1. Early Innovations: The first car powered by an internal combustion engine was invented by Karl Benz in 1885 in Germany.
2. Early Electric Cars: Before gasoline-powered cars became dominant, there was a period where electric vehicles were popular. For example, William Morrison's Baker Electric Runabout was a widely recognized electric car from 1899.
3. Speed Record Achievements: The current world land speed record is held by ThrustSSC, a British car that achieved a speed of 1,227.986 km/h (763.035 mph) in 1997.
4. Largest Car Collection: The largest collection of cars belongs to the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, who owns an estimated 7,000 vehicles, including hundreds of Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, and other luxury vehicles.
5. Safety Features Evolution: Many safety features that are now standard on cars, like airbags and seatbelts, were introduced much later. For instance, the first airbag was introduced in the 1970s, while the three-point seatbelt design became widespread in the 1960s.
6. Number of Cars in the World: It's estimated that there were approximately 1.4 billion motor vehicles on the road worldwide as of 2020.
7. Electric Vehicle Pioneers: While electric vehicles have become more prominent recently, the concept isn't entirely new. In the early 20th century, there were several attempts at electric vehicles, such as the Detroit Electric, which was produced from 1907 to 1939.
8. Energy Consumption: Cars are one of the largest global consumers of petroleum. It's estimated that the transportation sector accounts for around 20% of total energy consumption worldwide.
9. Oldest Surviving Car: The Benz Patent-Motorwagen No. 1, built by Karl Benz, is often considered the oldest surviving car in the world. It was invented in 1885 and is on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
10. Car Culture and Popular Media: Cars have been prominently featured in popular culture, both in movies, music, artwork, and various other forms of media, reflecting their cultural and societal significance.
