Portal:Cars

The Cars Portal

Toyota Corolla is considered to be the best-selling car of all-time.

A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat 1-8 people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are over 1.6 billion cars in use worldwide as of 2025^[update].

The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769, and the Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz designed and constructed the first internal combustion-powered automobile in 1808. The modern car—a practical, marketable automobile for everyday use—was invented in 1886, when the German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Commercial cars became widely available during the 20th century. The 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash and the 1908 Ford Model T, both American cars, are widely considered the first mass-produced and mass-affordable cars, respectively. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced horse-drawn carriages. In Europe and other parts of the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II. In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialised countries.

Cars have controls for driving, parking, passenger comfort, and a variety of lamps. Over the decades, additional features and controls have been added to vehicles, making them progressively more complex. These include seat belts, airbags, rear-reversing cameras, air conditioning, navigation systems, and in-car entertainment. Most cars in use in the early 2020s are propelled by an internal combustion engine, fueled by the combustion of fossil fuels. Electric cars, which were invented early in the history of the car, became commercially available in the 2000s and widespread in the 2020s. (Full article...)

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Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

1951 Muntz Jet at the Dayton Concours d'Elegance

The Muntz Jet is a two-door hardtop convertible built by the Muntz Car Company in the United States between approximately 1949 and 1954. It is sometimes credited as the first personal luxury car. Developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC) that was designed by Frank Kurtis, it was produced and marketed by Earl "Madman" Muntz. The car was powered by one of two V8 engines, either a 160 hp (120 kW) Cadillac engine or a 160 hp (120 kW) Lincoln engine, and it was equipped with either a General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission or a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission. The Jet was streamlined, featured numerous luxury appointments, and was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts.

Production of the Muntz Jet occurred in Glendale, California; Evanston, Illinois; and Chicago before ceasing in 1954. The car sold for $5,500 in 1953 (about $51,500 in 2017), but cost $6,500 to produce. In total, Muntz lost approximately $400,000 on the venture. Only 198 Jets were built, an estimated 50 to 130 of which are still in existence. By 2016, fully restored cars had sold for over $100,000 at auction. Author Matt Stone called the Jet "one of the fastest and best-performing American cars of the time" while Muntz claimed that the 1958 Ford Thunderbird was inspired by his Jet. (Full article...)

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Hyundai Motor Company, often referred to as Hyundai Motors (Korean: 현대자동차) and commonly known as Hyundai (현대; [çəːndɛ]; 'modernity'), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, which was founded in 1967. Currently, the company owns 33.88 percent of Kia Corporation, and owns a luxury cars subsidiary, Genesis. The three brands altogether make up the Hyundai Motor Group.

Hyundai operates the world’s largest single integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, South Korea. Established in 1968, the Ulsan plant spans approximately 5,000,000 m²—about 670 football fields—and employs around 31,000 workers, with an annual completed-vehicle production capacity of 1.52 million units. The company employs approximately 75,000 people worldwide. Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. As of November 2024, Hyundai is the world's third-largest carmaker in terms of production, behind competitors Toyota and Volkswagen. (Full article...)

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Mercedes-Benz C 180 Cabriolet

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Schmitz in 2007

Sabine Schmitz (German: [zaˈbi.nə ʃmɪt͡s]; formerly Reck; 14 May 1969 – 16 March 2021) was a German professional motor racing driver and television personality. She was born in Adenau to a family in the hotel and catering business, and raised in one of the villages nestled within the Nürburgring. She initially trained to join the same profession as her parents before choosing to begin a career in racing, working as a driver for BMW and Porsche.

Schmitz was known as an expert on the Nürburgring circuit, being the first woman to win a major 24h race overall, and winning two victories in 24h races during the course of her driving career on the circuit. She also became a cult icon on television, following her appearance on BBC's Top Gear, making recurring appearances alongside several of the programme's presenters. In March 2021, Schmitz died of cancer at the age of 51, following a diagnosis in late 2017. (Full article...)

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On this day September 1

2005 — Dieter Zetsche moves from a role of CEO of Chrysler to become temporary CEO of Mercedes Car Group amid product and sales turmoil

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Did you know...

...that the racing version of the Dauer 962 Le Mans, winner of 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans, is a roadcar converted from a Porsche 962 racecar, which dominated Le Mans, Group C and IMSA during the 1980s?
...that the 25 Millionth VW Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg in March 2007? The first Golf started production in 1974, 33 years later the 1.4 litre TSI version became the 25 Millionth car.
...that the 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to offer a cassette tape player as an option?
...that the first production turbocharged cars were General Motors' A-body 1962 Chevrolet Corvair and Oldsmobile F-85?
...that Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee and 2007 Wrangler in the same way — by driving them through a plate glass window?
...that a small number of Renault 20s, badged as Dacia 2000, were made in the 1980s by Dacia in Romania for Romanian communist dignitaries of that time?
...that the Autobianchi Primula was the Fiat's first automobile with the front-wheel drive, transverse engine setup and rack and pinion steering?
...that the Plymouth Sundance is a liftback, even though the outside appearance might suggest that it is a sedan?
...that the name Volvo really means 'I Roll?' That's how Volvo rolls.

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When you drive from Melbourne to Broken Hill, as I did recently, you find you want to do it in a bigger, more comfortable car. If consumers bought what they wanted to buy there would always be (plenty) who would buy a full-size car.

—Denny Mooney

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General images

The following are images from various car-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 11926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 2Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)
Image 31929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 4Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 5The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 6Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 7Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 8Percentage-of-total-sales figures for electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles approximately quadrupled from 2020 to 2026. (from History of the automobile)
Image 9The Ford Model T (1908–1927) is credited with being the first mass-affordable automobile and one of the most produced cars in history. (from Car)
Image 10The weight of the low battery stabilises the car. This is a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive layout, but many cars only have one motor. (from Car)
Image 11A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 12The first production car: 1888 Benz Patent-Motorwagen Model 2 on loan from Science Museum, London to Automuseum Dr Carl Benz, Ladenburg, 2014 (from Car)
Image 13Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 14The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 15The second Marcus car of 1888 (from History of the automobile)
Image 16Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 17A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 181929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 192011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 20Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 21A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)
Image 22A Tesla Model Y electric car, the world's best-selling electric car, and the best selling nameplate in 2023. (from History of the automobile)
Image 231982 Toyota Camry (from History of the automobile)
Image 241924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 25The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (from History of the automobile)
Image 26In the Ford Model T the left-side hand lever sets the rear wheel parking brakes and puts the transmission in neutral. The lever to the right controls the throttle. The lever on the left of the steering column is for ignition timing. The left foot pedal changes the two forward gears while the centre pedal controls reverse. The right pedal is the brake. (from Car)
Image 27The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 28Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 291974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 30Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 311959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 32A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 33The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 34Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 351987 Renault Espace (from History of the automobile)
Image 36Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 37The first practical car, Carl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 2 of 1886 (image from 1888) (from Car)
Image 381946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with a pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 39Result of a serious car collision (from Car)
Image 40Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 41Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 421955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible (from History of the automobile)
Image 43Carl Benz, creator of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, considered by many as the first modern car. (from History of the automobile)
Image 44The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 45Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 46The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 47A Stanley Steamer racecar in 1903. In 1906, a similar Stanley Rocket set the world land speed record at 205.5 km/h (127.7 mph) at Daytona Beach Road Course. (from History of the automobile)
Image 48The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 49Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)