The Evolution of Cars! (Design)

We live in a time where cars are as common as ants, and in the streets we find a wide variety of cars, from sports cars to land-rovers, each of which are quite evolved from the original idea of fuel powered travel. So how did the design for travel develop? 

• At the turn of the century, people wanted to have carriages without the horses, and the industrial revolution took its toll. Many scientists began working on gasoline powered mechanics. It is believed that a French scientist, Nicholas Joseph Cugnot, invented the first self-propelled automobile in 1769. It's design is quite crude and has a sense of steam-punk (courtesy of the industrial revolution). It almost looks as though a child were playing with Lego and built it to scale. The wooden wheels at the back of the automobile look very similar to the wheels of a horse drawn carriage; this shows that the automobile at this stage lacks the design and focuses on usage.
• During this time period, rail-ways, steamships and telegraphs were blasting through towns and villages. Farmers became more and more socialized, and people traveled more often at an easier comfort. 

World's first self-propelled automobile 1769

Typical Horse Drawn Carriage

• Henry Ford built his first automobile in 1898. Here design kicks in more rapidly, we can see that all the mechanics are hidden beneath the bonnet, there are lanterns and a glass in front of the steering wheel. The seats look like what one might expect for comfort and luxury. It also has a convertible roof, a design still used today, again representing luxury. The wheels are also developed from the basic wooden wheel to a thin rubbery one. Doors only exist for the back seats. 

  

  T-model by Henry Ford 1898

• In 1929 the Doge brothers created a model called the four door Sedan. This care has a more "safer" look as all the passengers are concealed within a steel box, with glass windows of course. It has four doors . Like previous models the mud-guards form one with the step under the doors. The front wheels are slightly larger than the hind wheels, they also support rims which have a unique design. Colour is also important for the buyers, most of these cars do not have a black but more of a matte metallic colour. 

Four-Door Sedan by Doge 1929

Sources-

AhJotahTube, 2009. Invention of the Automobile documentary clip
 [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xVFzNWdEc> [Accessed 15 April 2014].

Kroplick, H., 2013. The First Self-Propelled Vehicle. vanderbiltcupraces.com, [blog] 29 November. Available at: <http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/video_of_the_week_the_first_self-propelled_vehicle> [Accessed 15 April 2014].