USA: The United States of Automobiles
October 15, 2024
Today, cars drive many Americans’ day-to-day lives. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 92% of U.S. households own at least one car. But how has the car evolved to become an everyday staple? Patents, photos, films, and more documentation preserved by the National Archives capture the innovations that led to the modern-day car and its lasting cultural relevance in American society.
A downtown parking lot captured as part of Documerica, a photography project sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 1973.
Motorwagens, Road Vehicles, and Driving Machines
Although the “motorwagen” was first invented in Germany and France in the late 1800s, American inventors and engineers quickly put their foot on the gas to catch up. Charles and Frank Duryea were granted the patent for the first successful, gasoline-powered automobile in the U.S. on June 11, 1895, for their Duryea Road Vehicle. Henry Ford’s Quadricycle quickly followed in 1896 and Hosea W. Libbey’s automobile in 1900. Many others contributed to the early evolution of “driving machines” and “road vehicles.”
Patent Drawing for the Duryea Road Vehicle, 1895.
Patent Drawing for the Duryea Road Vehicle, 1895.
Then, in 1908, everything changed when Henry Ford introduced the Model T. This wasn’t the Ford Motor Company’s first car but it was the first affordable, durable car offered to the public. By 1927, Ford had sold 15 million Model Ts, making it one of the best-selling vehicles of all time.
The National Archives preserves films produced by the Ford Motor Company, covering the years 1914-1945. Donated to the National Archives in 1963, these films—like the one linked below—are available on the National Archives’ YouTube channel and in the online catalog.
The fifteen millionth Ford Model T on the assembly line in 1927. You can also see Ford’s Quadricycle being driven starting at 0:42
The Modern Car
The Model T changed how people lived, worked, and traveled because Henry Ford had created a “universal car” that many people could afford. Cars gave Americans greater access to jobs, places to live and travel, and everyday services to improve their lives. Moreover, cars led to the development of better roads and supported the introduction of new industries, jobs, and communities to support the budding automotive industry.
Fast-forward to today, and we now have many more car-buying options (around 275 models in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book). From the 1949 Torpedo to the Corvette Stingray and the Ford Truck, cars have impacted U.S. history, society, and culture. Frequently featured in everyday media and sports, cars have come to represent American innovation, independence, and identity. Beloved by car enthusiasts, celebrities, and presidents alike, car ownership unites most Americans.
Tucker "Torpedo" Patent Drawing, 1949.
A rebuilt Corvette sports car, 1974.
President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan posing with a new Ford pickup truck at Rancho Del Cielo in 1985.
An experimental electric car is examined at the First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development, hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 1973.
Records in the National Archives show how the U.S. government and the American automotive industry collaborated to develop safer and more durable cars, including electric vehicles that can help reduce their environmental impact. Each year, technological advances provide Americans with more vehicular options that match their needs and lifestyles, maximize fuel efficiency, and keep them safe on the road. As we progress into another century of automotive innovation, one thing is certain: there’s no slowing down now.
