In 1914, right after the world-changing invention of the automobile, there were over a hundred gasoline truck manufacturers competing for market dominance, but only a handful survived. No one could predict which carmaker would stand the test of time. However, the companies that survived and thrived were the ones that invested in the building blocks behind the automobile, the ones that mined and refined iron, built supply chains around oil and gasoline, and developed other important infrastructural elements like roads and parking garages.