. automakers’ market share dropped to 25%. By the 1990s, the number of light motor vehicles produced in the U.S. was just over eight million units, and the number of workers employed in the industry was approximately 90,000.
They are a key part of the petroleum industry
While the development of the automobile industry in the 20th century was a key force for change, it also has some major environmental implications. The automobile was the most important product in the United States in the early twentieth century, accounting for one out of every six jobs. Automobiles were also a vital part of the petroleum industry, becoming the largest consumer of a variety of industrial products.