Changes

The '''automobile''', or '''car''', was invented in the 19th century by [[Karl Friedrich Benz]], a [[Germany|German]] engineer. But it was [[Henry Ford]], an [[American]], who made the automobile popular by mass-producing it on the world's first moving automotive [[assembly line]] in [[Detroit]], which became the "Automobile Capital of the World" in the 1950s.

The '''automobile''', or '''car''', was invented in the 19th century by [[Karl Friedrich Benz]], a [[Germany|German]] engineer. But it was [[Henry Ford]], an [[American]], who made the automobile popular by mass-producing it on the world's first moving automotive [[assembly line]] in [[Detroit]], which became the "Automobile Capital of the World" by 1910.

The term "car" covers a wide variety of vehicles from "micro-city" cars to full sized body on frame pickup trucks.  They have become a status symbol for people and are widely [[Car color popularity|customizable]].  They most commonly use internal combustion engines.  Cars use roads in order to transport travelers from one place to another (compare [[train]]s).  

The term "car" covers a wide variety of vehicles from "micro-city" cars to full sized body on frame pickup trucks.  They have become essential transportation. As an expensive status symbol they are widely [[Car color popularity|customizable]].   

 

The automobile industry forced nations, starting with the U.S., to develop good streets and roads.  In the U.S. especially the industry created a vast network of new and used car dealers, repair shops, and gas stations, not to mention GPS devices, motels, drive-through windows, and many businesses catering to customers in autos.

== Manufacture ==

== Manufacture ==

Many of the world's major auto companies have plants in the U.S., and the U.S. companied have plants and subsidiaries across the world, a pattern begun by Ford in the 1920s.

Many of the world's major auto companies have plants in the U.S., called "transplants."  Ford started in 1910 to open factories across the world, and General Motors followed in the 1920s.  

It is often difficult to tell if a car is a domestically or foreign produced vehicle simply by the name of the manufacturer.  For example, in 2006 Japan-based manufacturer Toyota had 14 manufacturing plants in North America producing parts and cars such as the Camry, while American manufacture [[General Motors]] has operations in [[Mexico]] producing trucks such as the Silverado and Suburban for export to the United States.

It is often difficult to tell if a car is a domestically or foreign produced vehicle simply by the name of the manufacturer.  For example, in 2006 Japan-based manufacturer Toyota had 14 manufacturing plants in North America producing parts and cars such as the Camry, while American manufacture [[General Motors]] has operations in [[Mexico]] producing trucks such as the Silverado and Suburban for export to the United States.