The term "horsepower" refers to the comparison of power between mechanical engines and horses.
In the 18th century, James Watt estimated that draft ponies could pull about 33,000 pounds per minute. He decided that if a mechanical engine could pull that much weight in one minute, it had the power of one horse. Therefore, 1hp equals 33K pounds per minute, 2 hp equals 66K pounds per minute, and so on. Horsepower became the most widely used measurement of the power of a mechanical engine for the next two centuries.
While Horsepower is calculated according to a mathematical formula, Watt's initial calculation is dubious. He came up with an exact figure of 32,572 pound-feet per minute and then rounded it off to 33K.
As a result, Watts have succeeded horsepower as the scientific unit for measuring power. Horsepower remains the unit of measure for a car's power out of tradition and because the word is more evocative of power over distance than "watt".
If you would like to learn more about horsepower, or about our vehicles, we invite you to visit us at Red Rock Ford!