An automobile, also called a car, is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transportation that is driven by an internal combustion engine powered most often by gasoline, a liquid petroleum product. Its invention in the early twentieth century revolutionized both industrial manufacturing and everyday life. New industries developed to supply the fuel, tires, and other parts needed for the new vehicles. People gained more freedom and new activities became possible.
During the first decades of the 20th century, many American families had a car, and this was true around the world. The automobile encouraged family vacations and allowed urban dwellers to rediscover pristine landscapes, while rural residents could shop in towns. Cars also enabled teenagers to have their own independence and dating couples to find a portable space for romance. But the automobile brought with it problems of traffic congestion, air pollution, and increased dangers from drunk driving.
The era of the annually restyled road cruiser ended as safety standards, environmental concerns, and energy shortages imposed restrictions on production. By the late 1960s, automobile innovation was slowing to a crawl and many Americans turned away from domestic manufacturers in favor of German and Japanese fuel-efficient, functionally designed, and well-built small cars. By the end of the 20th century, the automobile had become one of the most ubiquitous and important inventions in human history. It now seems inconceivable that human civilization could ever exist without it.