Those cars and the technology of the AoL were powered or driven by the one power. It was essentially technology built on magic. Our age does not have magic. I see these two ages as the two peak ages in the pattern. One with magic, and one without, and both end in cataclysm and a resetting of...
The Wheel is always represented as having 7 spokes, one for each age, so if that is the case, what are the other four ages? And I know that there is an order for the ages, i.e. that Randland is the third age, but since it is a wheel, I figure I can start where ever. This is also just speculation...