Real Car History

First proposed self-propelled car

1472

The first hint of a car was in 550 when the Emperor Yuan of Liang wrote the Book of the Golden Hall Master 1000 years later, In 1472, Robert Valturio proposes a car driven by a mill, but it wasn't carry out. Source

First concept of a self-propelled wagon

1478

In 1478 Leonardo Da Vinci created a sketch of a self-propelled vehicle, unfortunately this sketch didn’t materialize. Below you can see a recreation of what Leonardo DaVinci's original idea would be. The mechanism, similar to a differential, was very complex and allowed it to follow a previously programmed route. Source

First self-propelled artifact

1672

A toy designed by Ferdinand Verbiest self-propelled by steam for the distraction of a Chinese emperor appears in 1672. It was 65cm long, its intention was not to transport Source

First big-scale self-propelled artifact

1748

In 1748 Jacques de Vaucanson designed a carriage moved by a large clockwork mechanism
Unlike many other major inventions, the original idea of the automobile cannot be attributed to a single person. As we see, little by little we approach the concept of the car​ Source

First self-propelled vehicle in history.

1752

In 1752, Leonty Shamshurenkov built a four-wheel vehicle driven by a complex pedal system. It is considered the first self-propelled vehicle in history. Source

First vehicle in history capable of transporting passengers

1769

In 1769 Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot invented the first vehicle in history capable of transporting passengers, the Fardier, also known as the Cugnot It was a heavy three-wheeled vehicle and had a huge boiler in the front and a vertical two-cylinder engine. The front wheel worked like guide wheel and as a directive wheel, all this made it an extremely slow and difficult to drive vehicle.
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Source

First American vehicle

1789

In 1789 Oliver Evans​ designed a steam powered amphibious vehicle called Oruktor Amphibolos, it is interesting the fact that the first American vehicle was an amphibious one.
According to many sources, this car is considered to be the first amphibious vehicle ever made, but the reality is that there were many inventions prior to this one Source

First vehicle to carry a Steam engine

1801

In 1801 the inventor Richard Trevithick designed the so-called Puffing Devil Road Locomotive, the first vehicle to carry a Steam engine. The first locomotive was invented three years later, also by Trevithick. Therefore, despite what it may seem, the Puffing Devil Road Locomotive was not an attempt at a locomotive without using rail tracks, because it didn't exist in that moment Source

Pedal-powered vehicle with with complex mechanics

1805

Around 1805, the Russian Ivan Kulibin designed a pedal-powered vehicle assisted by a steam engine. Although it cannot be considered a car, it is an antecedent to take into account because it shared many elements with the current cars, such as brakes, gearbox, steering wheel and axles with bearings. Source

First vehicle to use an internal combustion engine

1807

Francois Isaac de Rivaz patented the 1st vehicle with an internal combustion engine, a year later it was carried out. The famous Benz was not the 1st internal combustion powered car. But there is a difference, 1885 Benz was a petrol-powered car, and this vehicle was hydrogen-powered which was contained in a balloon. Gasoline wasn’t used for internal combustion engines until 1870, when carburetors were invented to convert non-combustible liquid fuels into a form of combustible gas mixture.

Oil-powered vehicle.

1815

In 1815 Josef Bozek manufactured an oil-powered vehicle. Source

First small scale electric car

1828

In 1828 Hungarian Ányos Jedlik designed a small-scale electric car. there are no images of this invention Source

First electric car

1832

In 1832 a Scotsman named Robert Anderson invented the first ever pure electric car. It was not rechargeable, once it ran out; the battery had to be replaced. Source

First compressed air-powered car

1838

The first automobile compressed air-powered was created by Frenchmen Andraud and Tessie of Motay in 1838. Actually, 10 years before this date a vehicle designed by Bompas appears in some historical records, but there is no certainty that it was carried out.

First petrol-powered internal combustion car

1870

In 1870 the German Siegfried Marcus invented the first petrol-powered internal combustion car. Initially it carried a two-stroke engine but finally it carried a four-stroke engine. Later this car would be refined by adding brakes, clutch and steering. Source

First real vehicle according first real vehicle

1873

Amédée Bollée built in 1873 a carriage to transport passengers. Some sources consider it the first real vehicle

The car commonly know as the First car in history

1885

In 1885 Benz invented the Motorwagen (motorized vehicle in German) It's the first "petrol-powered internal combustion car and mass produced" but no the first car ever made, not even internal combustion or petrol powered
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Mass production began in 1888 and a year later it was exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Until before that, cars were not well known to the general public Source

First assembly line for the mass production

1901

In 1901 Ransom Eli Olds invented the first assembly line. It was built to manufacture the Oldsmobile Curved Dash. The first assembly line wasn’t invented by Henry Ford, despite popular belief. Henry Ford improved the assembly line in 1913 Source