Car Trivia

1) What is generally considered to be the first "pony car"?

• MERCURY COUGAR

• CHEVROLET CAMARO

• FORD MUSTANG

• PONTIAC FIREBIRD

Answer explanation

Although Plymouth enthusiasts insist that the Baracuda beat the Mustang to market by two weeks, it was the Ford Mustang, first introduced at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964

What was the first Japanese car to be produced in the United States?

• MAZDA MIATA

• TOYOTA CAMRY

• NISSAN MAXIMA

• HONDA ACCORD

Answer explanation

In November of 1982, the first American-produced Honda Accord rolled off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio.

What car sold more than one million units in 1965, setting a record that still stands today?

• PONTIAC GTO

• CHEVROLET IMPALA

• FORD THUNDERBIRD

• BUICK WILDCAT

Answer explanation

Originally introduced in 1958, the Impala was the best-selling automobile in the United States during the 1960s. Early Impala models sported six taillights, a unique feature which, for a time, became the Impala trademark. The Impala was named after an African antelope.

What was the first car to break the sound barrier?

• KOENIGSEGG AGERA R

• HENNESSEY VENOM GT

• THRUST SSC

• BUGATTI VEYRON

Answer explanation

Driving the ThrustSSC at Nevada's Black Rock Desert in 1997, Andy Green became the first person on land to go faster than the speed of sound. The resultant sonic boom shook a school and caused sprinkler covers to fall off in the nearby town of Gerlach.

What year was the Corvette first introduced?

• 1943

• 1953

• 1963

• 1973

Answer explanation

The first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the production line on June 30, 1953, at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan. Only 300 Corvettes were built that year (each of them by hand), making this the rarest Corvette.

What was the first car to be mass-produced?

• DURYEA MOTOR WAGON

• MODEL A

• MODEL T

• PACKARD

Answer explanation

Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in December of 1908, and as a result he was not only able to mass-produce the Model-T, but was able to offer it to his customers at a much lower price than the competition. By 1913, Ford was producing half of all cars sold in the United States, and by 1927, he had sold more than 15 million Model-Ts!

What was the first car launched into space?

• TESLA ROADSTER

• PORSCHE 911

• RINSPEED OASIS

• ROLLS-ROYCE VISION 100

Answer explanation

In February 2018, Elon Musk launched a Tesla Roadster into orbit. Yes, an actual car launched at a speed of 18,000 mph was sent cruising around Earth!

Who was the inventor of cruise control?

• A BLIND MAN

• A 12-YEAR-OLD CHILD

• A HOMELESS MAN

• A ROBOT

Answer explanation

Modern cruise control was invented in 1948 by mechanical engineer Ralph Teetor who became blind at age five in an accident. His idea was borne out of the frustration of riding in a car driven by his lawyer, who kept speeding up and slowing down as he talked.

How much did the first Ford Mustang cost?

• $1,652

• $2,368

• $2,944

• $3,484

Answer explanation

The first Mustang rolled off the assembly line March 9, 1964 with a list price of $2,368.

What animal is on the Porsche logo?

• BIRD

• HORSE

• LION

• BULL

Answer explanation

The horse on the logo, which was taken from Stuttgart's Coat of Arms, represents the stud farm on which the city was built.