Term Papers on THE AUTOMOBILE

Term Paper Title	THE AUTOMOBILE
# of Words	1472
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	5.89

THE AUTOMOBILE

Soon after automobiles were mass-produced early in the 20th century, they began to
change styles of living. The automobile is still causing changes. Easy access by passenger
car or by truck helps to determine where people build homes, buy food, seek recreation,
and locate businesses. The term automotive means "self-propelling." It generally refers to
passenger cars, trucks, buses, and tractors. The words automobile, motorcar, and car may
include any conveyance in the general range of automotive vehicles, but they usually refer
specifically to passenger vehicles that seat from two to six people.

Cars and trucks are unique. Unlike other types of transportation, they enable the driver
to get in and go at a moment's notice. They move near the source or destination of farm or
manufactured products, unrestricted by the need for rails, runways, or waterways. Roads
are needed, of course, and these cover the industrial countries of the world in a vast
network. Many automotive vehicles have been developed for travel over primitive roads
and open terrain.

The automobile is a mixed blessing. Millions of people driving passenger cars create
huge traffic jams around major cities. The exhaust from automobiles pollutes the air. Each
year thousands of people are killed and injured in automobile accidents.

Most of the world's automobiles run on gasoline, which is made from petroleum, a
resource in limited supply. The Arab oil embargo of 1973, in which major oil-producing
nations stopped making shipments, revealed how dependent many countries had become
upon petroleum imports. The rapid gasoline price increases that followed the embargo
disrupted every national economy in the world.

The automobile underwent many changes in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s.
Concern with safety and pollution led to design changes and the introduction of new
technology. Automobile bodies and engines were made smaller and lighter to save
gasoline. Researchers worked on alternatives to the gasoline engine and on fuel-efficient
transportation.

Industry's Influence
By the early 1990s more than 50 million automobiles were being manufactured
worldwide annually. Leading manufacturing areas were Japan, the United States, and
Western Europe. There was also significant production in Eastern Europe and Latin
America. The automotive industry is so vast that it influences, directly or indirectly, most of
the people on Earth. In industrial nations the level of automobile production has become a
barometer of the economy and is closely watched by political leaders and business analysts.
Changes in auto production directly affect the large steel, aluminum, petroleum, and rubber
industries and their suppliers and employees. A long strike in the automobile industry or a
sharp drop in sales can result in a general business decline.

Uses
Although the size of the automobile industry is impressive, it is the use of automotive
vehicles that has had the greatest effect on people's lives. Foods arrive fresh at processing
plants or at local markets because of the automotive vehicle. Many other products in
common use are also distributed quickly and inexpensively by motor trucks.

Many services other than transportation depend on the automobile. Public utilities are
built and maintained by crews using automotive equipment. Ambulance, fire, and police
services depend on the automobile. The construction industry uses a variety of special
vehicles to prepare building sites and to haul materials and to put them in place. Farmers
use automobiles, trucks, tractors, and motorized harvest and planting equipment.
The armies of the world rely on motor vehicles to move soldiers and supplies and to
assault the enemy. Modern military strategy involves highly mobile armies supported by
tanks, armored personnel carriers, and supply trucks.

Way of Life
Before the automobile was developed, people lived near their places of work. Many
now commute between suburban residential are...

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