Fun Facts for Kids About Cars
Although toy cars are fun, they can't compete with the real, life-sized models. Day and night, cars keep us in motion. We use cars to commute to work, to visit distant relatives and, sometimes, just to enjoy road trips with no destination.
Other People Are Reading
-
The First Cars
-
Throughout history, inventors have tested numerous methods of powering automobiles. For example, the first self-propelled vehicle was a three-wheeled contraption powered by steam. Later, a Scottish inventor created an electric-powered car. Finally, in the 1880s, German engineers developed the first cars powered by internal combustion engines. These vehicles were similar to most of the cars you see on today's roadways.
Grand Prix History
-
Grand Prix motor racing events began in France in the 1890s. Instead of driving around a track, competitors raced between towns at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
-
Recycled Cars
-
Today, automobiles are among the most recycled items in world. This is because cars are composed of metals, such as steel, iron, copper, lead and aluminum, which can continue to serve a purpose, even after the car itself is scrapped. According to the Steel Recycling Institute, roughly 25 percent of a car's body is already composed of recycled steel.
Speeding Tickets
-
Police issued one of the world's first speeding tickets in 1904 to an Ohio man who was driving 12 miles per hour. According to AutomobileInsurance.org, police now issue roughly 34 million speeding tickets every year in the United States. The average fine is $150, for an annual cost of about $5,100,000,000.
Etymology
-
The word "automobile" comes from the Greek term "autos," meaning "self," and the Latin term "mobilis," meaning "movable." The word "car" comes from the Norman French term "carre" and the Latin term "carrum" or "carrus." Originally, these terms described Celtic war chariots.
Peanuts Commercial
-
The characters from the comic strip "Peanuts" didn't appear in animated form until they played a role in a commercial for Ford Fairlaine automobiles.
Model T Popularity
-
The Model T Ford is one of the most popular car models in history. At one point, the Model T accounted for more than half of the cars in the world.
-
References
- Photo Credit Leaning Cars image by Michael Wuelfrath from Fotolia.com
