The automobile has become the transportation vehicle of choice for Americans everywhere. With the advent of cars like Lexus and Toyota and the desire for more speed and horsepower in American society, it’s no wonder cars have become the most popular way to travel in not only the States but around the world.

The car that opened travel to middle-class Americans was the Ford Model T which debuted in 1908. This vehicle is what sparked the massive popularity of cars in the United States and in Canada as well as made cars affordable to the common citizen. Thanks to these all of these innovations, 1908 is considered the year of when automobiles hit mainstream.

Cars by Ford marked the beginning of mass production in the automotive industry. It took only 15 minutes for a car from Ford to come off the assembly line. The needs of the market have had a large effect on the design of cars ranging from cars designed to go fast while maintaining safety. The mass production of cars in the United States had a big effect on the popularity of automobiles around the world with the Opel Laubfrosch being the first mass production German car.

As time passed, the design of cars have changed. Automobile manufactures have took great consideration into the weight of cars in order to achieve good fuel consumption and maintain speed. Before the late 20th century, automobiles were heavy and cumbersome. The style of the car has changed since the Model T to fit more passengers. As a result, automobiles now come in many different designs such as a sedan, van, hatchback, and more.

Thanks to the popular of the automobile in the states, costs have increased. Cities have had to maintain properly paved roads, make sure that there is insurance to protect against automobile accidents, add parking fees and more. Despite these costs, the automobile has allowed citizens to be able to travel from place to place more quickly and more flexibly than ever before.

In the future, automobiles in the States are expected to have less of a dependency on oil with more emphasis on alternative fueling methods such as ethanol thanks to the increasing concern of global warming. Some futurists even think that so-called flying cars might enter the mainstream. No matter what changes, it is a fact that the automobile has changed society in the United States and around the world by a great deal.