out by the bigger companies or they were wiped out because of the Great Depression or collapsed during the post-WWII period.
The invention of the car was a huge one because it now allowed for so much more and affected the American economy and still does today. The oil industry is a huge industry today and you see gas stations everywhere, wherever you go. Tourism became a big thing. For example, in Gulf Shores, there are tons of condominiums that are open to care for traveler’s needs, there are hotels and motels everywhere, and there are trails that daring drivers can adventure on. Everytime you turn on the TV there is most likely going to be an advertisement for new cars or car insurance and in every TV show, there is most likely the mention or the sight of a car as well. There are great things that came out of the invention of the automobile but there are also some negatives. America’s biggest air quality compromisers are cars and about ⅓ of the US pollution comes from cars. This is a problem because the tail pipes that emit all of the carbon monoxide are at a level that is dangerous for humans because they are at a level where we can breathe them in directly. Even though there are some negatives to cars, they still have many pros and have helped shape the US economy into what it is today.
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