Fastest Cars Lamborghini Estoque

The Lamborghini Estoque, while still only a concept car though with a strong chance of seeing production.Since the success of the Maserati Quattroporte and the first images of the still-in-development Porsche Panamera, buyers are told it is o.k., even unique in a crowded field, to have four-door halo sports cars.As a concept, the Lamborghini Estoque represents one of several possibilities for a third model series within the Lamborghini product line-up.Despite its extremely low profile - at a mere 1.35 meters (4.43 feet) high - the Lamborghini Estoque is surprisingly spacious. The secret lies in its very long wheelbase which, in spite of the rearwards positioning of the front mid-engine, enables a relaxed, sporty seating position.The Estoque is a Lambo that can be used every day, that motoring contradiction: a sensible car from Sant'Agata.

Technology

Performance details and specs are slim at this point for the Lamborghini Estoque concept. Notably, Lamborghini has not yet solidified what engine would power the car should it see production. The most likely choice would be the excellent 5 liter V8 which forms the performance base for both the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Audi R8. The cockpit presents the driver with a large-area LCD screen displaying vehicle and route information. A range of presentation formats are available for selection depending on personal preference - a distinctive classical layout with circular instrument dials, or an innovative digital display.As a pure concept car, the Lamborghini Estoque is a design exercise and a further indication of the innovative power of the Lamborghini brand.Top speed could be anywhere from 250 to 320 km/h [155-200mph]. Lamborghini also discusses the possibility that the Estoque could use V-8 hybrid power or maybe even a turbodiesel.

Fastest Cars McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is one of the fastest, most powerful and most expensive road cars ever. It was developed by McLaren Cars Ltd, a subsidiary of one of the world's leading Formula One Teams. The philosophy behind the F1 road car was simple - to be the finest drivers car ever built, or ever likely to be built.
That is the opening statement McLaren Auto offers on their officle homepage. To make that statement true, McLaren set out to produce the McLaren F1;a car that would be suitable for everyday use plus weekend trips to the racetrack.
The F1 features an all carbon composite monocoque and body structure. McLaren chose this material because it offers lightweight for maximum speed and strength to protect its drivers.

McLaren F1 Data
Base Price	$1,050,000
Power	627 hp
Zero to 60 mph	3.4 s
Zero to 100 mph	7.7 s
Top speed	240.14 mph

History

Emphasis on the design was to get the highest power to weight ratio possible in a comfortable, road worthy machine. Lightweight F1 composites and metals were used throughout the car. Every detail, such as weight and response of the Kenwood stereo components, were given close attention.

The McLaren F1 was the first production to use a complete carbon fiber chassis and body. Such lightweight construction, combined with the BMW S70/2, 620 horsepower engine, helped the McLaren achieve 240.14mph in its XP5 pre-production trim. The success didn't stop on the road however, with special GTR versions winning Le Mans outright in 1995 and taking two FIA GT World Championships.

After the initial production run 100 cars, McLaren have continued to maintain and add custom appointments to customer cars. Treatments such as new aerodynamic packages and custom interiors have been ordered by customers and McLaren has been happy to comply for right price. One such car is chassis #073 which has recently been sold by Christies Inc.

Technology

To power the car McLaren uses the BMW S70/2 engine, designed and built specifically for the F1. The engine is a 6.1 litre quad-cam, 48-valve V12 which produces no less than 627 bph and a top speed of 231 mph.
Some interesting features included on the McLaren F1 are a central driving position which offers space for two passengers and one driver, of course. Some other features are the intelligent brake cooling and Ground-Plane Shear'suspension geometry'.

Fastest Cars Koenigsegg CCR

Koenigsegg's design seeks to give an interpretation of strength and flowing motion. The body of a Koenigsegg is formed for one ultimate purpose; speed. Its beauty is the beauty of speed itself. The surfaces are shaped to perfectly aerodynamic, an appearance that does not deceive. All aspects of this machine serve its one fundamental objective. Both the body and chassis of a Koenigsegg are made of extremely lightweight carbon fibre composite, reinforced with Kevlar and aluminium honeycomb. Its race-bred suspension system brings the driver in control of all movement, even under the toughest racing conditions.

The car was styled by Christian von Koenigsegg himself but its shape is largely dictated by aerodynamics. It is not as striking as Pagani or Enzo. At some angles it even looks bulky, like a big whale. But the whale delivers a sense of power that you can't find in its rivals either. Because of the targeted top speed, the body is designed to be so smooth that it has a very low drag coefficient of 0.30. This is much lower than Enzo (0.36), SLR (0.37) and Carrera GT (0.39). Unsurprisingly, the downside is a rather low downforce, just 50kg at the front and 70kg at the back. For comparison, an Enzo generates 775kg while Pagani achieves 500kg.

The chassis is constructed like other supercars. Central to it is a carbon-fiber tub (Koenigsegg called it "semi-monocoque") attached with steel subframe up front and aluminum subframe at the rear for mounting engine, gearbox and suspensions. Chassis rigidity is 28,100Nm per degree despite of the targa roof. The whole bodyshell is also carbon-fiber. Koenigsegg claims a dry weight of 1175kg, which translates to 1275kg when fluid and fuel are loaded, i.e., what we usually refer to "kerb weight". In other words, CC8S is about as light as Pagani and Saleen S7, while being around 100 kilograms lighter than Enzo and Carrera GT.

Koenigsegg CCR Data
Base Price	595000USD
Power	806 hp
Zero to 60 mph	3.2 s
Zero to 100 mph	N/A
Top speed	395+ km/h (242+ mph)

History

Koenigsegg, a small Swedish supercar maker, was founded by Christian von Koenigsegg in 1994. He was very young, just 22 years old then, but he succeeded to raise the required money to develop and polish the supercar in the following 8 years until the first CC8S delivered to client in March 2002. That's amazing. His biggest success was to get the Swedish public excited (it's the country's first supercar) and many Swedish component suppliers involved the project.

In 2005 was an unbelievable day: Koenigsegg CCR broke the 7-year-old top speed record held by McLaren F1. The swedish supercar lapped Fiat's Nardo test track at 241.0 mph (387.9 kph), edging out the McLaren's 240.1 mph which was set in 1998.

Technology

The Koenigsegg CC interior seems merged with the exterior; the dynamic flow of lines and surfaces continue into the cabin and naturally bind them together. The layout is strictly symmetrical, with its elements mirrored on the centreline. All details are refined and the surfaces are cleaned of unnecessary obstructions. The focal point is the circular main control panel with its zodiac of multicolour lights and stainless steel buttons. In the very midpoint of the car is the turned gear lever; a flagpole topped by a gemstone carved with the Swedish colours. The main instrument cluster is mounted conveniently around the steering rod so that it always faces the driver. It is designed to be fully visible through the upper spokes of the steering wheel, giving the driver a complete overview.

It includes tachometer, indicators and an LCD unit giving full feed-back to the driver. The metal parts are of machined and anodized aluminium, giving them a frostlike sheen that makes them stand out against the leather background. Suede covers the dashboard and the muscle-like lower sections of the doors, serving to reduce sun glare and provide contrast to the composition. Ergonomics-engineers designed the carbon fibre chairs, which are fitted with Tempur for utmost comfort and flexibility. Their compactness leaves space for tall drivers, and they can be adjusted to offer a perfect driving position. This design fulfills the basic objective; to combine wild racing performance and comfortable everyday driving. Designer Joachim Nordwall came up with the original design concept of this interior

Fastest Cars Bugatti Veyron

252mph, 1001PS, 16 cylinders, four turbos, 8.0-litres... the Veyron's numbers are staggering. It can hit 60mph in 2.5 seconds thanks to four-wheel-drive traction, shoots to 125mph in 7.3 seconds and reaches 200mph in less than 20. The Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world , with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph top speed).

The obvious question: Why would anyone build such a car? Surely no one sees doing 250 mph on the highway. There can be no commercial logic behind such a crazy machine, even with the Veyron's price tag of one million euros (at the current exchange rate, that's $1.2 million). Not even as a "halo model" -- a reputation booster -- for the VW group that builds it does the Veyron make sense. No Bugatti owner wants it known he's driving a Volkswagen.

Bugatti Veyron Data
Base Price	1,000,000 euros (1,300,000 USD)
Power	1000 hp
Zero to 60 mph	2.5 s
Zero to 100 mph	6 s
Top speed	253 mph (407 km/h)

History

Development of the Veyron began with the 1999 EB 18/4 "Veyron" concept car . Introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show , it was similar in design and appearance to the final Veyron production car. One major difference was the EB 18/4's use of a W18 engine with three banks of six cylinders. The Veyron was designed by Hartmut Warkuss of Volkswagen rather than Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign who had handled the three prior Bugatti concepts.

Development continued throughout 2001 and the EB 16/4 Veyron was promoted to "advanced concept" status. In late 2001 Bugatti announced that the car, officially called the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 , would go into production in 2003. The car experienced significant problems, however. High-speed stability was difficult, with one prototype destroyed in a crash and another spun out during a press demonstration at the Monterey Historics event in Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca . Production of the Veyron was delayed indefinitely.

After the release of the car, it has become known that while each Veyron is being sold for £840,000, the production costs of the car are approximately £5 million per vehicle. As Bugatti, and therefore Volkswagen, are making such a huge loss, it has been likened by influential journalist Jeremy Clarkson to Concorde ; both are largely impractical experiments in technology and ground-breaking performance created just to prove that it could be done. A car the like of the Bugatti Veyron may not be seen in production again for some time to come, if at all.

Technology

The Veyron features a W16 engine —16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders, or the equivalent of two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a vee configuration. Each cylinder has 4 valves , for a total of 64, but the narrow V8 configuration allows two camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only 4 camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers , and it displaces 8.0 L (7,993 cm³/488 in³) with a square 86 by 86 mm bore and stroke.

The Veyron's 16-cylinder engine is based on the innovative "W" design introduced in the 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The Veyron's version features two 90-degree V8s offset by 15 degrees. The offset allows each cylinder to be placed close to its neighbor, which reduces the total size of the massive 8.0-liter engine. A Formula 1?style dry-sump lubrication system keeps the engine moving smoothly. It's easier to spin many small turbochargers than one or two large ones, so Bugatti employs four turbos to reduce boost lag. The strategy works: The engine creates 922 lb.-ft. of torque at only 2,200 rpm.

Putting this power to the ground is a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission with 7 gear ratios via shifter paddles behind the steering wheel. Or it can be driven by full automatic transmission. The Veyron also features full-time all wheel drive , necessary given the output of the engine. It uses special Michelin PAX System run-flat tires, which had to be designed specifically for the Veyron, and which are capable of running at 402 km/h (253 mph).

The car's wheelbase is 2700 mm (106.3 in). Overall length is 4466 mm (175.8 in). It measures 1998 mm (78.7 in) wide and 1206 mm (47.5 in) tall. Curb weight is expected to reach 4300 lb (1950 kg) with a power to weight ratio of 513.3 hp per ton (metric) or 4.36 lb/hp (SAE).The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators

Modern era vehicles

The modern era is normally defined as the 25 years preceding the current year. However, there are some technical and design aspects that differentiate modern cars from antiques. Without considering the future of the car, the modern era has been one of increasing standardisation, platform sharing, and computer-aided design.

Some particularly notable advances in modern times are the widespread of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the adoption of the V6 engine configuration, and the ubiquity of fuel injection. While all of these advances were first attempted in earlier eras, they so dominate the market today that it is easy to overlook their significance. Nearly all modern passenger cars are front-wheel drive monocoque/unibody designs, with transversely-mounted engines, but this design was considered radical as late as the 1960s.

Body styles have changed as well in the modern era. Three types, the hatchback, minivan, and sport utility vehicle, dominate today's market,[citation needed] yet are relatively recent concepts. All originally emphasised practicality, but have mutated into today's high-powered luxury crossover SUV and sports wagon. The rise of pickup trucks in the United States, and SUVs worldwide has changed the face of motoring, with these "trucks" coming to command more than half of the world automobile market.

The modern era has also seen rapidly rising fuel efficiency and engine output. Once the automobile emissions concerns of the 1970s were conquered with computerised engine management systems, power began to rise rapidly. In the 1980s, a powerful sports car might have produced 200 horsepower (150 kW) — just 20 years later, average passenger cars have engines that powerful, and some performance models offer three times as much power.

Exemplary modern cars:

* 1966–present Toyota Corolla — a simple small Japanese saloon/sedan that has come to be the best-selling car of all time.
* 1967 NSU Ro 80 — the basic wedge profile of this design was much emulated in subsequent decades.[13]
* 1970–present Range Rover — the first take on the combination of luxury and four-wheel drive utility, the original 'SUV'. Such was the popularity of the original Range Rover Classic that a new model was not brought out until 1996.[14]
* 1973–present Mercedes-Benz S-Class — electronic Anti-lock Braking System, supplemental restraint airbags, seat belt pretensioners, and electronic traction control system all made their debut on the S-Class. These features would later become standard throughout the car industry.
* 1975–present BMW 3 Series — the 3 Series has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 17 times, making it the longest running entry in the list.
* 1977–present Honda Accord saloon/sedan — this Japanese sedan became the most popular car in the United States in the 1990s, pushing the Ford Taurus aside, and setting the stage for today's upscale Asian sedans.
* 1981–1989 Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant — the "K-cars" that saved Chrysler as a major manufacturer. These models were some of the first successful American front-wheel drive, fuel-efficient compact cars.
* 1983–present Chrysler minivans — the two-box minivan design nearly pushed the station wagon out of the market, and presaged today's crossover SUVs.
* 1986–present Ford Taurus — this mid-sized front-wheel drive sedan with modern computer-assisted design dominated the American market in the late 1980s, and created a design revolution in North America.

Post-war era

1953 Morris Minor Series II
1985 Mini

Automobile design finally emerged from the shadow of World War II in 1949, the year that in the United States saw the introduction of high-compression V8 engines and modern bodies from General Motors' Oldsmobile and Cadillac brands. The unibody/strut-suspended 1951 Ford Consul joined the 1948 Morris Minor and 1949 Rover P4 in waking up the automobile market in the United Kingdom. In Italy, Enzo Ferrari was beginning his 250 series, just as Lancia introduced the revolutionary V6-powered Aurelia.

Throughout the 1950s, engine power and vehicle speeds rose, designs became more integrated and artful, and cars spread across the world. Alec Issigonis' Mini and Fiat's 500 diminutive cars swept Europe, while the similar kei car class put Japan on wheels for the first time. The legendary Volkswagen Beetle survived Hitler's Germany to shake up the small-car market in the Americas. Ultra luxury, exemplified in America by the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, reappeared after a long absence, and grand tourers (GT), like the Ferrari Americas, swept across Europe.

The market changed somewhat in the 1960s, as Detroit began to worry about foreign competition, the European makers adopted ever-higher technology, and Japan appeared as a serious car-producing nation. General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford tried radical small cars, like the GM A-bodies, but had little success. Captive imports and badge engineering swept through the US and UK as conglomerates like the British Motor Corporation consolidated the market. BMC's revolutionary space-saving Mini, which first appeared in 1959, captured large sales world-wide. Minis were marketed under the Austin and Morris names, until Mini became a marque in its own right in 1969.[11] The trend for corporate consolidation reached Italy as niche makers like Maserati, Ferrari, and Lancia were acquired by larger companies. By the end of the decade, the number of automobile marques had been greatly reduced.

In America, performance became a prime focus of marketing, exemplified by pony cars and muscle cars. In 1964 the Ford popular Mustang appeared. In 1967, Chevrolet released the Camaro to compete with the Mustang. But everything changed in the 1970s as the 1973 oil crisis, automobile emissions control rules, Japanese and European imports, and stagnant innovation wreaked havoc on the American industry. Though somewhat ironically, full-size sedans staged a major comeback in the years between the energy crisis, with makes such as Cadillac and Lincoln staging their best sales years ever in the late 70s. Small performance cars from BMW, Toyota, and Nissan took the place of big-engined cars from America and Italy.

On the technology front, the biggest developments of the era were the widespread use of independent suspensions, wider application of fuel injection, and an increasing focus on safety in the design of automobiles. The hottest technologies of the 1960s were NSU's "Wankel engine", the gas turbine, and the turbocharger. Of these, only the last, pioneered by General Motors but popularised by BMW and Saab, was to see widespread use. Mazda had much success with its "Rotary" engine which, however, acquired a reputation as a polluting gas-guzzler. Other Wankel licensees, including Mercedes-Benz and General Motors, never put their designs into production after the 1973 oil crisis. (Mazda's hydrogen-fuelled successor was later to demonstrate potential as an "ultimate eco-car".[12]) Rover and Chrysler both produced experimental gas turbine cars to no effect.

Cuba is famous for retaining its pre-1959 cars, known as yank tanks or maquinas, which have been kept since the Cuban revolution when the influx of new cars slowed because of a US trade embargo.

A so-called yank tank in Havana, Cuba

Exemplary post-war cars:

• 1948–1971 Morris Minor — a popular, and typical post-war car exported around the world.
• 1959–2000 Mini — this quintessential small car lasted for four decades, and is one of the most famous cars of all time.
• 1961–1975 Jaguar E-type — the E-type saved Jaguar on the track and in the showroom, and was a standard for design and innovation in the 1960s.
• 1964–present Ford Mustang — the pony car that became one of the best-selling and most-collected cars of the era.
• 1969 Datsun 240Z — one of the first Japanese sports cars to be a smash hit with the North American public, it paved the way for future decades of Japanese strength in the automotive industry. It was affordable, well built, and had great success both on the track and in the showroom.

History of the automobile

The history of the automobile begins as early as 1769, with the creation of steam-powered automobiles capable of human transport[1] In 1806, the first cars powered by internal combustion engines running on fuel gas appeared, which le d to the introduction in 1885 of the ubiquitous modern gasoline- or petrol-fueled internal combustion engine. Cars powered by electricity briefly appeared at the turn of the 20th century but largely disappeared from commonality until the turn of the 21st century, when interest in low- and zero-emissions transportation was reignited. As such, the early history of the automobile can be divided into a number of eras based on the prevalent method of automotive propulsion during that time. Later periods were defined by trends in exterior styling and size and utility preferences.

The design of the Cugnot Steam Trolley (1769)

Pioneer inventors

German engineer Carl Benz, inventor of numerous car-related technologies, is generally regarded as the inventor of the modern automobile. The four-stroke petrol (gasoline) internal combustion engine that constitutes the most prevalent form of modern automotive prop ulsion is a creation of German inventor Nikolaus Otto. The similar four-stroke diesel engine was also invented by a German, Rudolf Diesel. The hydrogen fuel ce ll, one of the technologies hailed as a replacement for gasoline as an energy source for cars, was discovered in principle by yet another German, Christian Friedrich Schönbein, in 1838. The ba ttery electric car owes its beginnings to Hungarian Ányos Jedlik, inventor of the electric motor, and Gaston Planté, who invented the lead-acid battery in 1859.
Steam automobiles

Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version

Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, built the first steam-powered vehicle around 1672, designed as a toy for the Chinese Emperor, it being of small scale and unable to carry a driver or passenger but, quite possibly, the f irst working steam-powered vehicle






Steam-powered self-propelled vehicles are thought to have been devised in the late 18th century. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot demonstrated his fardier à vapeur, an experimental steam-driven artillery tractor, in 1770 and 1771. Cugnot's desig n proved to be impractical and his invention was not developed in his native France, the centre of innovation passing to Great Britain. By 1784, William Murdoch had built a working model of a steam carriage in Redruth, and in 1801 Richard Trevit hick was running a full-sized vehicle on the road in Camborne.[4] Such vehicles were in vogue for a time, and over the next decades such innovations as hand brakes, multi-speed transmissions, and better steering developed. Some were commercially successful in providing mass transit, until a backlash against these large speedy vehicles resulted in passing a law, the Locomotive Act, in 1865 requiring self-propelled vehicles on p ublic roads in the United Kingdom be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag and blowing a horn. This effectively killed road auto development in the UK for most of the rest of the 19th century, as inventors and engineers shifted their efforts to improvements in railway locomotives. The law was not repealed until 1896, although the need for the red flag was removed in 1878.

In Russia in the 1780s, Ivan Kulibin started working on a human-pedalled carriage with a steam engine. He finished working on it in 1791. Some of its features included a flywheel, brake, gearbox, and bearing, which are also the features of a modern automobile. His design had three roadwheels. Unfortunately, as with many of his inventions, the government failed to see the potential market and it was not developed further.

The first automobile patent in the United States was granted to Oliver Evans in 1789. In 1805, Evans demonstrated his first successful self-propelled vehicle, which not only was the first automobile in the USA, but was also the first amphibious v ehicle, as his steam-powered vehicle was able to travel on roadwheels on land, and via a paddle wheel in the water.

Electric Automobiles

1885-built Benz Patent Motorwagen, the first car to go into production w ith an internal combustion engine

In 1838, Scotsman Robert Davidson built an electric locomotive that attained a speed of 4 miles per hour (6 km/h ). In England, a patent was granted in 1840 for the use of rail tracks as conducto rs of electric current, and similar American patents were issued to Lilley and Colten in 1847. Between 1832 and 1839 (the exact year is uncertain), Robert Anderson of Scotland invented th e first crude electric carriage, powered by non-rechargeable primary cells.

Early attempts at making and using internal combustion engines were hampered by the lack of suitable fuels, particularl y liquids, and the earliest engines used gas mixtures.

Early experimenters using gasses include d, in 1806, Swiss engineer François Isaac de Rivaz who built an internal combustion engine powered by a hydrogen and oxygen mixture, and in 1826, Englishman Samuel Brown who tested his hydrogen-fuelled internal combu stion engine by using it to propel a vehicle u p Shooter's Hill in south east London. Belgian-born Etienne Lenoir's Hippomobile with a hydrogen gas-fuelled one-cylinder in ternal combustion engine made a test drive from Paris to Joinville-le-Pont in 1860, covering some nine kilometres in about three hours.[8] A later version was propelled by coal gas. A Delamare-Deboutteville vehicle was patented and trialled in 1884.

About 1870, in Vienna, Austria (then the Austro-Hungarian Empire), inventor Siegfried Marcus put a liquid-fue led internal combustion engine on a simple handcart which made him the first man to propel a vehicle by means of gasoline. Today, this car is known as "the first Marcus car". In 1883, Marcus secured a German patent for a low-voltage i gnition system of the magneto type; this was his only automotive patent. This design was used for all further engines, and the four-seat "second Marcus car" of 1888/8 9 . This ignition, in conjunction with the "rotating-brush carburetor", made the second car's design very innovative.

It is generally acknowledged that the first really practical automobiles with petrol/gasoline-powered inter nal com bustion engines were completed almost simultaneously by several German inventors working independently: Karl Benz built his first automobile in 1885 in Mannheim. Benz was granted a patent for his automobile on 29 January 1886, and began the first production of automobiles in 1888, after Bertha Benz, his wife, had proved with the fi rst long-distance trip in August 1888 - from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back - that the horseless coach was absolutely suitable for daily use. S ince 2008 a Bertha Benz Memo rial Route commemorates this event.

Veteran era

The first production of automobiles was by Karl Benz in 1888 in Germany and, under licence from Benz, in France by Emile Roger. There were numerous others, including tricycle builders Rudolf Egg, Edward Butler, and Léon Bollée.[7]:p.20-23 Bollée, using a 650 cubic centimetres (40 cu in) engine of his own design, enabled his driver, Jamin, to average 45 kilometres per hour (28.0 mph) in the 1897 Paris-Tourville rally.[7]:p.23 By 1900, mass production of automobiles had begun in France and the United States. The first company formed exclusively to build automobiles was Panhard et Levassor in France, which also introduced the first four-cylinder engine.[7]:p.22 Formed in 1889, Panhard was quickly followed by Peugeot two years later. By the start of the 20th century, the automobile industry was beginning to take off in western Europe, especially in France, they produced 30,204 in 1903, representing 48.8% of world automobile production that year.[

Brass or Edwardian era

T-model Ford car parked outside Geelong
Library at its launch in Australia in 1915

Named for the widespread use of brass in the United States, the Brass, or Edwardian era lasted from roughly 1905 through to the beginning of World War I in 1914. 1905 was a signal year[clarification needed] in the development of the automobile, marking the point when the majority of sales shifted from the hobbyist and enthusiast to the average user.[citation needed]

Within the 15 years that make up the B rass or Edwardian era, the various experimental designs and alternate power systems would be marginalised. Although the modern touring car had been invented earlier, it was not until Panhard et Levassor's Système Panhard was widely licensed and adopted that recognisable and standardised automobiles were created. T his system specified front-engined, rear-wheel drive internal combustion engined cars with a sliding gear transmission. Traditional coach-style vehicles were rapidly abandoned, and buckboard runabouts lost favour with the introduction of tonneaus, and other less-expensive tour ing bodies.

Throughout this era, development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to a huge number (hundreds) of small manufacturers all competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included electric ignition system (by Robert Bosch, 1903), independent susp ension, and four-wheel brakes (by the Arrol-Johnston Company of Scotland in 1909).[7]:p27 Leaf springs were widely used for suspension, though many other systems were still in use, with angle steel taking over from armored wood as the frame material of choice. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted, allowing a variety of cruising speeds, though vehicles generally still had discrete speed settings, rather than the infinitely variable system familiar in cars of later eras.

Between 1907 and 1912 in the United States, the high-wheel motor buggy (resembling the horse buggy of before 1900) was in its heyday, with over seventy-five makers including Holsma n (Chicago), IHC (Chicago), and Sears (which sold via catalog); the high-wheeler would be killed by the Model T.[7]:p.65

Vintage era

1926 Austin 7 Box saloon

The vintage era lasted from the end of World War I (1919), through the Wall Street Crash at the end of 1929. During this period, the front-engined car came to dominate, with closed bodies and standardised controls becoming the norm. In 1919, 90% of cars sold were open; by 1929, 90% were closed.[7]:p.7 Development of the internal combustion engine continued at a rapid pace, with multi-valve and overhead camshaft engines produced at the high end, and V8, V12, and even V16 engines conceived for the ultra-rich.

Exemplary vintage vehicles:

* 1922–1939 Austin 7 — the Austin Seven was one of the most widely copied vehicles ever, serving as a template for cars around the world, from BMW to Nissan.
* 1924–1929 Bugatti Type 35 — the Type 35 was one of the most successful racing cars of all time, with over 1,000 victories in f ive years.
* 1922–1931 Lancia Lambda — very advanced car for the time, first car to feature a load-bearing monocoque-type body and independent suspension in front.
* 1925–1928 Hanomag 2 / 10 PS — early example of envelope styling, without separate fenders (wings) and running boards.
* 1927–1931 Ford Model A (1927-1931) — after keeping the brass era Model T in production for too long, Ford broke from the past by restarting its model series with the 1927 Model A. More than 4 million were produced, making it the best-selling model of the era.

Pre-WWII era

Citroën Traction Avant

The pre-war part of the classic era began with the Great Depression in 1930, and ended with the recovery after World War II, commonly placed at 1948. It was in this period that integrated fenders and fully-closed bodies began to dominate sales, with the new saloon/sedan body style even incorporating a trunk or boot at the rear for storage. The old open-top runabouts, phaetons and touring cars were phased out by the end of the classic era as wings, running boards, and headlights were gradually integrated with the body of the car.

By the 1930s, most of the mechanical technology used in today's automobiles had been invented, although some things were later "re-invented", and credited to someone else. For example, front-wheel drive was re-introduced by André Citroën with the launch of the Traction Avant in 1934, though it had appeared several years earlier in road cars made by Alvis and Cord, and in racing cars by Miller (and may have appeared as early as 1897). After 1930, the number of auto manufacturers declined sharply as the industry consolidated and matured.