The History of Cars

Leonardo da Vinci invents the self-propelled car.

1478

This happens many years before anyone else is even thinking about automobiles. However, the car remains a sketch on paper and was never actually made.

First Self-Running Automobile Created

1769

A steam-powered tricycle for hauling artillery was built in 1779 by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, a French military engineer. It has three wheels and moves at about 2.5 miles per hour.

First Electric Vehicle Invented

1832

Robert Anderson invents the first crude electric carriage in Scotland. It is powered by non-rechargeable primary power cells.

The First Commercially Successful Internal Combustion Engine Is Built

1863

Belgian engineer Jean-Joseph-Etienne Lenoir invents the “horseless carriage.” It uses an internal combustion engine and can move at about 3 miles per hour.

First Internal Combustion Engine Running on Gasoline

1870

Julius Hock, of Vienna, builds the first internal combustion engine running on gasoline.

First True Automobile powered by a Gasoline Engine

1885

1885 – 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.

First Ford Created

1886

In Michigan, Henry Ford builds his first automobile.

First Gas-Powered Car in US

1893

Brothers Frank and Charles Edgar Duryea invent the first successful gas-powered car in the United States.

First Speed Limit

1906

Alabama sets a state maximum speed limit of 8 miles per hour.

First Electric Traffic Light Was Invented

1912

The first electric traffic light was invented by a Policeman named Lester Wire. But only in 1914 was one (the first) installed in Cleveland.

First Windshield Wipers

1916

Willys-Knight of the USA fits mechanical windscreen wipers to a car. Airbags can save people's lives and save them from flying through a windshield that is why they are a significant change to the automobile.

First Successful Mass Produced Car

1934

The French automobile Citroën Traction Avant was the first car to be mass-produced. this is significant because the buyers of the cars are able to get a hold of a car whenever they want.

Turn Signals Introduced

1935

A company in Delaware was the first to create left and right flashing turn signals. This is significant because it reduces the chance of wrecks and makes drivers more aware.

Interstate Highway Act

1956

The Interstate Highway Act creates a network of highways which connects all parts of the United States.

Wisconsin becomes the first state to create a seat belt law.

1962

It calls for the seatbelt to be a standard requirement in automobiles.

Airbags Invented

1974

Airbags become a new car safety option.

Zero-Emission Electric Vehicles Gain Popularity

1996

Due to the rising cost of gasoline and the impact of global climate change, zero-emission electric vehicles come back to auto showrooms. The first electric vehicles had been designed in the early 1800s.