Chapter 167: The Prototype of the Automobile (A Ten-Thousand-Character Chapter)

The economic crisis that erupted in 1873 is absolutely the longest-lasting economic crisis in human economic history.

But in reality, this economic crisis was divided into two stages. The first stage was from 1873 to 1874, and the primary affected countries were the United States and Germany, the two major powers that had risen rapidly during the Second Industrial Revolution.

The second stage was from 1876 to 1878, and the primary affected country was the United Kingdom.

From this point, it can also be seen that those countries that had developed rapidly in the recent period were more severely affected in the early stages of the economic crisis. Old-line powers like Britain and France were not severely affected, or rather, the true economic crisis had not yet arrived.

It is precisely because of this that by the second half of 1874, the economies of various European countries had already recovered. Although many enterprises still faced the crisis of bankruptcy, at least some important factories had entered production, and social order had been stabilized.

The industrial sector of Spain was somewhat disappointed. Because after the economies of various countries gradually recovered, it would no longer be easy to purchase those enterprises at low prices.

Fortunately, more than half of the 300 million pesetas in purchasing funds originally planned by Spain had already been spent, and those relatively important factories had long since been bought, with even the production line equipment of the factories being completely dismantled and transported to Spain.

"How are those factories that have already been purchased being handled?" Gao Da looked at the respectful Minister of Industry, Ceng Bei, and asked the question he cared about most.

Purchasing these factories was only the first step; absorbing all the production equipment and technical workers of these factories was the second step that the industrial sector had to take.

"Currently, the production equipment of most of the enterprises has been dismantled; the first batch has already been transported to the country, and the second batch is also on the way.

It is just that some of the workers in these factories are unwilling to come to Spain, even though we have offered even better conditions," reported Minister of Industry Ceng Bei.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Spain's absorption of talent is in full swing; in reality, there are still many Europeans who are unwilling to immigrate to Spain.

Even if they are at their wit's end and want to immigrate, most people would choose the United States, which has vast lands and more opportunities.

It has not been long since the chaos in Spain ended, and Europeans still have lingering fears about the chaos in Spain. After all, most people prefer to live in a peaceful and stable environment rather than a chaotic region where parades and rebellions can break out at any time.

"Forget about those who are unwilling to come; even if they come, they will not identify with Spain." Gao Da did not care about these workers who were unwilling to immigrate to Spain, because even if these people came to Spain, they would not identify with Spain:

"For those who are willing to come to Spain, we can appropriately provide them with more help to let them integrate into the Spanish environment more quickly.

In addition, the industrial sector can cooperate with the church to run Spanish language classes to help these people who have immigrated to Spain quickly master the Spanish language."

People in the church still have some experience in spreading religion and language; they have a lot of experience in language schools, and it can also be utilized.

Although he had previously swindled a lot of land from the church, in Gao Da's heart, the church in Spain was not his enemy.

If the church could be held in his own hands, the power of religion could provide Gao Da with a lot of help and could also serve as a powerful weapon in Gao Da's hands.

Although the influence of religion on the secular world has been continuously decreasing, this does not mean that religion is unpopular throughout the world.

Even in later generations, there are still a large number of people who believe in religion and believe that God exists.

If the Spanish Catholic Church could be firmly held in his own hands, through the spread of Catholic doctrine, Gao Da could also possess a brand-new public opinion weapon different from newspapers.

And Spain is a Catholic country, and the Catholic Church can easily influence a large number of Spanish Catholic believers.

At present, Archbishop Pedro is still very smart. Gao Da specially created the title of Archbishop of Spain for him, and he accepted it very willingly, becoming the first Archbishop of Spain.

"I understand, Your Majesty." Minister Ceng Bei nodded, indicating that he already understood.

"The industrial sector should hurry up and carry out the final round of procurement. If there are no accidents, I am afraid our purchasing actions will not have many opportunities left.

Also, try your best to transfer the purchased enterprises to the country. Once the economies of other countries gradually recover, it will become very difficult to transfer these enterprises.

As long as these enterprises can be fully absorbed and utilized, I am optimistic that the industrial sector will be able to complete the requirements of the Five-Year Development Plan ahead of schedule," Gao Da said with a smile.

Because of this economic crisis, the task of the industrial sector was actually relatively easy. On the premise of spending a large amount of supplies to purchase foreign enterprises, the requirements of the Five-Year Development Plan could be quickly completed by absorbing these foreign enterprises.

Because the requirements of the Five-Year Development Plan were simply to increase the scale of various industrial sectors, strengthen Spain's industrial capabilities, and so on.

It is not an exaggeration to say that as long as those purchased enterprises are all transferred to Spain and their production capabilities are restored, the Spanish industrial sector will have almost completed the requirements in the Five-Year Development Plan.

Do not look at the fact that the industrial sector only spent a budget of 300 million pesetas to purchase these enterprises; the actual value of these factories and enterprises is at least several times that.

The production scale of these factories and enterprises alone is almost catching up to Spain's original industrial scale. As long as the industrial sector can successfully absorb these enterprises, it will not be a difficult task to become the most dazzling department in this Five-Year Plan.

Minister Ceng Bei nodded again. He did not think that the industrial sector's work being so easy was his own credit.

The work of the industrial sector had already been defined as early as the previous cabinet government. Minister Ceng Bei was promoted by Gao Da to be the Minister of Industry of the second cabinet government, which was actually to let him take credit.

As long as the industrial sector can complete the original plan step by step, it will not be a difficult task to become the first department to successfully complete the goals of the Five-Year Development Plan.

This will also serve as Ceng Bei's own credit, giving him more capital to pursue a higher position when the next cabinet government is replaced.

On August 28, 1874, in the engine research area on the outskirts of Madrid.

This is a small test area built by Gao Da for engine research and the electrical research institute. Currently, after several years of development, it has become a medium-to-large-scale experimental area.

In addition to engine and electrical research, some R&D groups for other projects have been added here, and the experimental buildings constructed are one taller and larger than the other.

This place also gathers Gao Da's hard work over the past few years. It is no exaggeration to say that if something goes wrong in this experimental area, more than half of Gao Da's hard work over these years will be wasted.

It is precisely because of this that the security force of the experimental area is second only to the Wang Gong, with a patrol force of hundreds of people on the surface, and many hidden sentries protecting it in secret.

Moreover, a few kilometers away from the experimental area is the station of the Imperial Guard Division. Such a defensive force can ensure the safety of the experimental area under any circumstances; unless faced with a large-scale national-level war, no one can break through the defensive line under heavy protection.

Early this morning, Gao Da brought Queen Sophie to the experimental area.

The purpose of coming to the experimental area is also very simple: it is to see the simple automobile built after many experiments.

Yes, an automobile. Although it was modified from a horse-drawn carriage, it is equipped with the latest four-stroke gas engine, so it is not wrong to call it an automobile.

When he first saw such a crude automobile, Gao Da did not know how to describe it for a moment. It was a bit of a stretch to call it an automobile, because it looked more like a "four-unlike" creature pieced together from an engine, a carriage cabin, and a simple control system.

But from the principle, it is indeed not wrong to call it an automobile, if one ignores its appearance.

"Mr. Benz, can you introduce this big guy?" Gao Da looked with a smile at the main developer of this big guy, the later famous father of the automobile, Benz.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Queen. This is the finished product we manufactured after many experiments, which can also be called the first-generation automobile.

Our four-stroke engine has undergone many experiments and can currently ensure that no major problems will occur within 200 kilometers.

The carriage equipped with the four-stroke gas engine can increase the speed to about 20 kilometers and travel continuously for more than 200 kilometers.

The carriage cabin has been modified by us and can carry a maximum of 3 people or 350kg of luggage.

The finished product you see has already undergone our experiments; the safety performance can be guaranteed, and there is absolutely no problem with driving it," Benz said with a smile, introducing his work very proudly.

A speed of 20 kilometers per hour is not fast, and it is only a relatively normal level even among ordinary horses. If compared with trained military horses and other horses specifically used for transportation, such a speed can only be said to be far inferior.

But the problem is, this is under the condition of carrying a large carriage cabin. If a cabin is hung behind a horse, the speed of the carriage will also be greatly reduced.

Even if several horses are used to pull a cabin, the speed is destined not to be much faster. After all, this is not something that can be improved by simple superposition; the fastest speed of a carriage is only 30 kilometers per hour, and the slow ones are even only a dozen kilometers per hour.

This also has to take into account road conditions, weather environments, and other factors, as well as the condition of the horses themselves. Do not look at the fact that the speed of such a simple automobile is about the same as a carriage, but a normal carriage cannot run very far in a day; after all, horses are also living things and also need to rest.

Unless the horses pulling the carriage are changed to new ones when they are tired, it is already quite good for a carriage to travel a hundred kilometers a day.

But for a mechanical carriage, or automobile, equipped with a four-stroke engine, the situation is completely different. Although the speed is only 20 kilometers per hour, such a mechanical carriage can travel until the fuel is exhausted or a problem occurs before stopping.

And Benz, Maybach, and several others have conducted many experiments and have determined that the current four-stroke gas engine will not have any problems working continuously for ten hours or traveling continuously within 200 kilometers.

From such data, it can be seen that the role of the existing mechanical carriage, that is, the automobile, has already been demonstrated. With the improvement of the engine's thermal efficiency and the improvement of the engine's stability, the role of the automobile will be far greater than that of the carriage, and it may even replace the carriage.

Letting the automobile he made completely replace the carriage and fill the transportation market is the ultimate dream of Benz and other workers in this field.

Hearing that the stability and safety of the automobile in front of him had been guaranteed, Gao Da looked at Queen Sophie beside him and invited her with a smile: "Sophie, how about experiencing this mechanical carriage together?"

"I would be happy to, Gao Da." Sophie nodded with a smile and reached out her hand.

Gao Da first helped Queen Sophie onto the carriage cabin, and then he jumped up himself.

"Mr. Benz, what are you still waiting for? Since this big guy was made by you, then you come and drive this big guy for me." Gao Da looked at Benz, who was obviously stunned, and ordered with a smile.

Benz hesitated, but seeing Gao Da's unquestionable appearance, he could only nod and personally got into the driver's seat in front of the carriage.

Although it is a relatively simple automobile, the layout is generally the same as that of later automobiles.

The engine and the driver's seat are both located at the front, and the modified carriage cabin is connected behind the driver's seat. This is not an ordinary carriage cabin, but a large luxury cabin that has been modified.

The cabin has a total of three luxurious large sofas; sitting on them, one sinks into them, soft and comfortable.

Car windows are designed on both sides of the carriage, and one can observe the scenery on both sides. After getting on the carriage, Queen Sophie pulled open the curtains and watched the changes outside the carriage.

Rumble!

With a roar of the engine, blue-gray smoke drifted into the sky, and the engine was officially ignited.

"Your Majesty, it might be a bit bumpy when it just starts. You and Her Highness the Queen should hold onto the handrails. It will be stable in a moment." After the engine started, Benz first turned his head to explain to Gao Da, and then waited for Gao Da's order.

"I know, Mr. Benz. Start it. I want to see what is different about this mechanical carriage compared to an ordinary carriage." Gao Da nodded with a smile, pulled Queen Sophie's hand beside him, and pressed it on the handrail.

The King and Queen of this country are sitting on the carriage; Benz naturally does not dare to be the least bit careless. If Gao Da is dissatisfied because of the bumps, the R&D plan for the engine and the automobile might just end there.

Under Benz's cautious control, the carriage did not have too much bumping when it started. Of course, the speed of the carriage was also very slow, estimated to be not even ten kilometers per hour.

"Mr. Benz, let me see the speed of the carriage. I don't want such a big guy to only be able to walk so slowly; what is the difference between that and an ordinary carriage?" Gao Da also saw Benz's caution and smiled to let him set his mind at ease.

Gao Da understands the role and influence of the automobile better than anyone else; even if an accident occurred halfway, Gao Da would not give up the R&D of the automobile.

Benz's worry was completely unnecessary. If Gao Da did not value the R&D of the engine and the automobile, he would not have invited them from Germany and specially built a separate experimental area for them.

Hearing Gao Da's request, even if Benz was unwilling, he could only step on the accelerator and increase the speed of the carriage.

The scenery outside the window flashed by quickly, and the speed of the carriage was obviously much faster than before. Although Gao Da did not know the specific speed, he estimated that it was almost 20 kilometers per hour.

In other words, this carriage had already reached the estimated maximum speed. This also proved Benz's trust in the carriage he manufactured; after all, the King and Queen were sitting in it. If the safety level was not high, wouldn't this be looking for trouble for himself?

Behind the engine laboratory is a wide road, which is for the purpose of conducting relevant automobile experiments.

Every individual small experimental area in the experimental area has its own security force, which can also ensure that the experimental personnel inside will not know the news of other experimental areas.

The distance between each small experimental area is a few hundred meters at the closest, and even more than a kilometer at the farthest; it is impossible to see what is inside the experimental area with the naked eye.

Such regulations also greatly ensured the independence and confidentiality of each project in the experimental area, so that a large-scale leak would not be caused by a certain accident.

Of course, the experimental personnel who can enter the laboratory have also been investigated and are basically trustworthy. For some more important experimental personnel, the Royal Security Intelligence Agency will also conduct long-term supervision to ensure the confidentiality of the experimental content.

The families of these experimental personnel are also in Spain, so they can be relied upon in terms of confidentiality. Even if Gao Da came to the engine experimental area with great fanfare, as long as it is not made public, other parts of the experimental area will not know.

"Sophie, how does it feel?" Gao Da looked at Queen Sophie and asked with a smile.

"Very good. Except for the noise of the engine, I think this kind of carriage has its own advantages compared to an ordinary carriage," Queen Sophie nodded and expressed her opinion.

The noise of the engine is an unavoidable problem, not to mention the relatively simple engines of this era. However, considering that horses also make noise when running, and even have the trouble of excrement, in fact, such a mechanical carriage is not unacceptable.

"After all, it is the first generation of automobiles; it is already very good to be able to do this. I am optimistic about the prospects of the automobile; it might replace the carriage at some point in the future and become a common means of transportation for people," Gao Da said with a smile.

Even if it is only the simplest automobile, the role it currently shows is already comparable to that of a carriage. If the automobile is given a few more decades of development time, completely replacing the carriage is not a conjecture, but a very possible reality.

In the final analysis, it is because of the power source of the carriage; horses have too many limitations. After all, they are animals, and they will also have birth, aging, sickness, and death, as well as a series of problems.

Even military horses strictly trained by the army cannot withstand long-term combat. Not to mention ordinary horses used only for transportation; problems occur frequently when they work.

Even if several horses pull a carriage, as long as they pull something a little heavier, transportation will be greatly restricted.

Changes in weather and temperature, as well as the road environment, will also affect the transportation of carriages, which to a certain extent also affects the development of the economy.

Although automobiles have this or that problem, the issues are generally concentrated in the engine, which is the so-called stability problem.

As long as the engine stability problem is solved, automobiles can transport goods to their heart's content as long as there is enough fuel; they can run for as long as they want and as far as they want.

This is something horses and carriages simply cannot do, and this is also the reason why automobiles can replace carriages.

Upon hearing this, Queen Sofia nodded, also approving of what Carlos said.

After all, the problems with horses and carriages are obvious, and such problems are fundamentally unsolvable. Although horses can be trained, they are ultimately normal animals, and both speed and endurance have upper limits.

There may be thousand-mile horses, but not every horse can become a thousand-mile horse. Since horses and carriages are common means of transport, relying on just that small portion of horses with faster speed and endurance is not enough.

Although automobiles also have problems, they are machines, and theoretically, they possess greater potential.

Replacing carriages with automobiles may seem like just a conjecture now, but it may not be impossible to achieve in the next few decades; there is even a high probability of it happening.

Benz did not hear the discussion between Carlos and Queen Sofia; otherwise, he would likely have had more confidence in the engine and automobile he developed.

After taking a casual spin, Benz drove the automobile back to the original place. After Carlos and Queen Sofia got out of the car, they had a more appropriate evaluation of this big guy in front of them.

"Very good, Mr. Benz." Carlos first affirmed that the engine research was everyone's effort and also affirmed the role of such an automobile, before giving his own opinion:

"However, I think the structure of the automobile can still be updated and designed, as this is something that will eventually be pushed for commercial use."

"Also, I suggest that you completely separate the two purposes of carrying people and carrying cargo, and develop different types of automobiles."

"Passenger cars can pursue higher comfort, more attractive appearances, and safety. Cargo trucks can pursue higher load capacity and more stable driving speeds."

"Different types of automobiles meet the needs of different people. I am optimistic that your automobile research will bring changes to the human world; this may become a means of transport on the same level as the train, thereby changing our world."

Carlos's evaluation was quite high; after all, the current train has already become the most important means of transport in the human world. Railway construction is the primary choice for the colonization of various countries; after all, only with railways can mined minerals and harvested crops be transported out.

Benz, Daimler, Maybach, and others looked at each other, and one after another, they saw the excitement and disbelief in each other's eyes.

What was unbelievable was that Carlos gave their research and development such a high evaluation; what was exciting was naturally having Carlos's affirmation, meaning their subsequent research would be smoother, and they would not have to worry about any issues regarding funding.

"However, there is one more point." Carlos looked at the excited group and continued to give his advice: "Since it has been proven that carriages equipped with engines possess a greater role, then the research and development of both engines and automobiles cannot stop."

"Therefore, I have decided to establish an additional automobile company outside of the engine research laboratory for research and development in the field of automobiles. As for whether you choose to stay in the engine research laboratory or go to work at the automobile company, you are free to choose."

"But both the engine research laboratory and the automobile company are very important. No matter where you work, you need to put 100% of your energy into your own research."

Since the initial automobile has been born, the research and development of engines and automobiles must certainly be separated.

The research and development of engines is very important because engines can be used not only in the field of automobiles but also in the fields of military weapons such as tanks and airplanes, as well as in some civilian machinery fields.

Automobiles are also very important. The automobile is a very important means of transport, with great future development prospects and a large potential market.

Although facing a split, Carlos will not give up on either one. Future Spanish engines and automobiles must be vigorously developed; these two studies complement each other and are both very important to Spain.

Benz and the other two looked at each other; although they had expected this, they were still somewhat reluctant to part.

In the end, it was the older Daimler who spoke with a smile, easing the reluctance of the three: "Alright, being responsible for different projects doesn't mean we won't see each other. The research of engines and the research of automobiles are inseparable."

"Whether engaged in the research of engines or the research of automobiles, we are all fulfilling our original dreams, aren't we?"

"Maybach, you have more talent in design among us; why don't you be responsible for the research and development of automobiles?"

"His Majesty also mentioned that the future appearance of automobiles is also very important, and the structural layout of automobiles needs to be carefully considered."

"I don't have any talent in this area, so I will continue to be responsible for the research and development of engines. As for you, Benz, it would be a waste of your talent to only let you be responsible for engine research, and I would be reluctant to let you go to Maybach's side."

"How about this: you can be responsible for both the research of engines and the research of automobiles; this way, you can fully utilize your abilities."

Daimler's division of the three's positions was quite fair. In fact, generally speaking, Benz, Daimler, and Maybach could all handle both engine and automobile research. But there is always a strength and a weakness; Maybach is more skilled in aspects related to creativity.

Daimler has a deeper study of four-stroke engines, so being responsible for engine research is no problem.

And Benz is the true all-around talent; his research ability in engines is not inferior to Daimler's, and the first automobile was also Benz's idea.

If Benz were to be responsible for a single aspect of research, it would be a bit of a waste of his comprehensive abilities. It is better to let him be responsible for both types of research, which can not only fully utilize Benz's abilities but also effectively advance the progress of engine and automobile research.

Benz did not dare to make the decision himself and looked at Carlos.

Carlos nodded with a smile and had no objections to this arrangement: "Mr. Daimler's suggestion is very reasonable; let's arrange it this way. Mr. Daimler will be responsible for engine research, Mr. Maybach will be responsible for automobile research, and Mr. Benz will run between both sides, contributing to both engines and automobiles."

"Since the research projects you are responsible for have changed, your positions naturally need to be changed accordingly. Mr. Daimler will serve as the Chief Research Engineer of the Engine Company, fully responsible for engine research."

"Mr. Maybach will serve as the Chief Research Engineer of the United Automobile Company, responsible for automobile research."

"As for Mr. Benz, you will serve as the Research Consultant for both companies; this is a relatively arduous position."

"The shares will also be modified accordingly. The Engine Company will give each of you 3% of the shares, and the Automobile Company will give each of you 2% of the shares."

"Do you have any objections to this arrangement?"

Carlos's arrangement was quite fair, and none of them had any objections to their positions. As for the shares, it was actually changing from the original 5% of the Engine Company to 3% of the Engine Company and 2% of the Automobile Company.

Both the Engine Company and the Automobile Company are very important, and their future development prospects are great. Whether this share division is a loss or a gain compared to the original is unclear, but either way, it is a large amount of wealth.

These shares were given to them by Carlos for nothing, so Benz and the other two naturally would not have any objections.

Although they put in great effort in the research and development of engines and automobiles, Carlos was the one playing the role of the investor.

Although it has only been a few years, the funds Carlos has used in engine research and automobile research have reached millions of pesetas.

If Benz and the three were asked to come up with this money, they would not be able to. This also means that without Carlos's investment, the research of engines and the development of automobiles could not have achieved the current results.

The millions of pesetas in funds that Carlos has already invested were enough for Benz and the other two to have no objections.

Although these shares do not look like much, their future value is immeasurable. At the very least, it could be hundreds of thousands of pesetas, and at most, it could be millions or even tens of millions.

"Regardless of how your positions change, you all have merit in the birth of this big guy," Carlos said with a smile.

Since the automobile has already been developed, the previously promised rewards for merit should naturally be carried out. Carlos has never been stingy in this regard; the rewards prepared for the engine research laboratory this time totaled over 300, 00 pesetas in checks alone.

Although the engine research laboratory has expanded significantly in both scale and personnel since its establishment, all the research personnel in the laboratory currently add up to only a little over 100 people.

Among them, many are assistants; the research personnel who truly put in great effort in the engine research process, or who have made certain contributions, are only about 20-something people.

As the absolute main force, Benz and the other two received the most rewards, with 50, 00 pesetas in checks each.

The value of 50, 00 pesetas is about 1, 21 pounds; even for high-income senior engineers, their annual income does not reach this level.

Benz and the other two all have families to support, so they were also very tempted by this reward. Unlike the ethereal stocks, this reward is something they can actually obtain; it is real money.

Benz and the other two took away 150, 00 pesetas, and the remaining 100-plus research personnel split the other half.

Those 20-plus research personnel who made certain contributions received relatively more rewards, ranging from 3, 00 to 5, 00 pesetas.

Even the most ordinary research personnel who made no contributions could receive a reward of nearly 1, 00 pesetas.

Carlos had already planned these high rewards for the research personnel. For Carlos, the group most qualified to receive high income is, of course, these scientists and research personnel who have made huge contributions to the country.

The changes these studies have brought to Spain are huge, and Carlos's rewards for the research personnel are also very generous.

In addition to these scientists and researchers, those groups that have made tangible contributions to the country, such as soldiers, teachers, doctors, etc., are naturally also qualified to increase their income.

On the contrary, for those engaged in the entertainment industry, Carlos does not want their income to be too high, to the point where it is completely uncontrollable.

Currently, the development of the entertainment industry is not that prosperous, and television and movies have not been born yet. When these things are born, Carlos will formulate relevant laws to limit the salary and treatment of relevant practitioners.

These people are of course qualified to receive high income, but if the income is too high, it will make them lose respect for income earned through labor.

In addition to checks as rewards, these scientific research personnel can also enjoy policies such as tax exemptions and rent reductions.

Valuing scientists and research personnel is the main tone Carlos has set for Spain, and it is also a rule that Spain will abide by in the future.

Revitalizing the country through science and education is not just talk; if Spain wants to truly become strong, the emphasis on scientific research and education is very necessary.

This is also the reason why Carlos vigorously develops the Royal Academy of Sciences. When the research of the Royal Academy of Sciences has results, and the academicians of the academy receive titles as rewards for their research achievements, the Spanish people will understand that there is not only one way to change the future of themselves and their families—military merit—but also scientific research merit.

When the professions that Spanish teenagers want to become when they grow up become scientists, soldiers, doctors, teachers, and other industries useful to the country, it proves that Carlos's policy of valuing scientific research has achieved good results.

After all the rewards for these research personnel were handed to them, Carlos's purpose for coming to the engine experimental area this time was basically completed.

Currently, the development of the automobile is still very fast; at least the existing automobile already has a certain role. As long as the engine stability problem can be solved and the practicality of the automobile can be strengthened, it can be prepared for the market stage.

Historically, automobiles actually had similar practical automobiles long before the birth of the Model T, but the reason they did not truly go global and commercialized was actually because the automobiles at that time were manufactured one by one.

What does this mean? It means the automobile production team produced them one by one, and only after one was produced would they restart the production of the next one.

Doing this not only reduced the production speed of automobiles but also reduced the fit between different automobile parts.

When subsequent problems appeared in the automobile, it was difficult to repair by replacing parts. After all, the production time interval for the same parts was very long, and they might even be produced by different people, so there would definitely be more or less differences.

Reasons such as slow automobile production speed and troublesome maintenance problems, coupled with the poor stability of automobiles caused by manual production, severely limited the comprehensive popularization of automobiles.

And what truly made the automobile go global and fully commercialized was not the birth of the Model T, but the assembly line production created by the Ford Company.

Assembly line production is actually a very simple principle: divide the production of an entire automobile into the production of various different parts, with each production workshop responsible for only one type of part.

The differences in parts produced by the same workshop will also be lower, which leads to the fact that when later automobiles have problems, they can be easily solved by replacing parts, reducing maintenance time and trouble.

Because workers only need to be responsible for the production of one type of part, the requirements for workers are also greatly reduced. As workers become more and more skilled, the qualification rate of produced parts will also increase, and errors will also decrease.

One only needs to assemble the standardized parts one by one along with the assembly line production to assemble a complete automobile.

Doing this not only increased the production speed of automobiles but also reduced the failure rate of automobiles and improved the stability of automobiles.

It is precisely this change that allowed the automobile, which had been born for a long time, to finally go global and become an indispensable means of transport and transportation for humanity.

The Model T also became the most legendary car model at the time, selling over 15 million units in less than 20 years, with an average of nearly 1 million units sold each year.

What an exaggerated figure this is! Before the birth of the Model T and assembly line production, the total number of automobiles produced in all of Europe and the United States combined did not exceed 10, 00 per year.

An assembly line production expanded the world's automobile production by more than a hundred times in less than 20 years; its effect is evident.

Carlos naturally knows the principle of assembly line production. As long as the automobile company can make deeper improvements to the existing automobiles, and the engine company can develop more stable engines with higher thermal efficiency, they can basically consider the comprehensive promotion of automobiles.

Although promoting automobiles 30 years in advance will face more problems, if the Model T could sell 15 million units, surely the automobiles developed by Spain could sell 1 million units, right?

Making a name for Spanish automobiles earlier is also conducive to Spain seizing the automobile market.

As a famous car model launched by the Ford Company, the Model T directly made the Ford Company the largest automobile manufacturer in the world at the time.

How exaggerated was it at its peak? The production of the Model T alone accounted for 56. % of the world's total automobile production; it can be said that the Ford Company at that time occupied more than 60% of the world's automobile market.

The Ford Company could have relied on the great foundation laid by the Model T to consolidate its position as an automobile hegemon.

Unfortunately, the later Ford Company was too proud and complacent because of the achievements it created, and it did not keep up with the pace of other companies when automobile technology was being updated, eventually leading to its market being eroded step by step.

If the Ford Company had paid attention to technological progress, continuously improved the Model T, and developed new automobiles, not to mention maintaining a 60% market share, stabilizing the market share at over 30% would have been no problem.

How exaggerated is a 30% market share? In later generations, the number of automobiles sold worldwide each year exceeds 85 million; a 30% market share is sales of over 25 million units.

Although the current automobile market is not that exaggerated, it is very necessary to seize the automobile market earlier and stabilize one's position step by step.

If Spanish automobiles can be pushed to the world 30 years in advance, the expansion of the world automobile market can also be carried out earlier.

Judging by the production and sales volume of automobiles worldwide around the time the Model T was born, the automobile market is very promising.

As long as one can develop an automobile early, even in the 19th century, automobile sales could still be counted in the tens of thousands.

After all, there are no shortage of wealthy people in countries around the world; relying solely on sales to various royal families and capitalists already constitutes a quite massive potential market.

10, 00-character long chapter update, seeking support! Third day of ten thousand words a day, task successfully completed!

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(End of this chapter)