Portal:Cars

The Cars Portal

The Ford Model T, produced from 1908 to 1927, is widely credited with being the first mass-affordable automobile, and it remains one of the best-selling cars 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.

The Lancia LC2 (sometimes referred to as the Lancia-Ferrari) was a series of racing cars built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia and powered by engines built by their sister company Ferrari. They were part of Lancia's official factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986, although they continued to be used by privateer teams until 1991. They were also the company's first car meeting the FIA's new Group C regulations for sports prototypes.

More powerful than their primary competition, the Porsche 956s, the LC2s were able to secure multiple pole positions during their three and a half seasons with the factory Martini Racing squad. However, deficiencies in reliability and fuel consumption hampered the LC2s' efforts for race wins against the Porsches. LC2s earned three race victories over their lifetimes in the hands of Italian drivers Teo Fabi, Riccardo Patrese, Alessandro Nannini, and Mauro Baldi, as well as German Hans Heyer and Frenchman Bob Wollek. (Full article...)

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The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame (JAHFA) is a non-profit organization established in 2001 to recognize individuals who have contributed to the development of Japan’s automotive industry and culture. It also designates historically significant automobiles from different periods.

JAHFA operates in Japan with the goal of preserving and teaching the achievements of automotive pioneers to future generations. Since its first induction ceremony in 2001, it has honored both individuals and vehicles for their impacts on the industry. (Full article...)

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Buick Roadmaster wagon

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Takeo Fujisawa (藤沢武夫, Fujisawa Takeo; November 10, 1910 – December 30, 1988) was a Japanese businessman who co-founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. alongside Soichiro Honda. Fujisawa oversaw the financial side of the company while Honda handled the engineering and product development. Together, they took the company from a small manufacturer of bicycle engines to a worldwide car manufacturer. (Full article...)

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On this day October 9

1988 — Felix Wankel, inventor of the Wankel engine, dies.

1997 — Alfa Romeo 156 is introduced

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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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Selected quote of the day

To get to know a country, you must have direct contact with the earth. It's futile to gaze at the world through a car window.

—Albert Einstein

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General images

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

Image 1The 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 21955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible (from History of the automobile)
Image 3The Präsident automobile (from History of the automobile)
Image 4The first practical car, Carl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 2 of 1886 (image from 1888) (from Car)
Image 5Rolls-Royce Phantom III (from History of the automobile)
Image 6A 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 7The Ford Model T (foreground) and Volkswagen Beetle (background) are among the most mass-produced car models in history. (from History of the automobile)
Image 8Ford Motor Company automobile assembly line in the 1920s (from Car)
Image 9Fiat 4 HP, the first car model produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat in 1899 (from History of the automobile)
Image 10Audi A4 daytime running lights (from Car)
Image 111982 Toyota Camry (from History of the automobile)
Image 12The second Marcus car of 1888 (from History of the automobile)
Image 13Panel for fuses and circuit breakers (from Car)
Image 14A robotic Volkswagen Passat shown at Stanford University is a driverless car. (from Car)
Image 15In 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 161924 Doble Model E (from History of the automobile)
Image 17Volkswagen Beetle (from History of the automobile)
Image 18Result of a serious car collision (from Car)
Image 191959 Morris Mini-Minor (from History of the automobile)
Image 202011 Nissan Leaf electric car (from Car)
Image 21The Flocken Elektrowagen was the first four-wheeled electric car (from Car)
Image 22The first automobile in Japan, a French Panhard-Levassor, in 1898 (from History of the automobile)
Image 23The Toyota Corolla is the world's bestselling nameplate. (from History of the automobile)
Image 241929 Alfa Romeo 6C (from History of the automobile)
Image 25Car exhaust gas is one type of pollution
Image 26Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version (from History of the automobile)
Image 27The Vélib' in Paris, France, is the largest bikesharing system outside China. (from Car)
Image 281974 Citroën DS (from History of the automobile)
Image 29A 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 30The Selden Road-Engine (from History of the automobile)
Image 31Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (Oldsmobile) in 1897. (from Car)
Image 32The German Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888, perhaps the first electric car in the world (from History of the automobile)
Image 331987 Renault Espace (from History of the automobile)
Image 34Percentage-of-total-sales figures for electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles approximately quadrupled from 2020 to 2026. (from History of the automobile)
Image 35A replica of Richard Trevithick's 1801 road locomotive 'Puffing Devil' (from History of the automobile)
Image 36Cugnot's 1771 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris (from Car)
Image 37Steam machine of Verbiest, in 1678 (Ferdinand Verbiest) (from Car)
Image 38Carl Benz, creator of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, considered by many as the first modern car. (from History of the automobile)
Image 39The 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 401926 Bugatti Type 35 (from History of the automobile)
Image 41A Chevrolet Suburban extended-length SUV weighs 3,300 kilograms (7,200 lb) (gross weight). (from Car)
Image 42Road congestion is an issue in many major cities (pictured is Chang'an Avenue in Beijing). (from Car)
Image 43Model-T Ford car parked near the Geelong Art Gallery at its launch in Australia in 1915 (from History of the automobile)
Image 44Carl Benz, the inventor of the modern car (from Car)
Image 451929 Austin Seven (from History of the automobile)
Image 461946 GAZ-M20 Pobeda, one of the first mass-produced cars with a pontoon design (from History of the automobile)
Image 47Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (from History of the automobile)
Image 48A car being assembled in a factory (from Car)