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German inventor Karl Benz creates the first motor car, called the Benz Patent-Motorwagon.
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Bertha Benz, in an effort to popularise her husband's invention, took the very first public drive in an automobile, in one of the Newly Constructed Patent Motorwagen automobiles-from Mannheim to Pforzheim, with her sons Richard and Eugen. She did this without telling her husband and without permission of the Authorities. But she helped make the car popular. Many people at this time were afraid of using cars. Her pressure helped sway public opinion of the time.
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Michelin introduces the fire pneumatic car tire, which is a tire made of reinforced rubber and filled with compressed air.
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Shaking up the market, Ferdinand Porsche invents the Lohne-Porsche Mixte Hybrid - the first hybrid engine - at the age of 18.
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Standard drum brakes are invented by Louis Renault. His brakes work by using a cam to force apart two hinged shoes. Drum brakes are improved in many ways over the years, but the basic principle remains in cars for the entire 20th century
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In 1903 Henry Ford opened his motor company. In the first year the Ford motor company sold about 1,700 cars.
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Seeking to bring the motor car to the masses, Henry Ford produced the Model T. It had a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine, reached a top speed of about 45 miles per hour, covered 13-21 mpg and weighed 544 kg.
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The Scottish made Argyll is the first automobile fitted for four wheel brakes. The front brakes are operated by a foot pedal, while the back brakes are controlled by a hand lever.
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Charles Kettering introduces the electric starter. Until this time engines had to be started by hand cranking. Critics believed no one could make an electric starter small enough to fit under a car’s hood yet powerful enough to start the engine. His starters first saw service in 1912 Cadillacs.
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Police officer Lester Wire invents the first electric traffic light.
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Ford Motor Company invents and implements that first moving assembly line designed for cars. The production of automobiles is radically transformed, leading to the production of more cars than ever before.
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The first actual light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914.
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Willys-Knight of the USA fits mechanical windscreen wipers to a car.
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Galvin Manufacturing Corporated, under the direction of Paul V. Galvin and Joseph E. Glavin invest and install the first car radio.
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Nash Motor Company installs the first air conditioner system.
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The first production cars with direct fuel injection was released on the market: the Gutbrod Superior and Goliath GP 700 E sports coupe.
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Airbags fitted to GM cars in the USA. Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Cadillac
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The Thrust SSC (super sonic car) broke the land speed recod with a speed of 1223.657 Kph was it`s speed at 1 km. It then broke the sound barrier at 1,228 Kph
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The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the Fastest production car with a speed of 431 Kph.