Check out these fun facts about cars!
A long time ago in the year 1886, the very first modern car was invented.
Sporting three wheels, a seat for two, and an engine in the back, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen cost about $150 to own.
That same year, the first four-wheeled vehicle was invented and dubbed the horseless carriage.
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Soon after, the popularity of self-propelled vehicles grew and cars began to be made on a production line.
By 1908, the first affordable cars were being manufactured and sold for no more than $850.
Incredible!
Keep reading to discover more car fun facts!
You Might Like to Use These Fun Car Coloring Pages While You Learn About Cars!
Car Facts for Kids
The First Car Didn’t Have a Steering Wheel
You would think that the steering wheel came with the invention of the car, but no.
The first car was actually steered with a tiller.
A tiller is a lever that is used to do the steering, similar to a rudder on a boat.
The car tiller would change the direction of the front wheel allowing the driver to follow the road and make turns.
The first steering wheel used in a car was back in 1894!
That’s eight years after the first modern car was designed!
There are 30,000 Parts in a Car
On average a car has about 30,000 different parts.
From small pieces such as the nuts, bolts, and screws to the larger parts including the engine and more, there are many components that go together to make a car work.
Now, that is a lot of parts!
The First Speeding Ticket was Given in 1896
In 1896, in the small town of Paddock Wood, England, the very first speeding ticket was handed out.
After a 5 mile chase, a man named Walter Arnold was cited and fined for driving more than four times the speed limit in his motor carriage!
How fast was he going?
Well, you will not believe it, but he was cruising at a whopping 8 miles per hour in a 2 miles per hour zone!
Can you imagine?
Later that same year, the speed limit in the town went up to a super-fast 14MPH.
In 1903, Windshield Wipers were Invented
A lady by the name of Mary Anderson had the idea for a windshield wiper while she was traveling one rainy afternoon.
Her idea came to life with the help of a designer, a lever, and a rubber blade.
The first windshield wiper worked with the help of a lever inside of the car that moved a rubber blade back and forth across the windshield to wipe away the water.
In 1903, Anderson had created and brought to life the very first working windshield wiper.
Amazing!
Cars are the Most Recycled Product in the World
Considering the fact that there are more cars than people in the world, cars take the lead in most recycled products.
About 95% of cars that stop working are recycled in one way or another.
Cars are recycled in five steps.
First, the engine and car fluids are removed.
Next, the car gets taken apart into pieces so that they can be reused.
After that, cars are crushed and shredded into scrap metal.
The scrap metal is then mixed together and finally, molded into new car frames.
How cool is that?
An Amphicar was Built in 1961
What’s an amphicar?
Well, it is actually a convertible style car that can be used on both land and in water!
They can go up to 70MPH on land and 7MPH in the water.
The first amphicar was made in 1961, and a grand total of 3,878 amphicars were manufactured before they decided to stop making them.
Who knew?
Try THIS Fun Car Craft with Your Kids!
Fun Car Facts
Over the years, cars have gone through many transformations to make them safer, trendier, and faster!
Cars are available in many different sizes, styles, and colors.
From the very first modern horseless carriage to today’s overabundance of unique cars, automobiles sure have come a long way!