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Friday, September 19, 2008

Who invented the first motor car?


Who invented the first motor car?

The history of the automobile is very rich. It dates back to the 15th century when Leonardo da Vinci was creating designs and models for transport vehicles.

There are many different types of automobiles – steam, electric and gasoline – as well as countless styles. It is a matter of opinion as to exactly who invented the automobile.

If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. The automobile he invented was the forerunner of the ones of today.

By 1860, the gasoline engine had been invented in Europe. In 1885, Karl Benz had introduced the first gasoline powered automobile. His car ran on 3 wheels and looked like a big tricycle with no pedals. It could carry two people. It had a single cylinder engine, and could run at 6.5 km per hour!

Benz built his first four-wheeled car in 1891. Benz & Company, the company started by the inventor, became the world’s largest manufacturers of automobiles by 1900. In 1903, Karl Benz retired from Benz & Company. His designs were already outdated by another inventor, Gottlieb Daimler. He served as a member of the supervisory board of Daimler-Benz AG from 1926, when the company was formed, until his death.

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