The automobile has become an essential part of life since its introduction to the world more than a century ago. Many individuals have contributed to the invention of this device, but most people agree that Karl Benz invented the first car in 1886 when he was 29 years old and living in Germany. Although Benz went on to patent his design, other inventors around the world continued to work on the creation of automobiles until they were widely available to the public. It’s interesting to learn how this revolutionary machine came into existence and how it has continued to evolve through the years!
James L. Allen
While many inventors played a part in making cars a reality, James L. Allen is recognized for developing one of the first three-wheeled vehicles to run on its own power. Allen patented his bicycle wagon design in 1887; it had two wheels in front and one behind, with a steering mechanism linked to handlebars that allowed him to turn corners. While he never put his vehicle into mass production, Allen’s vision paved the way for future car designers such as Henry Ford and Karl Benz.
Karl Benz
German inventor Karl Benz is often credited with inventing the first car. His gasoline-powered three-wheeled automobile was built in 1885. However, it took more than 20 years before he and his partners began production of what would become known as horseless carriages in 1902. Before that time, other people had also developed vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine. Frenchman Etienne Lenoir created a two-stroke gas engine for a vehicle that could reach speeds of about 8 miles per hour (13 kilometres per hour). The Scottish inventor William Symington constructed a steam-powered carriage in 1802. And American Oliver Evans designed a working vehicle powered by steam in 1805; however, it never went into production.
M.A. Lemon
Henry Royce and Charles Rolls decided to make a vehicle in which Royce could showcase his skills as an engineer. The Rolls-Royce, sold in-house to customers and by licensed dealers, proved to be a major success. At first, they were called Rolls-Royces but Rolls demanded that his name be removed from an automobile that was sold by another dealer or manufacturer. From then on, all cars made by Rolls Royce had only Rolls on them.
Ransom Olds
The History of Cars starts in 1899 with a man named Ransom E. Olds, a veteran of the Civil War and founder of Olds Motor Vehicle Company. Ransom built his first car at his home in Lansing, Michigan, where he also lived for a short time. The first automobile was designed and manufactured by Ransom E. Olds in Lansing between 1897 and 1900.
William H. G. Kingston
Although Karl Benz is often cited as having invented the first modern automobile, his three-wheeled Motorwagen did not come until 1885. But before that came another invention, one with two wheels—and a mind of its own. In 1861, William H. G. Kingston attached a motor to a bicycle so that it could drive itself down a track for nearly half a mile—making him one of history’s first automobile inventors.
Frank Duryea
Duryea’s Vehicle: It may be a stretch to say that Frank Duryea is the father of the automobile. However, in 1893 he built and demonstrated a gasoline-powered buggy, which some would argue makes him an early pioneer in the realm of automotive transportation. The vehicle was called a Quadricycle by its creator, and it was powered by an engine he had originally designed for use in bicycles.
Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach
They built a gas-powered, two-stroke motor in 1885 and patented it in 1890. The car featured one of its engines mounted on a wooden carriage that could travel up to 10 miles per hour. Daimler and Maybach went on to create several more cars with varying levels of success until they parted ways in 1895. Daimler then joined with engineer Paul Daimler (no relation) to form Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG). DMG eventually merged with Benz & Cie., another German auto manufacturer, to become Daimler-Benz AG, which was later purchased by Chrysler Corporation in 1998.
Gustav Otto
There’s a lot of debate about who invented the first car. Many people credit Karl Benz with being the first to build an automobile in 1886, but there is some evidence that suggests another German-born engineer was, in fact, the first. What we do know is that Gustav Otto had begun working on his design for a horseless carriage as early as 1864, before either Benz or Daimler and Maybach began their own research into automobiles.
Gaston Planté
Born in 1887, Planté is one of several people to have laid claim to inventing a working version of the automobile. After dropping out of engineering school and taking a series of odd jobs, he was hired as an engineer by Victor Goddet’s newspaper La Vie Ouvrière, which had also hired André Citroen and Pierre Michelin as journalists. The group quickly became close friends, forming a lasting bond after finding themselves taken advantage of by employers and politicians.
