The history of automobiles dates back to the late 19th century, when the first car, invented by Carl Benz, was introduced in 1886. Over the years, the graph of car production in terms of technological advancements has been upward sloping with the international markets making constant progress. Since the concept of motors cars has been existing for only over a century, a lot of documentation has been done, revealing astonishing facts about the automobile industry. Here are a few facts that have been accumulated by analysts and organisations, which are worth mentioning.
Religion is one of the most influential aspects of anyone's life, which comes into play in almost everything. People across the globe have been known to name their kids after religious figures. According to a report in California, incredibly, at least six driver's licenses have been registered under the name of Jesus Christ. The stereotypical and orthodox car enthusiast would not associate women with the designing of cars. The history of automobiles is filled with the names of males, who have developed top class vehicles. However, it is believed that windshield wipers, a common car component, were invented by a woman named Mary Anderson in the year 1903. Mary Anderson, a resident of the United States of America, reportedly, labelled her invention as a 'window cleaning device'. Talking about other inventions, Paul Gavin is credited for making the first car radio in the world, an accomplishment he achieved in the year 1929.
Luxury and sports car have always fascinated auto enthusiasts due the benchmarks set by them for comfort, class, power and speed. Rolls-Royce is known across the globe for producing vehicles that are epitomes of luxury, attracting the crème de la crème of the society. Among the cities of the world, Shanghai, as per statistics, has the highest rate of Rolls-Royce cars per capita. Ferrari, the Italian car maker, is known for producing fast vehicles, such as 458, California, Modena and F12berlinetta. However, it is said the Ferrari manufactures only fourteen cars in one day. Another car maker that is known for producing top class vehicles that have broken speed records is Bugatti. Interestingly, the most expensive car ever sold also belongs to the same brand. The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for an incredible $8.7 million. Fame is an important factor that influences the success of a vehicle. Over the years, numerous cars have appeared in Hollywood films, depicting their popularity. One such car, which is recognised as one of the most popular in the world, is the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT-500, which appeared in the Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie starrer Gone in 60 Seconds.
Tabloids and magazines have come up with several facts and trivia, which are quite amazing. For instance, if one was to drive a car to the Sun, it is said that it would take 150 years to reach. In Switzerland, where traffic penalties are based on salaries and the speed of the vehicle, a man once had to pay a fine of around $1 million. According to reports, that man was caught driving his car at a speed of 180 mph. Talking of speeding, the average speed of a car in Los Angeles, USA, was around 60 mph in 1972, which was reduced to just 17 mph a decade later. The concept of car racing, now famous throughout the world, started in 1895, when a race took place in 1895 in Chicago with the winner being a man called Frank Dureyea.
A recent report in the United States of America stated that a gallon of Grande Latte from Starbucks costs eight times as much a gallon of petrol. According to a survey, 53 per cent of car owners are known to wash their vehicles once every month. However, astonishingly, 16 per cent people do wash their cars ever.
