The first modern automobiles appeared in 1885 when Karl Benz first produced a vehicle that paved the way for the modern automobile. Karl Benz’s model later on became what we know as the Mercedes Benz. We cannot accurately attribute the modern automobile to one particular inividual or even country but the history of car-making is replete with great innovations from practically every continent on the earth. But it was the United States, Russia, Japan and Germany that really began the era of mass producing vehicles not only for their own markets but for the international market as well. Cars have come a long way and technological breakthroughs have added to the way cars look and work today. Country cars, also known in the US as antique cars, are cars which are at least 25 years old. Although these are slowly fading and being replaced by sleeker shinier modern cars, country cars are still in existence and there is a section of every population that seems to maintain a certain affinity to these antique cars. But are they better than modern cars, or has technology left them behind?
Appearance
The same major motor companies which produce the cars we drive today are still the same ones that made the country cars from 5 years or more ago. Although the overall body decor has really transformed the way cars look, country cars are also very sleek and attractive and still cause ripples wherever they go. The Volkswagen Beetle with its compact round appearance has been so popular over the decades that the new Beetle still looks the way it looked 30 years ago.
Safety
The issue of safety always comes up when discussing differences between antique cars and modern cars. In 30 years or more ago, car manufacturers were safety conscious and did conduct numerous crash tests before releasing a model to the market. But today’s motor vehicles are safer in the sense that they have technological wizardry that makes them so. Take for instance the anti-lock brakes which were never in existence 30 years ago. These are important because without them, cars would tail spin and even roll in the even an emergency brake was applied. Windshields did not have the protective shield back then causing many people to be grievously injured and even die in the event of a minor crash. Country cars also had not began to implement tubeless tires which when they burst when the car is in motion, would cause the driver to lose total control of the car. Most modern cars have tubeless tires which help the driver maintain control and protects the occupants in case there is a tire burst.
Performance
Mercedes Benz, BMW, Dodge, Hondas etc from the antique era had extremely versatile engines and since they were made by hand, we very durable. But modern cars have better perfomance because computer chips have been introduced to the engine configuration and they monitor such aspects of performance as fuel/oxygen mix, traction, torque, water pumps, air supply and the like thereby releasing more power precisely when the car needs it.
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