The Amazing World of Automobiles

Follow the evolution of the amazing automobile through the ages: from the first Model T Ford to roll off the conveyor belt, to the most recent design innovations, including cars that reduce your carbon footprint.

Cars have kept us on the road for the last century. In the beginning, only the wealthy could afford to buy a car, until Henry Ford and his assembly line changed the way the world moved.

Before cars, roads were used for horse-drawn carts. Soon, gravel gave way to cobblestones and then to modern roads paved with tar. Even as roads became smoother and more durable, some intrepid drivers still wanted to explore more inhospitable terrain.

Since the invention of the automobile, men have raced cars. The first races were feats of endurance, but after WWII, motor sport became a team affair and drivers became professionals.

Chart some of the most important names in the short history of automobiles: men who have raced, designed or built cars, including the most influential icon, Henry Ford.

While BMW is one of the most sought-after cars in the middle-class, prestige market, the brand has also long been associated with motorsport, with its BM1 division devoted to creating cars that can outperform and outlast their competitors.