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Leonardo da Vinci - The Mere Idea of the Car
Leonardo da Vinci invented the self-propelled car. This happened many years before anyone else is even thinking about automobiles. However, the car remains a sketch on paper and is never actually made. This self-propelled car is not a car like the ones we see today. It is more similar to a cart and does not have a seat. In 2004, a replica of da Vinci’s car was finally crafted. It can be seen on display at the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence, Italy. -
Richard Trevithick - Steam Powered Road Carriage
In Great Britain, inventor Richard Trevithick builds a steam powered road carriage. It is considered to be the first tramway locomotive. It is designed for use on road, not railroad. -
Francois Isaac de Rivaz - The Internal Combustion Engine
An internal combustion engine which uses a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen is invented by Francois Isaac de Rivaz in Switzerland. He also designs a car for the engine, the first automobile powered by internal combustion. However, his design turns out to be very unsuccessful. -
Samuel Brown - Internal Combustion Engine and Working Cylinders for Cars
English engineer and inventor Samuel Brown invents an internal combustion engine. It has separate combustion and working cylinders, and is used to power a vehicle. -
The Study of Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics became thoroughly studied starting about 1824. Thermodynamics is the branch of physical science that deals with the relations between heat and other forms of energy (such as mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy), and, by extension, of the relationships between all forms of energy. This lead to steam engines which, in turn, sparked the invention of motors and automobiles. -
Nikolaus August Otto - First Efficient Fuel Burning Combustion Engine
German Nikolaus August Otto improves on the internal combustion engine. His engine is the first to efficiently burn fuel directly in a piston chamber. -
Otto - 4 Cylinder Internal Combustion Engine
Nikolaus August Otto builds the four-cycle internal combustion engine using his idea from the efficient fuel burning engine. This was the prototype for modern car engines. -
Thomas Edison - The Light Bulb
Thomas Edison created the “first” light bulb in 1878 which lead to headlights making cars safe to drive at night. The light bulb started with a small carbon filament connected to wires which connected to a battery. This evolved over time and soon the filament became platinum and was able to last much longer. The light bulb eventually became enclosed in glass and it continued to evolve over time and become what it is today. -
Karl Benz - First Official Gas Engine Automobile
German engine designer Karl Benz builds the first true automobile powered by a gasoline engine. It has three wheels and looked similar to a carriage. -
John Boyd Dunlop - The Tire
John Boyd Dunlop was a Scottish veterinarian and the recognized inventor of the first practical pneumatic tire. His patent, granted in 1888, wasn't for automobile tires, however. Instead, it was intended to create tires for bicycles. -
Frank and Charles Edgar Duryea - First Successful Gas Car in America
Brothers Frank and Charles Edgar Duryea invent the first successful gas-powered car in the United States. -
First 4 Wheel Drive Car
The first four-wheel drive, all-purpose vehicle is designed for the U.S. Military. It becomes known as the Jeep.
