The Evolution of the U.S. Automotive Industry Course No: D05-004 Credit: 5 PDH Robert P. Tata, P.E. Continuing Education and Development, Inc. 22 Stonewall Court Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 P: (877) 322-5800
[email protected] The Evolution of the U.S. Automotive Industry Copyright 2013 Robert Tata, B.M.S.E., P.E. All Rights Reserved Introduction The author, a licensed Professional Engineer, has also been employed in an engineering capacity by all “Big Three” automakers; GM, Ford, & Chrysler. Here he has sought to investigate the series of events that made Detroit, Michigan the automotive capital of the world. Detroit, Michigan is a place, off the beaten path, in an isolated glove-shape piece of land thrust up between two lakes, with sometimes very inclement weather. Ohio and Indiana, who were also active in the creation of the auto industry in the U.S., are in the same general area of the country as Michigan and share the same climate. How did the industry get its start in this three-state area. One would think that other parts of the country would be more conducive to the formation of such an important part of the history of this nation. Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana were not members of the original 13 states and therefore have to be considered less developed territories than the original thirteen states around the turn of the 19th century when the American gasoline powered automobile was invented. Read how the author has searched for the answers to these somewhat perplexing questions surrounding why Detroit became “The Motor City”.