Facts & History

Most American car horns beep in the key of F.

The word 'tarmac' comes from 'tarmacadam,' which is a mixture of crushed stone and tar used for surfacing roads.

In 1900, more than 2,300 automobiles were registered in New York City, Boston and Chicago. Of these, 1,170 were steam cars, 800 were electric cars, and only 400 were gasoline cars.

In the U.S., most cars travel an average of 35 mph on interstate highways during peak morning and afternoon rush.

The first Porsche 911 was introduced in 1964.

A car radio was first offered as an accessory in 1923.

During the 1980s and 1990s, manufacturers trimmed 450 kg (1,000 lb) from the weight of the typical car by making cars smaller.

During the early 20th century, steam cars were popular in the United States. Most famous was the Stanley Steamer, which established a world land speed record in 1906 of 205.44 km/h (121.573 mph).

The record for exceeding the speed limit by the most mph (167 mph) belongs to the driver who was issued a speeding ticket for allegedly going 242 mph in a 75 mph zone.

For a few decades in the 1800s, electric engines enjoyed great popularity because they were quiet and ran at slow speeds that were less likely to scare horses and people.

A top fuel dragster can get about 0.042 miles per gallon.

In 1963, Swedish car manufacturer Volvo offered seat belts as standard equipment for the first time.

The first gas gauge appeared in cars in 1922.

Starting in 1903, the Ford Motor Company rolled out new car models each year, and each model was named with a letter of the alphabet.

The only British car to finish the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was a Mini Marcos.

In 1876, German engineer Nikolaus August Otto built a four-stroke gas engine, the most direct ancestor to today's automobile engines.

The history of the automobile actually began about 4,000 years ago when the first wheel was used for transportation in India.

In 1885, Germans Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach mounted a gasoline-powered engine onto a bicycle, creating a motorcycle. In 1887, they manufactured their first car, which included a steering tiller and a four-speed gearbox.

Gear wings were introduced in Grand Prix racing by Ferrari in the 1968 Belgian GP.