Long-Lost Treasures Emerge From Lake During Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts in North Carolina
Officials are draining the water from Lake Lure to remove sediment and debris, revealing historic objects embedded in the dry lakebed
Two Wildlife Tunnels Are Saving Thousands of Amphibians From Being Crushed by Cars in Vermont
New research finds a pair of underpasses installed under a road that crosses a migration corridor have led to an 80.2 percent reduction in amphibian deaths
Male Offspring of Grizzly 399—the ‘World’s Most Famous Bear’—Killed by Vehicle in Grand Teton National Park
The 5-year-old boar known as Grizzly 1058 was part of a rare litter of four cubs born in 2020
Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?
The mysterious automobile was found in a hangar on the USS “Yorktown,” which has been resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean since 1942
Making Ride Hailing, Bike Shares and Other Transportation Options Accessible to All
Shared mobility is good for the environment, but not equal opportunity. What can be done to make travel easier for everyone?
Traffic Noise May Be Making These Bright Yellow Birds More Aggressive in the Galápagos Islands, Study Suggests
Male Galápagos yellow warblers appear to be shifting their behavior and adjusting their calls in response to the din of passing vehicles
With More Than 15 Million Made, This Iconic Car Became the World’s Most Popular on This Day in 1972
Blockbuster movies and the Beatles helped popularize Volkswagen’s uniquely shaped and affordable little car
An Amateur Astronomer Seemingly Spotted a New Asteroid. It Turned Out to Be a Tesla in Space
The car, launched in 2018 on a SpaceX rocket’s upper stage, is one of many human-made objects in deep space that could potentially be mistaken for natural celestial bodies
Chaotic Traffic From Horse-Drawn Carriages Inspired the World’s First Traffic Lights
Initial reactions to the signal, installed in London on this day in 1868, were mixed. Then, a freak accident scrapped the project entirely after just a month
Six Cars Raced to the Finish Line of the U.S.’s First Automobile Race—at Speeds of Seven Miles Per Hour
Held on this day in 1895, the 54-mile round trip took more than ten hours and involved accidents with streetcars, horses and snowbanks
Visions of Nuclear-Powered Cars Captivated Cold War America, but the Technology Never Really Worked
From the Ford Nucleon to the Studebaker-Packard Astral, these vehicles failed to progress past the prototype stage in the 1950s and 1960s
The ‘World’s Most Famous Grizzly’ Was Killed by a Car. Was Her Death Preventable?
Grizzly 399 became a celebrity of Grand Teton National Park in her lifetime. Now, her death has drawn attention to wildlife-vehicle collisions and how they might be reduced
On This Day in 1899, a Car Fatally Struck a Pedestrian for the First Time in American History
Henry Hale Bliss’ death presaged the battle between the 20th-century automobile lobby and walkers in U.S. cities
Can a City Known for Its Freeways and Gridlock Deliver a Car-Free Olympics? Los Angeles Thinks So
To make good on its promise, the 2028 host city is in a four-year sprint to ready its public transportation for the onslaught of athletes, coaches and spectators
How a Blue SUV Named Stanley Revolutionized Driverless Car Technology
Almost 20 years ago, a Volkswagen Touareg, now on view at the National Museum of American History, won a competition and led to the “birth moment” of self-driving cars
Automakers Are Making New Steels for Stronger and Lighter Cars
Novel materials are hitting assembly lines with just the right properties to build cars that are both safer and more fuel-efficient
General Motors to Pay $146 Million For Excess Emissions
Almost six million vehicles were emitting over 10 percent more carbon dioxide on average than compliance reports said they were
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Get Your Motor Running With These Cool Cars
See 15 awesome automobiles from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
Seven of the Most Beautiful Roads in the United States
From Alaska to Florida, these serene and exhilarating stretches beg you to take the scenic route
How the Airstream Hit the Open Road
This space-age sensation kicked the American road trip into high gear
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