The automobile industry started in the 1860s with hundreds of manufacturers who became pioneers of horse-less carriage. For several decades, the United States has lead the world in global car production. In 1929, before the Great Depression, the world had 32,028,500 cars in operation, and more than 90% of them were manufactured by the U.S. car industry. The automobile industry includes a wide variety of companies and organizations engaged in the design, growth, production, promotion, and sale of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by sales. The car industry does not involve businesses devoted to the servicing of vehicles after sale to the end-user, such as vehicle repair shops and motor fuel filling stations.
