Hi and welcome back to my blog posts! my question is ‘Why has cars evolved over time”? this is my third blog post, and my first round of research will be on one of my sub questions, which is…

“What materials are used in the manufacture of modern automobiles”?

First, i will need to list all the materials most commonly found in cars, “Aluminum, Cast Iron and Steel, Copper, Glass, Fiberglass, Lead, Magnesium, Plastic, Rubber, Titanium” (1). These are the main materials that make a car. First up, smelting is used to make wheel frames, cylinder heads, and transmission housings, which are basically aluminium melted into aluminium metal. Then there is cast iron, which is used in engine blocks, as well as steel, which is used in the car’s structure, body panels, and such, considering how durable it is. Coper is found in cars like motors, cooling systems, and generators, as well as used for electric wiring and circuits. Glass is found in car windows, windscreens, and mirrors, providing protection to the cars and visibility. Fibreglass is usually found on the exterior of cars, like hoods, spoilers, and body panels, because of its lightweight strength. Lead is not as common in cars anymore but is still found in batteries and wheel weights. Magnesium is found in engine blocks, “steering wheels,” and other various parts (1).Plastic is found all over the interior trim, bumpers, and dashboard panels. Rubber is found in tyres, seals, gaskets, and such due to its flexability and durability. Titanium is found in engine valves, exhaust systems, and connecting rods. These are the materials that are used in most modern cars. The next step after this is design and manufacturing.

Cars have been around for quite some time. The first car was made around the “19th century.” That being said, they have undergone a lot of changes in how they are made (2). The manufacturing process of a modern car consists of eight steps ( “1. Raw Material Acquisition and Reworking, 2.  Engineering, Design, and Car Production, 3. Press Shop, 4. Body Shop or Welding, 5. Assembly Line Paint Shop, 6. Transaxle and Engine Shop, 7.Trim or Final Fitment, 8. Final inspection and Quality Tests“ (2). These are the steps that cars go through in order to be made. The manufacture of cars has changed due to the advance of technology and the betterment of the environment.

Designing can be the hardest part of making a car, especially because it takes a lot of thinking. Most of the planning is done with the help of a computer. “The computer can feed coded information to a milling machine, which will cut out a three-dimensional object” (3). The thing that has evolved over time about cars is definitely the design. What I have noticed is that modern cars have a more athletic design when compared to old cars. Some of the most common colours found in modern cars are “black, white, and grey” (4). There is obviously a wider variety of colours in modern times that anyone can buy, but people choose to buy these colours.

To conclude, the biggest difference in modern cars in comparison to vintage cars is the exterior design, as well as elements that have been added to cars such as “air bags, seat belts, and a screen (5).

1. What are cars made out of ? written by The CarParts.com Researc https://www.carparts.com/blog/what-are-cars-made-out-of-materials-explained-plus-related-faqs/
2.  Car Manufacturing by https://khatabook.com/blog/car-manufacturing-process/#:~:text=Car%20Manufacturing%20Process%20Step-by-Step%201%201.%20Raw%20Material,…%208%208.%20Final%20inspection%20and%20Quality%20Tests
3. How cars are designed by
   https://www.howacarworks.com/technology/how-cars-are-designed.amp
4. The Evolution of Car Design From 1910 to Now by Shutterstock  https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/car-design-throughout-history
5. What are the main differences between classic cars and modern cars? by https://www.progressive.com/answers/classic-cars-vs-modern-cars/

Thankyou for reading my blog post!