Celebrating Over a Century of Innovation in Automotive Technologies
A Pivotal Era in Automotive Technology
Auto industry history buffs recently received a treat when the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California opened a rare display dedicated to the innovations of “La Belle Epoque”, the transformational decades between the 1870s and the beginning of the First World War in August, 1914. These years spanned the end of the Victoria Era and the Edwardian Period (celebrated in the popular recent TV show Downton Abbey).”The Beautiful Era” witnessed the closing years of the “Old West” and the brief Spanish-American War. By the time it ended in a bloody global conflict, people in the United States in large numbers had begun abandoning horse-and-buggy and train transportation in favor of the far more convenient, comfortable, family automobile. The exhibits opening on April 9th in Oxnard testify to the ingenuity of automotive engineers.
The new automotive display features nine examples of early European automobiles, as well as some popular horse-drawn carriages. Viewers enjoy the opportunity to observe how some features from the days of horse transportation influenced early French vehicle manufacturers. If you get the opportunity to visit California soon, this event will appeal to the automobile history fans in your household.
North Carolina’s History of Technical Innovation
Today, most residents of the Raleigh-Durham corridor in North Carolina probably think of high tech computer and biomedical fields when they consider innovations impacting our local area. Yet our state possesses strong connections to some of the most significant technology breakthroughs of the past.Just a few hundred miles directly to our east, for instance, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful airplane flight outside Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. That test flight surely ranks as one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of transportation. It comes as a shock to realize that during that same decade, automotive engineers produced some stunning innovations in ground transportation, also. People in North Carolina would soon benefit from rapid advances in both air and land travel!
In the Raleigh, North Carolina area, keep your auto in great condition and optimize its useful lifespan by obtaining regular service and repairs through A & J Automotive. We’ll offer the automotive services you require to help you enjoy your investment in your vehicle. Contact us at 919-431-9595 whenever your car requires a service appointment with a well-qualified auto mechanic!
