The content of the article:
- Interesting facts about American cars
- Ford Model T. World's first auto-celebrity at an affordable price
- Cadillac. A car that has become an art object
- Buick GNX. Exclusive for $ 165,000
- Chevrolet Camaro. The shrimp that bypassed the Mustang
- Pontiac or Chieftain of the Six Cylinder
- Hummer. The story of how a citizen "killed" a brutal military man
- Dodge. From bike to army jeep
- Jeep. The military man who became the father of all SUVs
- Lincoln. The car for the president and the mafia
- Oldsmobile. The first car to come off the assembly line
Even if America did not become the country that invented the automobile, this did not prevent it from becoming a power that gave a powerful impetus to the development of the automobile industry. Henry Ford can rightfully be considered the "culprit" of the auto-coup not only in the United States, but perhaps all over the world. It was he who established the mass production of cars not only in the United States, but also abroad, providing transport to different segments of the population. Later, other American car brands entered the world market, the history of which is full of fascinating and sometimes unusual events.
Interesting facts about American cars
1. Ford Model T. World's first auto-celebrity at an affordable price
Model "T" was named "Tin Lizzie" and at one time became the first in many "nominations":
- The first car of mass conveyor production. Henry Ford emphasized assembly automation, which allowed him to manufacture his products in the hundreds, while other manufacturers only counted in dozens.
- The first car available to the middle class. Thanks to the assembly line, the cost of the Model T machines was even initially much lower than that of others. In the 1910s, a car was priced between $ 1,000 and $ 2,000, while the Model T's top cap was $ 850. And over time, the price dropped to $ 350.
- First place in the "Car of the Century" competition.
- The first car to be produced outside the United States. Ford factories have sprung up in Germany, Great Britain, France and even Australia.
2. Cadillac. A car that has become an art object
One day, a group of hippie artists near the town of Amarillo decided to do something unusual. Enlisting the support of millionaire Stanley Marsh, three enterprising young people created an installation of broken Cadillac cars. In a field near the city, 10 cars were buried in the ground at a certain angle. It is believed that the installation angle is identical to the angle under which the Egyptian pyramids were erected, but this has never been officially confirmed by anyone.
The machines are ranked by model order. The first creators installed the 1949 Club Sedan. The last one is Sedan de Ville 1963.
And so, in 1974, the installation was officially completed and was named "Cadillac Ranch".
Later, the Ranch experienced many events. At first, it aroused the interest of "spare parts hunters" who stole machine parts, then artists from all over the country reached out to the object, and each of them strove to leave their mark in the form of another graffiti, the cars were repainted several times (in order to paint over graffiti or in honor of some then events). And in 1997, due to the growing city, it was decided to move the installation to a new location, to the north of the settlement.
But despite all these events, "Cadillac Ranch" still serves as a place for excursions for travelers and tourists.
3. Buick GNX. Exclusive for $ 165,000
The company's developers did their best and after some improvements, Buick GM became the Buick GNX - the fastest car in the United States at the time of release. The motor, whose power was 300 horsepower, accelerated to 100 km / h in 4.7 seconds. Such an indicator is quite satisfactory even for modern cars, and in fact this result "Buick" showed in 1987.
The model turned out to be not only high-speed, but also exclusive. A total of 547 units were produced. Even at the time of its "release" Buick GNX was defined by connoisseurs as a collectible car.
But the story of the model did not end there. After 30 years, a copy was put up for auction, the mileage of which was equal to 362 miles and its general condition was preserved in its original form. It was sold for 165 thousand dollars.
4. Chevrolet Camaro. The shrimp that bypassed the Mustang
At a time when the Ford Mustang began to confidently conquer the muscle car market (although if you approach the issue with all the severity, then the models belong to the related category of "muscle" cars), Chevrolet was preparing its answer to the favorite. In 1966, the first ever Chevrolet Camaro was created.
When asked what “camaro” means, the manufacturers answered evasively - they said that it was a small animal eating mustangs. But Ford readily deciphered the name of the model, indicating that it translates as "small shrimp". Most likely, it was just irony towards the new competitor.
But when the Camaro broke the Ford sales record several times, the latter was not ironic. Small Shrimp "jumped" the Mustang at full speed, making the favorite the second in the race at five minutes.
Later it was found that the term "camaro" is a modified "camarade", which in translation from old French means "friend".
5. Pontiac or Chieftain of the Six-Cylinder
Now, few people know that the car got its name in honor of the Indian leader from the Ottawa tribe, who led the resistance to the British colonialists. Pontiac managed to rally around himself 7 eastern tribes of North America. During the resistance, the Indians won more than one victory, but in the end, for reasons of common sense, the resistance nevertheless concluded a peace treaty with the "white people".
Representatives of General Motors decided to perpetuate the memory of the warlike leader by donating his name to a new line of cars, the production of which began in 1926. Starting with the very first model, the cars had an emblem with an image of an Indian wearing a classic headdress made of a bird's feather. And now the new car is confidently conquering the market under the name "The Leader of the Six-Cylinder".
But after improving the model and installing eight-cylinder engines, it was decided to abolish the emblem - this happened in 1957. The brand successfully existed until 2009, when it was completely discontinued.
6. Hummer. The story of how a citizen "killed" a brutal military man
In 1979, the United States Army held a competition for the best military all-terrain vehicle. To summarize the requirements put forward, the participants had to create a small, lightweight, maneuverable vehicle that would pass through any obstacles. The winner in this tender was AM General, a company engaged in the production of "heavy" equipment - trucks, SUVs and buses.
After Operation Desert Storm, they learned about the car in civilian life and the company began to receive orders. The creators decided to refine their creation a little (they removed the armor, made the interior more comfortable, etc.) and release it "into the light".
The experiment was successful. The cost of the car was considerable, but it was in demand - someone needed an SUV, someone needed a car with a "masculine" design. Later, the rights to manufacture Hummer were bought by General Motors, and the model began to acquire more and more "civilian" features.
The last model (H3) rolled off the assembly line in 2005. It was not even an SUV, the Hummer was completely transformed into an SUV of the original design. However, it retained its cost, propensity for high fuel consumption and bulky appearance. Which became a death sentence for him. Perhaps the agony would have lasted longer, but the outbreak of the crisis accelerated the process.Nobody will overpay exclusively for a brutal appearance in such conditions.
In 2010, the civilian version of the Hummer was discontinued.
7. Dodge. From bike to army jeep
In 1897, two Dodge brothers, John and Horace, founded a bicycle company. Over time, she retrained for the manufacture of auto parts that were supplied to Ford factories.
Having accumulated enough funds and knowledge, the brothers began to manufacture cars. The start was so successful that the novelty overtook other brands on the market, competing even with the recognized leader "Ford".
During World War II, the plant was engaged in the production of WC off-road vehicles, which were purchased by the Soviet Union.
8. Jeep. The military man who became the father of all SUVs
The American army's tender for the design of a vehicle with a high level of cross-country ability marked the beginning of a new direction in the auto industry. In 1940, the army received an unpretentious in operation, with a considerable carrying capacity and good maneuverability with an open body.
After the end of the war, the Jeep brand was officially registered, and cars began to be supplied for civilian needs. In fact, it was a new direction in the automotive industry - the first SUVs were born. Over time, the brand name became a household name for vehicles of this type, and other companies adopted the idea.
Jeep are in demand to this day, steadfastly going through all the troubles; even the bankruptcy of Crysler (the owner) failed to stop production.
9. Lincoln. The car for the president and the mafia
The Lincoln was launched by Henry Leland, the founder of the equally legendary Cadillac. And, as in the case of the Cadillac, he named his creation not in his own honor, as was customary in the auto world, but in honor of President Lincoln. Perhaps it was the name that brought the car popularity among the US ruling elite. Throughout the 20th century, the country's presidents used cars of this particular brand. And in 1963, D. Kennedy was killed in the Continental Convertible.
However, Lincoln was extremely popular among the less noble American "powerful" representatives of society - the mafiosi. Gangsters also appreciated the prestige and quality of Leland's brainchild, preferring it to other car brands.
10. Oldsmobile. The first car to come off the assembly line
There is an opinion that the ancestor of the assembly line is Henry Ford. However, this is not quite true. For the first time, the conveyor production method was launched at the factory that manufactures Oldsmobile.
A little later, Ford refined and improved the technology of automatic assembly, after which the production took on a scale, which brought Ford world fame and considerable fortune. However, the primacy does not belong to him.
Conclusion on the facts of American cars
The invention of the internal combustion engine gave rise to an entire era of automobile construction and sent horse-drawn carriages into oblivion. More than a century has passed since then, and perhaps the internal combustion engine will suffer the fate of horses.
Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer, started in 2007 and has already developed several solar-powered car models. And despite the impressive cost, the novelty of the auto industry is in demand among certain segments of the population. Perhaps it will not take long, and electric cars will begin to intensively push old good ICEs from the market.
