Automobile

When an automobile is designed, the arrangement, choice, and type of components depend on various factors. The use of the automobile is one factor. Some cars are required only for local driving; these cars may be capable of achieving good fuel economy on short trips, but they may be less comfortable to drive at high speeds. A sports car, built for speed, will have enhanced steering and handling abilities, but requires a stronger engine, more fuel, and a more sophisticated suspension system. Yet, an automobile must also be flexible enough to perform in every situation and use.

Other factors in the design of automobiles include the requirements for pollution-control components that have been placed on the modern automobile. Safety features are also a factor in the automobile's design, affecting everything from the braking and steering systems to the materials used to construct the body. The design of the body must incorporate standards of safety, size and weight, aerodynamics or ways to reduce the friction of airflow, and appearance.

Henry Ford and his first automobile. Bettmann/Corbis. Reproduced by permission.

The choice of front-wheel drive allows for a smaller, more fuel-efficient car. But the arrangement of the engine and its relationship to other automobile systems will be different from a rear-wheel-driven car. Independent suspension for all four wheels improves the automobile's handling, safety, and comfort, but requires a more complex arrangement. The use of computer technology, the most recently added system to the automobile, requires changes in many of the car's other systems. Lastly, cost is an important factor in the design of a car. Many features useful for improving the various systems and characteristics of an automobile may make it too costly to produce and too expensive for many people to buy.

The design of an automobile, therefore, is a balance of many factors. Each must be taken into consideration, and compromises among features satisfy as many factors as possible. Yet, for all the variety among automobiles, the basic systems remain essentially the same.