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John F. Fitzgerald Expressway Labeled diagram of a car showing major parts including the engine, battery, transmission, axle, catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust pipe, brake, shock absorber, and fuel tank. Fiat 600 A red car body suspended by machinery on an automobile assembly line, surrounded by automated equipment and metal framework. internal-combustion engine: four-stroke cycle Diagram showing the four-stroke cycle of a typical diesel engine, with labeled stages: intake (air enters), compression (air is compressed), power (fuel ignites and pushes piston down), and exhaust (gases exit). Labeled cross-sectional diagram of a V-type gasoline engine for an automobile, showing internal components such as pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, intake and exhaust valves, connecting rods, spark plugs, and intake manifold. gasoline engine lubrication system Diagram of a gasoline engine cooling system showing coolant flow from the radiator, through the engine cylinders, and back, with labeled components including the fan, thermostat, pump, and overflow pipe. Diagram of a car highlighting its electrical system, with labeled components such as the instrument panel, ignition system, battery, fuse blocks, wiring harnesses, and spark plugs, showing how power is distributed to various vehicle functions.
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John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway Automobiles on the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, Boston, Massachusetts.

automobile

vehicle
Also known as: auto, car, motorcar
Written by
Ken W. Purdy
Free-lance writer. Author of Kings of the Road and Motorcars of the Golden Past.
Ken W. PurdyAll
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

An automobile is a usually four-wheeled vehicle designed primarily for passenger transportation and commonly propelled by an internal-combustion engine using a volatile fuel. (Read Henry Ford’s 1926 Britannica essay on mass production.) The modern automobile is a complex technical system employing subsystems with specific design functions. Some of these consist of thousands of component parts that have evolved from breakthroughs in existing technology or from new technologies such as electronic computers, high-strength plastics, and...

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