Cars
The Seatbelt Given Away Free
Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seatbelt in 1959, and Volvo shared the patent free with everyone.
More in Cars
Over A Billion Cars On Earth
There are more than 1.4 billion cars on the world's roads today, roughly one for every six people alive.
The Airbag Opens In 30 Milliseconds
A car airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, cushioning passengers in a crash.
The Beetle's 21 Million
The Volkswagen Beetle was built for 65 years, with over 21 million made, one of the best-selling cars ever.
The First Car, 1886
Karl Benz patented his three-wheeled Motorwagen in 1886, widely seen as the first true automobile.
Faster Than 490 km/h
In 2019 a Bugatti Chiron prototype became the first production-based car to break 300 mph, hitting 490 km/h.
Electric Cars Came First
Electric cars were on the roads in the 1890s and outsold petrol cars in some US cities around 1900.