American Red Cross - Headquarters & Buildings - American Red Cross Headquarters. In Southampton, England, the ARC. Headquarters are over a bank overlooking one of the many small waterside parks for which the city ifnoted. The picture shows Major Joseph M. Habtfield of New York and other R.C. officers on a tour of inspection

The automobile was first invented and perfected in Germany and France in the late 1890s. Americans quickly came to dominate the automotive industry after WWI. Throughout this initial era, the development of automotive technology was rapid. Hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included the electric ignition system, independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted and safety glass also made its debut. Henry Ford perfected mass-production techniques, and Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler emerged as the “Big Three” auto companies by the 1920s. Car manufacturers received enormous orders from the military during World War II, and afterward automobile production in the United States, Europe, and Japan soared.