Motoring started from Germany when, in 1886, Karl Benz demonstrated a working prototype of his “motorcar”. Pretty soon, other European nations joined the race to build “automobiles” which is French expression for “self-propelled” to distinguish these vehicles from horse-drawn carriages.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, Americans also started their ventures in 1890s. Ransom Eli Olds and Henry Ford are pioneers in car making in USA.
For the current generations who grew up with all types of vehicles around them, the best way to understand the quick adoption of automobiles at start of 20th Century has a parallel with widespread adoption of mobile phones near the end of the same century. The ease and convenience presented by the new technology proved to be a game changer. Both automobiles and mobile phones started as status symbols for the rich, but soon proliferated to all strata of the society.
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