About This Quiz
From its humble beginnings, the modern car is nothing short of a technological marvel! It takes us wherever we need to go, safely and in a fairly luxurious environment, and above all comfortably. That's unlike early cars, which luckily didn't go too fast otherwise, they would have shaken the driver's and passenger's teeth loose! Luckily, car designers quickly learned that a smooth ride would indeed be a selling point for their automobiles! It's amazing that in just over 130 years, cars have gone from a true "horseless carriage" to what they are today. It's truly difficult to comprehend the rate the change has taken place. I am sure Karl Benz and Henry Ford would be stunned at the modern motor vehicle.
But let's move onto the reason you are here! This quiz consists of 35 questions related to everything you as an auto expert should know about cars, their history, the early pioneers, how car engines work and identifying different models. It is a truly unique quiz in the wide range of questions it covers. So do you have what it takes? Aim for 30 out of 35 and you can be very proud of your effort! Well, what are you waiting for? Good luck!
Arguably the most iconic muscle car ever, the Mustang was first released in 1964. It proved one of the most popular debuts ever and within a year, 400,000 units had been sold, which quadrupled Ford’s sale estimates.
The exhaust system removes the gases produced during the engine combustion process out the tailpipe of the vehicle.
Even though it was the world's slowest car chase, it captured the attention of America! O.J. Simpson, wanted in connection with the murder of his wife, was a passenger in a 1993 Ford Bronco while trying to evade police ... very slowly. It is estimated that 90 million people watched the chase live on TV.
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The spark plug is provided with an electrical pulse that enables it to make a spark. This ignites the air/fuel mixture in the engine, which allows for combustion.
In older engines, it was the carburetor that allowed the correct amount of fuel/air mixture into the engine to be combusted. Too much and the car was running rich, too little and it was running lean. In modern engines, fuel injectors do the same job, one for each cylinder.
When the back axle is turned by the driveshaft, the vehicle is a rear-wheel drive. This was the original setup for cars and trucks.
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The piston moves within the cylinder. This transfers the energy created by combustion of the fuel/air mixture to the crankshaft through the piston rod. The crankshaft turns, which will help move the car forward.
The crankshaft produces a rotational motion which, in turn, helps turn the driveshaft and then the wheels.
A turning crankshaft will turn a driveshaft, which then turns the axle and the wheels attached to them. And then the car will move!
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The connecting rod is what keeps the piston connected to the crankshaft, and it is connected at two points.
The Camaro was first launched in 1967 and is still a Chevrolet model to this day. This muscle car has seen six different generations. The current Camaro offers three different engine configurations, with the SS sporting a 6.2 liter V8 capable of producing 455 brake horsepower.
Perhaps the most iconic truck ever released by Ford, the F-150 is simply loved in the United States. In fact, this is the biggest-selling truck in the country for the past three decades! Not only that, but at certain times, it was also the most popular vehicle in the country in terms of sales.
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Voted by Time Magazine as one of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time, the Gremlin was ugly. Essentially a shortened AMC Hornet, the Gremlin used vacuum-operated wipers, didn't have disc brakes or use radial tires. It wasn't very well received.
The first Corvette, the C1, was introduced in 1953. A truly beautiful car, the C1 was available as a two-seat roadster. A range of power plant options were available for the C1, including a few V8 options.
An important part of the drive system on a car, the differential allows for wheels to rotate at different speeds on the axle, for instance, when turning a corner.
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If unsure which oil to use when performing an oil change, always check your car manual or phone the dealer to ask.
You wouldn't believe it, but Volkswagen owns some of the most famous brands in the world including Lamborghini, Porsche, Bugatti, Audi and Bentley. among others.
A mid-sized car model produced by Ford from 1968 to 1976, the Torino's most popular layouts included the two-door sedan. Ford also produced a few Torino models with higher performance specs. Most were powered by 7-liter "Cobra Jet" engine and are considered to be muscle cars.
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The dream of John DeLorean, the DMC-12 had its 5 minutes of fame thanks to the "Back to the Future" movies. It remained a terrible car with sluggish performance and was only produced for a year before the company went bankrupt.
Many muscle car aficionados call the Chrysler 300 the first muscle car. No matter if you agree or not, the 300, introduced in 1955 and produced until 1965, certainly had the cool factor.
The Maxwell Motor Company had been formed in 1903, but by the 1920s was struggling. Walter Chrysler was brought in to turn the company around, which he then did, renaming the company after himself.
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A car in 1910 with EIGHT wheels. People were barely used to cars with four wheels. Not even one AutoOcto was sold.
Built between 1934 and 1937, this full-sized Chrysler model was available as a four-door sedan or two-door coupe. Its design incorporated the concept of streamlining, one of the first American cars to do so. Ultimately, however, the Airflow was not a particularly successful model for Chrysler.
Designed by Andreas Flocken, the Flocken Elektrowagen was built in 1888. Flocken was an inventor and his design essentially looked like a horseless carriage. It weighed around 400 kgs and was capable of 15 km/h.
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This American sports car only sold 17 units. It didn't help that one almost killed tennis star Andre Agassi when it caught alight soon after he purchased it.
Estimates in 2014 put the number of vehicles on roads around the world at around 1.2 billion. This is estimated to rise to around 2 billion in 2035. Scary, don't you think? Hopefully for the sake of the planet, the move to electric vehicles will come quickly.
A civilian version of the Humvee military vehicle, the Hummer H1 would then obviously be more than capable as an off-roader. And it is, but with limitations. In fact, some H1 owners went as far as changing out the standard 6.5 liter diesel engine and replacing it with something to provide more speed.
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Your car's wheels are connected to the axle which is rotated by the driveshaft. The rotating axle then turns the wheels of the car.
Volkswagen started the ‘hot hatch’ revolution with the introduction of the Golf GTI in 1976. This was a Golf Mk 1 with a high-performance engine, and instantly became a hit.
England's Lewis Hamilton won the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship and as of 2018, is a five-time World Champion. He has raced for McLaren and Mercedes, but most of his success has come with the German Formula One team. Hamilton is known for his blinding pace in qualifying and bold overtaking in races.
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Founded by Walter Chrysler, the Chrysler Motor Company is a little younger than Ford or Chevrolet. The company was formed on June 6, 1925.
In 1899, Henry Ford formed the Detroit Motor Company. He remained involved with the business until 1901, when he dissolved it. Ford was not happy with the quality of cars produced by the company.
With its retro looks, the Prowler from Plymouth was marketed as something different on the vehicle scene. Its performance didn't match its looks, however, with the Prowler only having a V6 engine with an automatic transmission. Let's just say the Prowler's story is not one of lasting success.
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The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was designed by Karl Benz in Germany. Essentially a carriage without a horse, the Motorwagen didn't have a steering wheel and was steered using a tiller. Good thing it didn't go too fast then, only about 16 mph. Around 25 were built.