.BESwkItx.svg)
.BsOtZXJZ.svg)
.DDDvVA6M.svg)
.CXHK89EX.svg)
.DNyc9mlT.svg)
A car
Search
Car
For other uses, see Car (disambiguation).
"Passenger car" and "Automobile" redirect here. For other uses, see Passenger car (disambiguation), Automobile (disambiguation), and Passenger railroad car.
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.[1][2] There are over 1.6 billion cars in use worldwide as of 2025.
Car | |
|---|---|
 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. | |
Classification | |
Industry | Various |
Application | |
Fuel source | |
Powered | Yes |
Self-propelled | Yes |
Wheels | 3–6, most often 4 |
Axles | 2, less commonly 3 |
Inventor | |
Invented | 1886 (140 years ago) |
The French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first steam-powered road vehicle in 1769, while 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[3][4] and mass-affordable[5][6][7] cars, respectively. Cars were rapidly adopted in the US, where they replaced horse-drawn carriages.[8] In Europe and other parts of the world, demand for automobiles did not increase until after World War II.[9] In the 21st century, car usage is still increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, and other newly industrialised countries.[10][11]