25 Fun Car Facts

Cars have been around almost 140 years. They’ve shortened daily commutes and made travel easier and faster. From the earliest automobiles to the contemporary ones, there are a lot of fun facts to learn. Here are 25 pieces of car trivia.

General Car Trivia

1. Carl Benz (or Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant) invented the first “practical modern automobile” in 1885. His company would later merge with another manufacturer to produce several brands of cars including the Mercedes-Benz.
2. The word “car” comes from the Latin “carrum.” “Carrum” referred to two-wheel war chariots.
3. The average car has over 30,000 parts.
4. The first known road trip took place in 1888. Bertha Benz, wife of Carl Benz, drove through Germany for 66 miles with her two sons. The whole trip was about 7 hours long.
5. In 1895, the first automobile race was held. The car that won was traveling at a speed of 15 mph.
6. The world’s first speeding ticket was issued for a driver traveling 45 mph in 1902.
7. The highest mileage clocked on one car was around 3 million miles.
8. The most popular colors for a car are white, black, and gray.
9. The least popular colors are purple, orange, and yellow.
10. Toyota manufactures around 13,000 cars per day and Ferrari only manufactures a maximum of 14 cars per day.

Maintenance Trivia

1. There are around 900 million oil changes performed each year.
2. Faulty oxygen sensors are responsible for about 40% of check engine lights.
3. It’s estimated that there are 220 million flat tires every year.
4. Manual transmissions will generally last longer than automatic ones.
5. Vehicles need about half an ounce of fuel to start up.

Vehicle Features Trivia

1. Before steering wheels were invented in the 1890s by Alexander Winton, drivers would steer cars with levers.
2. Windshield wipers were invented by Mary Anderson in 1905. Before they existed, drivers had to stop the vehicle and clear the windshield by hand.
3. Brake lights were also invented in 1905. Before they were implemented, drivers relied on hand signals to communicate their turns and stops.
4. Car horns were patented in 1908.
5. Most car horns honk in the key of “F.”
6. The first car radio was introduced by Chevrolet in 1922.
7. Now, somewhere between 70% to 90% of U.S. drivers sing while driving.
8. The 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to include a cassette tape player as part of the radio.
9. Antilock brakes were invented in the 1920s, but they weren’t widely used until the 1990s.
10. Ralph Teetor, a blind inventor, invented cruise control in 1948.

Call Restored Auto, LLC for your vehicle maintenance.

If your car is one of the 40% with a faulty O2 sensor, a failing automatic transmission, or just in need of an oil change, Restored Auto, LLC can help. We offer a wide range of maintenance services. Give us a call to schedule your service today.