Automobile technology has come along way since the days a new Ford cost only $265. Consumer cars are bigger, better and faster than they have ever been. But that does not mean you can ignore taking the proper care and maintenance of your vehicle. Especially if you own a used vehicle. No matter how old your car is, you can still always find used auto parts at a local dealer or even an auto salvage yard. Auto salvage yards are of particular note for anyone searching for hard to find parts or automobile collectors.

Salvage yards, or more commonly, junkyards, are businesses that dismantle wrecked and decommissioned vehicles. Usable parts are sold to car owners individually or auto parts dealers. Unusable parts and metal frames are sold as scrap to metal recycling companies. Any owner looking to find used auto parts to match their vehicle can call up and visit a salvage yard instead of buying a new part or paying a marked up cost at a parts dealer. Searching for hard to find parts are generally the most typical reason for someone to visit a salvage yard. Searching through a salvage yard is an adventure in itself, you never know what you could end up finding, or what piece of history you could walk over.

Speaking of old used cars, here are five historical car facts I bet you did not know!

1. Cab driver Jacob German was the first person in the United States to be arrested for speeding when he was busted for going 12 miles an hour down Lexington Street in Manhattan. The arresting officer was actually riding a bicycle!
2. Cleveland was the first city in the United States to install a traffic light, in 1914.
3. More than 1,650 auto companies went in and out of business between 1900 and 1940. Many companies were seeking to take advantage of the new technology but were not able to survive the economic collapse during the Great Depression.
4. Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903, becoming the first female innovator in automobile technology.
5. Fuel gauges were not invented until the 1920s. Meaning drivers had to guess how much fuel was left in their tanks.

Find out more about this topic here.