70+ interesting car facts that will impress even the auto enthusiasts

Vehicles are the world's most preferred mode of transport, hence the many available car facts. The first car was invented in 1886, and since then, many manufacturers have mushroomed, making hundreds of car models. If you love cars, then these automobile facts will amaze you.

Despite many people knowing the different brands of motor vehicles, only a few know them in detail. Car facts will enhance your understanding of the different cars available if you are an auto enthusiast. Here are some exciting details about automobiles since their invention.

Fun car facts for kids

Kids are always fascinated by cars. They are keen to know various car designs and features as they play. These car facts will help children better understand automobiles.

• Car invention – The first car was invented by Karl Benz, a German engineer, and patented in 1886. It was initially known as a horseless carriage.
• The name car – The word car originates from the Latin word Carrus. Carrus means a two-wheel wagon.
• The most recycled product - Stalled cars can be recycled and put to other uses. About 95% of damaged cars are recycled. Most automobiles are made of steel, an essential raw material in making other products such as kitchenware.
• Thirty thousand car parts – It takes an assemblage of 30 thousand parts to make a complete car. You may know a few visible components, but most parts are inside the vehicle.
• The oldest car in the world – A steam-powered, four-seater vehicle manufactured in 1884 by De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux is the oldest car. Interestingly, it won the world’s first auto race at a speed of 42 kilometres per hour.
• World’s longest traffic jam – The longest traffic was recorded in France between Lyon and Paris on 16 February 1980. The jam was caused by poor weather, and tourists could not drive on the 109 miles long French Autoroute.
• First automobile accident – Numerous car accidents occur today, but the first accident happened in 1891 in Ohio City. James William Lambert’s car crashed into a tree, but the casualties had minor injuries.
• First cheapest car – The Model-T was the first cheapest car at $850 in 1908. The same car would cost $22 thousand due to inflation. The costs of automobiles are soaring each year and never get cheaper.
• Ferrari manufactures limited cars per day – Unlike other car manufacturers making thousands of cars daily, Ferrari makes a maximum of 14 cars per day. The auto manufacturer puts a lot of detail in their automobiles.
• Most expensive car – The cost of a car depends on several factors, including comfort and model. The priciest car is the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO at $70 million.
• White is the most preferred car colour – The choice of a car’s colour depends on the user’s preferences. However, white is the most preferred colour for automobiles and black came second.
• Largest car manufacturer – 14 multinational corporations control the production of over 60 automotive brands worldwide. Among them, Toyota is the leading manufacturer producing 28 thousand vehicles daily.
• Longest driven journey – How far can one drive their car? The longest driven journey is 741,065 kilometres, achieved by Emil and Liliana Schmid. The duo continues with the journey.
• First traffic light – Today, traffic lights play an essential role in controlling travel without a traffic officer. The first traffic light came into use in December 1868 outside the British parliament of Westminster in London.
• Number of cars worldwide – There are approximately 1.4 billion cars today. However, the number was 500 million in 1986 and is projected to be 2 billion in 2040.
• More parked than driven – 95% of a car’s lifetime is spent parked. Therefore, automobiles are underutilised.
• 65% of vehicles are right-hand drive – Depending on the country, a car may be left or right-hand drive. However, most cars, about 65%, are right-hand drive.
• Automatic versus manual transmission – Many drivers in the US prefer automatic transmission over manual transmission. On the other hand, Europe and Japan favour manual transmission.
• Airbag ejection – Auto accidents occur within a short time, and for an airbag to be effective in saving a driver’s life, it must come out fast. It takes an airbag 30 milliseconds to inflate.
• The largest car tire manufacturer – Michelin is the largest car tire manufacturer. It is based in France, making approximately 181 million tires per year.
• Cheapest car in the world – Tata Tano, aan auto brand manufactured in India, is the least expensive. Its first version retailed at $1,400.

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Car facts to impress a guy

A car guy is always obsessed with anything automobile. They want to know everything from the latest models to the most expensive cars. You must be even more knowledgeable about cars to impress such a person. Here are some interesting facts about cars you should know.

• Toyota Corolla is the bestselling car – Many Toyota Corolla cars have been sold more than any other vehicle model in the world. 37.5 million units have been sold so far.
• Driving a dirty car is an offence in Russia – Driving a dirty that makes the registration plate not visible is a fineable offence. You could be fined up to 500 roubles ($8) on the spot for the offence.
• Volkswagen Group has numerous brands – Volkswagen is known for being a prestigious car brand. However, the Volkswagen group owns other reputable brands such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Porsche and Scania.
• Electric automobiles have existed for a long time – Electric cars have gained popularity nowadays but have been around longer than you think. Thomas Davenport built the first practical electric car.
• Cruise control inventor – Cruise control, also known as speedostat or tempomat, was invented in 1948. The inventor, Ralph Teetor, was a blind person.
• Seat belt invention – Volvo invented the safety belts in 1959. However, the company did not patent the invention to let other vehicle manufacturers use it for safety.
• Mercedes Benz – Mercedes and Benz were once two distinct car manufacturers competing. However, they merged in February 1926 to become Mercedes-Benz.
• Car tires are not ordinary rubbers – Contrary to the misconception that car tires are ordinary rubbers, they are not. They have vulcanised rubber obtained by heating rubber with sulfur to increase durability. Charles Goodyear invented the process.
• Top speed ever attained by an automobile – The highest speed a car ever attained was 1227.985 kilometres per hour in October 1997. Andy Green holds the Outright World Land Speed Record.
• Carbon emission – Carbon emission is a global concern. Many activities produce carbon into the atmosphere, but automobiles take the lead, accounting for about 24% of world carbon emissions.
• Rolls-Royce cars per capita – It is one of the world's most luxurious and expensive automobiles. Hong Kong has more Rolls-Royces per capita than any other country.
• Highest car mileage – Irvin Gordon holds the record for the highest mileage in his 1966 Volvo 1800s. He covered between 85 thousand miles and 100 thousand miles annually, attaining 3.4 million miles in 2014.
• Most expensive city to park your car – Parking fees depend on the city you are in. New Hong Kong charges $1.3 million in parking fees, making it the most expensive city, followed by New York and Sydney.
• Carjacking in South Africa – Carjacking incidents are rampant in South Africa. Therefore, BMW cars are fitted with flamethrowers to be used to avert carjacking.
• Spain leads in vehicle theft incidents – Approximately 2000 cars are stolen daily in Spain. Uganda, Chile, Greece, and Egypt have recorded many car thefts.
• Name of Volkswagen car brands – The auto manufacturer uses different winds to name its car brands. For instance, the Polo from Polar winds and Passat from Trade winds.
• Auto accidents by men are severe – Accidents caused by male drivers are more severe than those caused by females. Moreover, more men die in auto crashes than women.
• Rolls and Royce partnership – Henry Royce and Charles Rolls owned two separate companies. However, after being impressed with their innovations in the motor industry, they partnered in 1904 to form Rolls Royce.
• Difference between headlamp and headlight – A headlamp is a device that produces light at the front of the vehicle. Headlight refers to the light that is emitted from the headlamp.
• New car smell – A new vehicle has a smell usually linked to a byproduct of a chemical called off-gassing. The smell comes from plastics and adhesives used in a car’s interior.
• Automotive industry turnover – The auto industry’s annual turnover equals the world’s sixth-largest economy. It employs close to 14 million workers either directly or indirectly.

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Facts about car logos that will surprise auto enthusiasts

Every car has a logo, but do you know the meaning behind them? Auto brand logos carry different meanings, and most people do not know much about them beyond identifying the logo with a brand. Here are facts about popular auto logos you ought to know.

• Audi's logo – The founding Audi manufacturers originated from Saxony: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer states. Each of the rings represents the founding manufacturers.
• Mercedes-Benz's logo – The three-pointed star logo of Mercedes-Benz symbolises the company’s goal for worldwide motorisation. Additionally, the three points communicate the company’s intentions to dominate the production of engines used on land, sea, and air.
• Volkswagen's logo has the letters V and W enclosed in a circle. The V for Volks stands for people, while W for Wagen stands for vehicle. The circle means inclusivity in the community.
• Toyota's logo – The logo is made of three ovals; two overlap at the top to form the letter T, which stands for Toyota. They also symbolise the steering wheel. The biggest outer oval represents the world.
• BMW's logo – BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works, and for a long time, people believed that it represented a stylised propeller. The blue and white colours on the emblem represent Bavarian state colours but in an inverse sequence.
• Rolls-Royce's emblem – The two overlapping letters R symbolise the figure of a woman leaning forward with her arms outstretched. The emblem is on the bonnet.
• Ferrari's logo – The yellow background is the colour of the Italian city, Modena. The letters S and F stand for Scuderia Ferrari, the brand’s racing division, and the red, white, and green stripes represent the Italian national colours. The leaping horse was an idea borrowed from the late Italian fighter jet pilot Francesco Baracca.
• Peugeot's logo – The lion icon represents everything the company has worked to achieve. It shows that the company is bold and powerful.
• Bentley's logo – The logo has a pair of wings attached to the letter B. The letter stands for Bentley, the automobile’s founder. The wings have a history in the company’s initial business of making aircraft wings.
• Jaguar's logo – The logo was designed in 1945. The leaping jaguar represents the company’s ambition to progress forward and excellence in performance. It also shows grace, elegance, and power.
• Lamborghini's logo – It shows a charged bull. The automobile founder’s zodiac sign was Taurus, and he loved bullfighting. Therefore, he found a reason to make a bull an icon of his automobile.
• Mazda's logo – The symbol shows the determination for continuous improvement for power and growth in the pair of wings resembling an M in an oval. The wings also look like V depicting Mazda's thinking flexibility.
• Porsche's logo – Stuttgart, Porsche’s hometown, is a German city known as a horse-breeding farm. Therefore, Porsche borrowed the idea of placing a horse image on its icon.

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Interesting car trivia questions and answers

How much do you know about cars? The following car trivia questions and answers will help enrich your knowledge of automobiles.

• What is the bestselling electric car of all time? The Tesla Model 3
• Was Toyota originally a textile manufacturer? At inception, Toyota was a textile-making company.
• Which iconic car was used in Bond films? Aston Martin DB5.
• What is the United States presidential state car? Cadillac One, nicknamed the Beast.
• Which oldest car manufacturing company is still operational? Mercedes Benz.
• What liquid was invented in 1926 and is used in the auto cooling system? Antifreeze.
• What phrase describes shifting from two-wheel drive to four-wheel while the car is in motion? Shift on the fly.
• Which year was the diesel engine first used? 1890
• Which car was the first to use active aerodynamics? Porsche’s Group B rally efforts.
• Which was the first Japanese auto manufacturer to establish its factory in the US? Honda.
• Who was the first person to win FIA F1 Grand Prix? Giuseppe Antonio ‘Nino’ Farina.
• Which were the first cars with four-wheel drive? Jensen FF in 1966.
• In which year were car radios first introduced? 1930
• Which car brand is the most stolen in the US? Honda Civic.
• What were the first sports cars? The Prince Henry Vauxhall and the Austro-Daimler Prinz Heinrich-Wagen.
• Which year was the speeding ticket first issued? 1902.

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How much have you learnt from the above car facts? There is quite a lot to learn from automobiles. Interestingly, with the advancement of technology, more automobiles are introduced, thereby enriching the available facts.

READ ALSO: 90+ funny car puns, jokes and one-liners that will leave you honking

Legit.ng published an article about car puns, jokes and one-liners. If you want to cheer up yourself or someone else, then these jokes about cars will leave you in stitches.

Car puns are funny, and if you are not a car lover, you can relate to them and find them hilarious. With over 90 car puns, jokes and one-liners in the article, you can share with your loved ones and have lots of laughter.

Source: Legit.ng