Supercar history

How Land Vehicles Evolved

The first land vehicle concepts started in the 15th century.

Roberto Valturio "War Chariot" (1472)

The War Chariot was a concept made by the Italian engineer Roberto Valturio. As there were lots of wars in the 15th century, this man thought something of an actual machine, to get though wars quickly. Even though it was never actually made, the concept opened peoples eyes in the terms of a machine, rather than swords or spears. He has made other concepts as well, found in his books.

Simon Stevin's Wind Chariot (1600)

In the mid ages, our technology evolution was very little, so fast forward about 130 years, Simon Stevin thought of a weird looking concept, which was basically a sailing ship on 4 wheels. The sail was suppose to move the vehicle forward, via wind of course. This "thing" is also known as land yacht and was built for Price Maurice of Orange, due to wars. Overall this thing was really evolutionary because it became reality and was indeed built.

Johann Hautsch Nuremberg Carriage (1649)

Johann Hautsch was a German engineer and he is mostly known for this creation. In 1649, he made the concept and in around 1658 he actually built this vehicle. His purpose was to show, how a land vehicle could be made using wind power. There on, the land wind-powered vehicles became quite popular because they were inventional.

Stephan Farler's Muskelwagen (1655)

This automobile is said to be the first self-propelled land vehicle ever made. The driver had the ability to turn and push the vehicle forward by a hand-crank mechanism. This was a really smart invention, because at the time humans other land concepts were absolutely slow, but with this vehicle you can crank your way to the desired location much faster. The "Muskelwagen" means "muscle vehicle", because its powered by a human and works just like a bike what we have today.

Land vehicles have engines that work with steam (1769)

Vehicles became actually self-propelled and human power is not needed anymore.

Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot's "Fardier Ă  vapeur" (1770)

For another long time, 114 years, no inventional vehicles were made at all, but when came the year 1770, the land vehicle industry got a huge surprise. In 1769, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot thought of a heavy load carrier that works completely without any human power and uses not wind, but steam to drive. The vehicle's steam engine adapted from technology developed by James Watt. The steam was generated by boiling water in a large boiler made out of copper, and the steam pressure powered pistons that turned the vehicle's wheels, the boiler was also at the front of the vehicle. At the time the boiler was not good enough to travel long distances and also the vehicle was hard to control, majorly due to its weight which was 5500 pounds or 2500 kilograms, and its poor steering system. Overall it was the first steam vehicle ever built, and changed the land vehicle industry forever. Some people also speculate that this was actually the first car ever made, but its not completely a car and was not mass produced like the Karl Benz's Motorwagen. At the time the word "car" was not a thing at all.

William Murdoch's Steam Carriage (1784)

Commonly, when an invention starts, it has no design details, so was the William Murdoch's Steam Carriage. This vehicle was completely built to move closer to steam-powered faster vehicles. Altough it was never completely built to be a full size land vehicle, William made lots of sketches and projects on how to get a steam-powered land vehicle to its job by having more speed than Cugnot's "Fardier a Vapour" and being more compact, which is like literally, meant for driving instead of walking.

Ivan Kulibin's Pedal Carriage (1791)

While the above land vehicles are more popular, this one isn't for some reason. Ivan Kulibin was a Russian mechanic and overall an inventor due to his bridge project, which he designed in the 1770s. In 1771 he made another remarkable invention, and its this tricycle which wasn't steam powered, but did have a break system, a flywheel and gears, which was absolutely unheard of in the old ages. Unfortunately, a wide range of people didn't like the design, but did inspire lots of other engineers to go forward.

Public transportation era begins (1800s)

Lots of engineers are thinking about building their own bus-type vehicle that can carry people who need faster travel.

Richard Trevithick's Puffing Devil (1801)

10 years later after the Ivan Kulibin's Tricycle, Richard Trevithick built a full-sized steam-powered land goer which looked like a train - indeed it could be driven on the rails but also on normal roads. This vehicle is one of the most inventional builts made to this day, because it could carry passengers and was much faster than the land vehicles created priorly. It had only 1 problem, and it was the engine overheating frequently, thats why its called the "Puffing Devil".

Richard Trevithick's London Steam Carriage (1803)

2 years later, the same British engineer Richard Trevithick, built a new a steam locomotive which could carry quite a few passengers, just like the "Puffing Devil". Now with all of this steam engine knowledge he has developed, Trevithick decided to give the carriage an actual design, and it worked well. From the year 1803, the automobile went on the public roads to pick up people because it had a top speed of 14 km/h or 8 mp/h, making human transportation easier. It also had its lows - carriages with horses were faster than this machine, and also the fuel consumption of this thing was massive.

Oliver Evans's Oruktor Amphibolos (1805)

In 1805, the United States inventor Oliver Evans made a land vehicle that could be used for construction. The vehicle was also water immune - you could go in the water with its lower body, because the wheels and overall chassis was made out of mostly wood. To keep the vehicle together, lots of iron was used as well, making the vehicle's weight fairly massive and was not a daily-use machine. It was also slow, but still evolutionary.

Josef BoĹľek's Steam Carriage (1815)

Created by the Czech Republician developer Josef BoĹľek, it was the first automobile to run in the Central Europe. This machine had a variety of issues though - its weight was too heavy, maintaining a continuous supply of water for the steam engine was a challenge which limited to drive a long distance, its wheels were also really thin, so when the road conditions were worse, it made the vehicle bumpy. Despite all the bad sides this automobile had, it does have a cool design at least and the purpose was to show the possibility to make public transportation without horse power in any country.

George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 (1825)

A British engineer George Stephenson built this train specifically for passenger / goods transport in the Darlington and Stockton railway in England. Even though it was not meant for roads, the top speed was 24 km/h or 15 mp/h and was quite an efficient taxi transport. Overall this train is popular because of its revolutionary engine and is one of the first trains ever made.

Goldsworthy Gurney's Steam Carriage (1829)

In 1829 Goldsworthy Gurney introduced his absolutely inventional steam powered public carriage, which was also big. Already with its massive chassis, Goldsworthy made the engine far more advanced than the other previous vehicles - its motor was compact and provided lots of steam pressure which got the machine going with a top speed of 20 km/h or 12 mp/h. The design made it faster as well, as it was pinned on a wooden chassis and reinforced with some iron that kept the vehicle together. From now on, after Goldsworthy made this machine, self-propelled vehicles became faster and more economic, so they could travel longer distances. The photo shows just a tiny-scaled model of the real vehicle because there are none of them left - most likely wars. Lastly, the only problems of the vehicle was the steady supply of water + coal, and wasn't used daily when the roads were muddy or lots of holes in them.

Walter Hancock's Enterprise Steam Omnibus (1833)

In 1832, the English engineer Walter Hancock thought of a public transportation wagon and in 1833 he made it into reality. This was an omnibus and it drove through London and Croydon, picking up a total number of 16 travelers at once, with its quite compact steam engine and reached a top speed of 19 km/h or 11 mp/h. This machine also faced challenges, such as the high cost of operation, not a huge commercial success due to its wooden wheels - they got stuck sometimes in random holes, again it depended on road conditions. Even though it has its worse sides, it could do its job pretty well, carrying hundreds of travelers and was also an upgrade from the Goldsworthy's steam omnibus that could carry a maximum of 8 people, but this one could 16.

Walter Hancock's Automaton (1836)

As other engineers began to compete in the 1830s, Walter Hancock was one of the most toughest ones. With his Enterprise Omnibus already built, he decided to go even further with the passenger capacity and it became a reality. This automobile has a wider design but not so lengthy than the omnibus. The design was more compact and 3 people could sit in 1 row, making the vehicle able to carry a total of 22 people. This machine is also one of the popular ones because it has transported about 12,000 travelers, driven through several parts of London with its advanced steam engine for its time, that could stretch this machine to 32 km/h or 20 mp/h, it also had wider wheels than previous built carriages. After 700 successful journeys throughout London, it was time to put this bus to sleep and get praised by people how efficient it was to use this ride - thanks to Walter Hancock's amazing engineering skills.

Goldsworthy Gurney's Steam Locomotive (1837)

After 8 years, Goldsworthy came back with his sharper mind that yielded this new omnibus. It was an upgraded version of his older (1829) steam carriage which mentioned above, and it could carry more passengers (maximum 16). Now it had a more advanced boiler system along with an improved steam engine - them both working together made this machine go 32 km/h or 19 mp/h, which was more practical to run on public roads and sustain longer distances than the 1829 version. The machine looks the same on the picture compared to the 1829 version, because he didn't change design alot, it was just the more advanced boiler system and engine.

Engineers are aiming for efficiency (1850s)

After dozens of taxi cabs are built between 1801 and 1850, engineers are thinking about giving their machine more power and making it more road friendly.

Richard Dudgeon Steam Carriage (1855)

This little road goer was built in 1855 by Richard Dudgeon. Its engine was a step forward to evolution because the engine runned on a steam that was not created by burning soft coal or wood like any other vehicle was working with, instead it used anthracite coal - its more fuel efficient and cleaner. This automobile is awarded for its simplicity (in appearance sense) and compactness - no need for monstrosity. Its engine was equipped with 2 cylinders and gave the locomotive a top speed of 24 km/h or 15 mp/h. The machine's purpose was again, to show how its possible to replace horses or other animals with land vehicles, though it had a refueling and steam pressure management problem, but that didn't stop the vehicle from improving self-propelled transportation. In addition, this little cart could carry 9 people.

Thomas Rickett's Steam Carriage (1860)

The inventor Thomas Rockett created his own steam locomotive, tricycle-like passenger carrier in 1860. The idea of the vehicle was to fully consist heavy materials like iron and steel, while still replaceable with horses, even with a couple of travelers on board - Thomas didn't really achieve it but he did make improvements on fuel efficiency, longer distance capable automobile, and making sure the chassis doesn't break apart with its hard components. Its also one of the first car-like vehicles that look somewhat modern, replacing all the wooden wheels and chassis.

Hippomobile (1863)

A wooden cab tricycle was made by an inventor Ralph Rees in 1863. This mini automobile was not a commercial success for some reason, even though it had a really small steam engine and also could carry 6 passengers with its light chassis - these enchancements were unheard of these times. The vehicle could reportedly reach a top speed of 16 km/h or 10 mp/h. Overall this minicab is not widely known, but the people who know it, they praise it due to its lightness, easy design that just looks like a horse carriage cut-out and compactness. Its limitations were source of water and refueling convenience.

Amédée-Ernest Bollée's L'Obéissante ("The Obedient") (1873)

During 19th century, lots of locomotives were built by British engineers and Americans, but this one was unique because Amédée-Ernest Bollée was a French inventor. It was unheard of a vehicle driving on the France streets, but this guy made it into reality - a carriage was introduced that used a wooden chassis and was able to reach 39 km/h or 24 mp/h. Its steam engine was really inventional because it had only one single cylinder which was placed vertically, its boiler was also vertically arranged and was enough to fit in the cab. Overall the engine was the most impressive function, it also reduced the vehicle's weight, comparing to a 2 cylinder one. It was also one of the first automobiles to have horsepower which was 2 hp.

Robert Neville's Steam carriage (1875)

Robert Neville is another British inventor and engineer, who is mostly known for his vehicle which shows on this picture right above. The automobile's purpose just like the other prior vehicles - to replace public transportation with self-propelled land vehicles, and with this machine, it kind of worked but at the same time not. The top speed was 19 mp/h or 30 km/h which was impressive at the time, but to raise this speed, there needed to be a fireman at the back of the vehicle and cool down this huge boiler, because it was occasionally overheating from coal or wood. The steam engine itself was pretty small but as said the boiler was big and that was the only problem this locomotive had - it needed 2 people for operation. Besides the worse sides, this automobile was still very innovational in the terms of land vehicles and also its engine was mounted on the automobile itself and that did affect the future of self-propelled transportation.

Nikolaus Otto's four-stroke Internal Combustion Engine (1876)

The four-stroke internal combustion engine was absolutely a wall-breaking invention, making all vehicles faster and the whole engine system different. The fuel source was gas which mostly consisted of coal, and the other part was air. Heres how its 4 strokes work - in the intake stroke air-fuel mixture enters the cylinder as the piston moves down. In the compression stroke the piston moves up, compressing the mixture. Power stroke: The compressed mixture is ignited, causing an explosion that forces the piston down, and finally the exhaust stroke: The piston moves up again, expelling exhaust gases. These 4 different parts of the vehicle lead to a greater power output, so when equipped on a machine, theres a lot more action expected than the previous steam engines that were used for 106 years already. Down below is the summary of how this machine worked:

1. A single piston moved within a cylinder, with valves controlling the intake of the air-fuel mixture and the exhaust gases.

2. There was also a spark ignition system that ignited the compressed mixture, creating an explosion that pushed the piston downward.

3. Lastly a crankshaft was put inside the engine and that converted the piston's linear movement into rotary motion, which could be used to drive machinery and others land vehicles.

Amédée-Ernest Bollée's La Mancelle (1878)

The "La Mancelle" was named like this because the automobile's production and design were closely associated with Bollée's hometown Le Mans. It was the first vehicle to have somewhat similar design compared to our modern cars, and it indeed changed cars shapes forever with its outstanding design. It was already exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1878 due to its innovative appearance, performance and also its production - the car's production number was higher than any other vehicle ever made at the time. While it was at the Paris museum, lots of engineer got ideas from the car, mostly the design which no one has ever seen before, and because of that, our cars today most likely have the appearance because of this single locomotive's design. Overall the top speed was pretty good as well (30 km/h or 18 mp/h), but the alarming point was its design.

Amédée-Ernest Bollée's La Rapide ("The Fast") (1881)

About 3 years later, the French inventor Amédée-Ernest Bollée once again made a precious automobile, which was one of the fastest land transportation vehicles in the 1880s, with its top speed of 60 km/h or 37 mp/h. This man once again made big history with this machine that was only for a demonstration to show that we could replace horse carriages with automobiles and this bus-looking locomotive made it a reality. The vehicle would have possibly ran ever faster if the boiler was pre-heated earlier, because like all steam-powered automobiles in the 19th century needed pre-heating the boiler in order to get some good acceleration and top speed. This machine was also an evolution due to its more complex and compact boiler system, so when you need to pre-heat the boiler before driving, it takes about 10 to 20 minutes of easier work to do, but the 1830s - 1870s vehicles took about 20 - 60 minutes with harder work - having to put coal and wood inside. In summary, this car was an important step towards horse replacement, with its agile speed, better boiler system that doesn't take forever to heat up, and also a lightweight robust chassis.

William Edward Ayrton & John Perry Electric Tricycle (1881)

1881, William Edward Ayrton & John Perry Electric Tricycle

As people over the years have heard the same thing - steam automobiles, it didn't get boring, but it was just too common to be heard of, so in 1881, Ayrton and Perry designed their own locomotive, which was powered by not steam, but electricity. The 2 men with their robust engineering knowledge built their own electric tricycle that had a rechargeable battery - or so whole engine, because it was the battery that made the locomotive run. The top speed being 13 km/h or 8 mp/h made it replaceable with walking, but not horses with carriages, due to its preliminaly battery in the old ages. In summary, the vehicle gained attentions of many, and even if the tricycle wasn't ideal for day-to-day drive, it created another historical point, and there on, lots of automakers got their idea from this vehicle, that it is possible to replace steam engines with an electric one.

Leon Serpollet Tricycle (1883)

This is a 3-wheeled automobile which was made by the French developer Leon Serpollet, a man mostly known for his flash steam boilers, so is this vehicle here. Even though this is a small tricycle, its boiler was an absolute invention - a flash steam one, a boiler that doesn't require tens of minutes to get a good temperature, but only a few minutes like 5 to 10 - depending on environmental conditions. A small quantity of water was only needed to get the vehicle going, unlike other steam locomotives, that needed large amounts of water. The tricycle gained attention of many people, and the new boiler system was all it needed to be a step forward to our car industry today. The speed was also quite good for its time - 28 km/h or 17 mp/h, acceleration was quick because of the small body, and had 3 horsepower.

La Marquise (1884)

La Marquise is another historical vehicle that got its attention with the speed, design and acceleration. Amédée Bollée was the maker of this car once again, with already dozens of steam-powered locomotives built, he made another one, because why not. In 1884, La Marquise was seen first time on the streets, hitting a speed of 60 km/h or 37 mp/h, with its advanced motor system, that used the same materials like coal and wood, which was a really common approach for fuel system. The fuel system doesn't tell us anything, why was Amédée Bollée able to make such fast cars? - 1# The La Marquise vehicle used a compact, quick-heating boiler that was able to produce higher amounts of steam. 2# - Its build was lighter than normal road goers, and a streamlined structure that made wind resistance lower, making the locomotive pick up more speed. 3# - the vehicle was equipped with a more advanced transmission system, allowing smooth gear changes and not losing much speed because of that. All of these components made Amédée Bollée famous, and it was because of his amazing engineering skills - probably learnt from a lifelong journey.

People are switching from steam engines to petrol motors on vehicles (1880s)

Lots of engineers are thinking about building their own bus-type vehicle that can carry people who need faster travel.

Butler Petrol-Cycle (1884)

Edward's Butler Petrol-Cycle

A creator named Edward Butler, designed his own locomotive that was powered by gasoline internal combustion engine with a single cylinder. After Nikolaus Otto made the internal combustion engine in 1876, Edward was the first human ever to mount this gasoline engine on a vehicle, and did it work? - yes, barely, with a top speed of 15 km/h or 9 mp/h. The speed was not important though, it was the 1 cylinder engine that made the locomotive fully functional and also its fuel efficiency - no longer a water boiling system was required, where you have to bring water from somewhere, instead it used a small gas tank, that works with oil and it helps a lot with traveling atrocious distances. The Butler Petrol-Cycle is obviously widely known for this steam system with an oil-working engine, that is an effective way to travel a long journey on roads. This machine could have been mass produced, but the Red Flag Act in UK didn't let that happen. Still, it changed traveling for automobiles, where a variety of manufacturers used this technique openly.

Karl Benz Patent-Motorwagen (1885)

Karl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen

The year 1885 was the age when everything changed becuase of this single automobile here. In 1885, the German engineer Karl Benz powered this actual road-car-designed vehicle with a single cylinder IC (internal combustion) engine, that gave it a top speed of 16 km/h or 10 mp/h and an efficient way to travel - just like the previous Butler Petrol-tricycle. As mentioned earlier, it was actually designed to be mass production car with its clean design that was not meant for practicality at all, but for actual use - its petrol engine made the refueling much faster than these steam-powered automobiles made prior, its light weight (265 kg or 584 lbs) provided a good acceleration, and an awesome economy system overall - Karl's wife Bertha Benz took a long ride with this vehicle in 1888 and managed to pass 106 km or 66 miles on a road, which already showed the potential to replace horses with cars. With all its achievements made, the Patent-Motorwagen is an automotive excellence, which is gaining even more popularity in our present days. It also inspired lots and lots of engineers to make their own petrol-powered car, making it use for daily drive in the future.

Daimler Motor Carriage (1886)

1886, Daimler Motor Carriage

After Karl Benz built, what is regarded the true first car ever made, a guy named Daimler Gottlieb decided to make more cars because of their company's massive success (Karl Benz was in the company as well). Now the main problem solved - mounting an internal combustion engine on a vehicle, Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler made their new car with not 3 wheels, but 4, and it was designed for everyday trips just like the Patent-Motorwagen, but this time its chassis being designed for a whole family - 4 people could be fit on to the car. Even if the car was mostly built out of wood, it was still a good use for road and completing debilitating journeys. As the 2 men collaborated, they thought of making this machine little bit more powerful than the previous patent-motorwagen, which had only 0.75 horsepower. Now the engine displacement being 462 cc (cubic centimeters), it produced 1.1 horsepower and gave the car a top speed of cruising 16 km/h or 10 mp/h - it could have been faster, but as the Daimler Motor Carriage weighted significally more than the built machine from 1885, the car's weight does not allow higher speeds, but indeed, it was more powerful going uphills. Overall this machine was an upgrade from their prior successful car, making this one another historical landmark in automotive industry.

Flocken Elektrowagen (1888)

1888, Flocken Elektrowagen

This machine here, is the first car powered by an electric motor. Andreas Flocken is another German inventor who made this dream come true - electric cars. The carriage was powered by a lead-acid battery, which can be recharged over time. Its engine giving it 0.9 horsepower and the chassis weighing 400 kilograms / 881 lbs - the car got a steady speed of 15 km/h or 9 mp/h. At the time though, this machine wasn't for daily use at all, as its battery lasted for only about a few kilometers / miles of driving, before having to recharge the battery again for a whole 12 hours. As we all know, all cars have their issues and so did this one, but the amount of enthusiasm and appreciation the car got from people, made it truly a groundbreaking invention. To this very day, this automobile is still regarded as the first electric-powered car ever made, and I myself have no doubts on that.

Daimler Stahlradwagen (1889)

1889 Daimler Stahlradwagen

The Daimler Stahlradwagen was kind of a sports car in the 1880s, at least its looks being flowingly and smoothly curvey, designed and built by Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler once again. As these guys were getting recognition from public because of their fantastic cars, they built another hot rod, powered by a 4-stroke single cylinder engine that produced 1.5 horsepower. Just like the Daimler Motor Carriage had the top speed issues due to its weight, this one did well - weighing 350 kilograms or 771 pounds, the car reportedly reached a speed of 14 km/h or 9 mp/h. With a normal top speed for its time, the Stahlradwagen still was considered a luxurious car because of its steel-poked wheels, that had much durability and making every ride much smoother, rather than these wooden wheels used in their prior models, and also a more refined motor design - its parts were improved just by being more clean and more of them mounted on the engine, and a better cooling system, making the car's engine have no problems, because of its stable motor. This car was another success in the Karl Benz's company and giving inspire to other car makers, that you can even make luxurious cars.

Manufacturers are targeting Usability and mass production (1890s)

Entrepreneurs are finding their companies and selling dozens of cars

Panhard et Levassor Automobile (1890)

1890 Panhard's first car

This car was the first vehicle to use a direct drive system with its glutch and gear mechanism, which allowed a smooth gear transition. Created by the company Panhard or Panhard et Levassor, which was the manufacturer's initial name. With the direct drive system already included, the car also had the engine positioned at the front of the car, making it quite easily maneuverable and overall stable - thats why its mentioned to be the first modern car ever made. The car's purpose was to be a daily drive family car, and it worked well - its whole body was mostly made out of wood and metal, making the car enoughly durable for road use, but not the best method for bad terrain conditions, as it literally could break one of the wheels pretty easily. Despite its bad characteristics, it was a more stable car than the prior internal-combustion-engine-mounted vehicles. Its top speed of 20 km/h or 12 mp/h made this machine quite useful for traveling, and it invented some acceleration improvements as well - even with 4 people seated in the car, it could still have power over small risings. For the summary - the car is widely known to be the actual first modern family car ever made, with its gearbox system and the large boxy design it has. Additionally, it was a mass produced automobile with only about 20 units ever made, but still a bigger number of prior vehicles made, like the Stahlradwagen or Daimler Motor Carriage, which are basically prototypes compared to 1890 Panhard et Levassor Automobile.

Enrico Pecori's Tricycle (Triciclo Pecori) (1891)

Enrico Pecori's Tricycle 1891

The Enrico Pecor's Tricycle is not popular at all, because it wasn't a commercial success and not a mass-produced automobile. Besides its unpopularity, this tricycle is still a historical landmark due to its one-man-created vehicle. In the 1890s, people were thinking about changing steam-powered engines to oil ones, but Enrico Pecori still decided to make his own steam-powered vehicle, and it became a reality - with its smooth design and a 2 cylinder engine with a concentric flue equipped boiler, gave this locomotive a top speed of 22 km/h or 13 mp/h, but the acceleration is unknown, and most likely heating up the boiler took Pecori 25 minutes. The long need to wait in order to heat up the boiler wasn't a groundbreaking innovation but the vehicle's biggest idea was to show other people, that you could make something like this machine here, all you need, is some engineering skills and no need to buy a car - be a creator.

Peugeot Type 3 (1891)

Peugeot Type 3, made in 1891

Peugeot Type 3, built by Armand Peugeot, was a mass-produced car in 1891, along with the Mercedes Patent-Motorwagen's production - with only half of the vehicles built compared to Type 3. The machine was meant to be a daily-drive city car with its 2 horsepower IC engine built by Daimler, that had the power of bringing 12 km/h or 7 mp/h on the road, which was typical at the time. Its chassis was also pretty simple - lightweight and quite robust, keeping the car together and not breaking into pieces. The car gained its popularity because of its usability - although only 2 people could fit in the car, it was still a nice touch with its convertible roof, when the days get rainy and dampy. In the 1890s, public was interested in the car, so the Peugeot company made 64 models in 1891 to 1894. Even with a small production, the car is widely known, because it showed the potential to produce hundreds of cars if we really needed, and is also popular due to straight run from Peugeot Factory in Valentigney to Paris, which was a 2,045 kilometre or 1,271 mile run - a claimed world record by Peugeot at the time.

Benz Victoria (1893)

Benz Victoria, 1893

Benz Victoria is another more luxurious vehicle manufactured in 1893 to 1900 by Karl Benz and Carl Friedrich Benz. Its engine displacement of 1770 cc and its 1 cylinder produced 3 horsepower, which was quite uncommon at the time, allowing the car to reach speeds of 18 km/h or 11 mp/h. Its pivot steering system and having 4 wheels made the car quite maneuverable, a similar steering mechanism used in modern land vehicles as well. The Benz Victoria was a really successful automobile due to the high amount of sold in the first year, so in 1894, a number of 85 units were sold and later in the last year of 1900, a total of about 400 units were sold, where each of them cost 5,000 Swedish Kronas, equivalent to 330,000 SK or 30,000 USD $ today. Furthermore, its owners praised the car overall - it had a good handling and stability when driving hundreds of miles or kilometers, and its capacity of 2 people made the car more sporty, compared to prior automobiles that had about 1 to 2.5 horsepower.

Benz Velo (1894)

1894 Benz Velo

This is a another cab made by Benz & Cie company in 1894. The Benz Velo was even a 3 times larger success, because they built a total of 1,200 units from 1894 to 1902. In 1894, these cars were equipped with a 1L 1.5 hp IC engine that made the vehicle go 16 km/h or 9 mp/h, which was already quite common these days. Its not mentioned how the car got so many buyers, but it is thought that Karl Benz just had this amazing marketing skill, but also the Benz Velo's 1 cylinder gasoline engine that had been produced multiple times at this point, so people said to them selves that this is the go-to car when it comes to person transport. Its said by many that the car's price was relatvely low compared to other vehicles in the 19th century - with a price tag of 2,000 German Gold Marks, which is equal to $20,000 today, so lots of people could afford the car between 1894 to 1902. In addition, when Karl Benz introduced the car in 1894, basically immediately dozens of models were sold, and the costumers were satisfied with their purchase, due to the vehicle's good handling, economic fuel system and a durable chassis, yielding trips with no problems on its maintenance.

George Lanchester Automobile (1895)

George Lanchester Automobile 1895

This car here was one of the first ones in Britain. Built by George Lanchester along with his engineer brothers Frederick Lanchester and Frank Lanchester, where George unveiled their own car in 1895, that had a Epicyclic gear system, which was absolutely unheard to be used in a car before, but this Lanchester Engine Company made it a reality. Its engine was also completely designed by the brothers and it was another typical single-cylinder 1.5 horsepower motor, that could drag the car to 11 km/h or 7 mp/h. After these 3 entrepreneurs made this one simple-designed carriage, but with an advanced driving system, they made their company highly popular, where they continued to make luxurious and overall inventional automobiles for decades.

Henry Ford's Quadricycle (1896)

1896 Henry Ford's Quadricycle

The company what we know as Ford today, was made by this vehicle right here, made in 1896 by the man Henry Ford. The Quadricycle was meant for only the driver, even though it could fit 2 people. It was the minimum iron used that made the vehicle extremly light and agile, giving it a speed of 32 km/h or 20 mp/h - it was also because of this bicycle-framed automobile's engine, that had not 1 but 2 cylinders, that produced 4 horsepower. Henry Ford thought that this car as a first build wasn't a bad move at all - its compact and lightweight design was a good practice to start mass producing some really useful automobiles in the future, and as we know, it became true, especially in 1908. This machine was not a mass producted model at all, but Henry managed to make 2 of these vehicles, where he sold his second copy to Charles Ainsley for $200 in 1896, but later in 1904 he bought it back for a cheap $65, and it was to admire his own built machines. The Quadricycle was ahead of its time in terms of speed, as it was uncommon to reach speeds of 32 km/h or 20 mp/h, and this vehicle with its tiller-steering mechanism instead of a steering wheel, defined the simplicity and future of Henry Ford's company.

Nesselsdorf Präsident (1897)

Nesselsdorf Präsident Car in 1897

Nesselsdorf Präsident also known as NW Präsident, was manufactured by the Czech Republic company Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriks-Gesellschaft, a really long and trouble-making name which we also know today as Tatra. Built by Hans Ledwinka and Leopold Sviták in the company, this car was another evolutionary invention due to its unusual size. It was a cut out from a bigger horse carriage, put some seats inside, which allowed to fit at least 5 people, a convertible roof that only covered the passengers, a steering system that used bike handlebars instead of a tiller, and lastly, the wheels were made of wood - spoked wheels with a thin layer of rubber tires, to remain the car in a strong shape for years. The 4-stroke 2-cylinder motor was made originally by Benz, but the company decided to add a 2.7 litre capacity along with some advanced engine parts that gave the car 5 horsepower, which was fairly rare at the time. The NW Präsident's performance was great - its engine made the car move 23 km/h or 14 mp/h, and that was impressive according to its 1,072 kilogram or 2,363 pound weight. Overall the car is recognized to be one of the most powerful family cars in the 19th century, even though only a single prototype was made and cost $2,000 in 1897, equivalent to $76,000 in today's money.

First Oldsmobile Car (1897)

First Oldsmobile in 1897

A guy named Ransom Eli Olds found the American Oldsmobile company by creating this single car. It was a prototype car which is also referred as "Olds Patent Motor Car" or "Oldsmobile Curved Dash prototype", and its non-massive design with a 3 horsepower 1-cylinder engine made the car reach speeds of 32 km/h or 20 mp/h, just like the Henry Ford Quadricycle. The automobile's system was also simple as the Ford's car - a tiller for steering and a lightweight 250 kilogram or 551 pound body which made the car driveable given its low horsepower. The car got a variety of likes from public and there on the Olds Motor Vehicle Company was ready to be established.

Renault Voiturette (1898)

As the vehicle culture expanded in the late 19th century and a variety of manufacturers made their own cars, a French industrialist Louis Renault thought of making his own car also. Just like the Henry Ford's compact car or the first Oldsmobile automobile, this one wasn't much of a difference - A lightweight chassis, direct drive transmission which was inventional at the time, and was powered by a De Dion-Bouton single-cylinder engine that produced 1.7 horsepower. All of these features combined, the carriage managed to reach a speed of 32 km/h or 20 mp/h, the exact same number compared to Oldsmobile and Ford, for some unknown reason. Louis Renault showed the car's capability to people, by driving it up the steep Rue Lepic in Montmartre, Paris, and it worked - people were later interested buying that car, so 12 units were sold immediately, and at the end of 1903, the Renault manufacturer was already established (1899), where the company sold a total of 71 units, which was still impressive. The buyers were satisfied with the car, its stability in more worn roads and the acceleration to full speed didn't take forever, like the prior made cars in the 19th century, and the last thing was the design people seemed to enjoy, it appeared classy and smooth.

Opel Patent-Motorwagen (1899)

Opel Patent-Motorwagen from 1899

The Opel Patent-Motorwagen is known to be the launch to the Opel manufacturer, and indeed because of the car's success, the company made even more cars. In 1899, the factory released their first automobile named Patent-Motorwagen, a design slightly bigger than Ford's, Oldsmobile's or FIAT's first car, but weighing only 520 kilograms or 1,146 pounds. This late 19th century horse carriage looking machine had also a not rare 1-cylinder 1.5-Litre motor, which was mounted at the front and gave the vehicle a top speed of 20 km/h or 12 mp/h. It was also a simple car overall with its transmission, which was a belt-driven system, including 2 forward speeds, but no reverse gear - completely a normal approach for cars in the later 19th century. Between 1899 and 1902 Opel sold over 65 units, which was a phenomenal start to their business, and the owners like the car due to its simplicity. The price was also 2,000 German Marks, so middle class people couldn't really afford the car, only the businessmen and wealthy.

FIAT 3½ HP (1899)

FIAT 3½ HP from 1899

As the FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) company was founded in 1899, the workers there thought of producing some limited and high quality cars, and so it happened on the same year the company was found, so 1899. A designer named Aristide Faccioli made the car's appearance and other workers in the company made the rest of it, like the 2-cylinder 2,679 cc engine that had 3.5 horsepower, giving the car a top speed of 35 km/h or 21 mp/h which was groundbreaking at this age. Its 4 seat capacity made it an useful traveler for a whole family and the convertible roof was quite common for cars at the time, but this vehicle's roof could almost cover the whole vehicle, making it like an umbrella when it comes to rainy days. In the first year, so in 1899, the FIAT manufacturer sold only 8 units and the ended the production in 1900, with a total of 24 models created. The 24 owners were happy with the car results - its good look, performance and overall a great craftsmanship, and that is how Renault made an explosive start to their car manufacturing.

NW Rennzweier (1900)

The NW (Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft) Rennzweier (Double Racer in english), is one of the earliest race cars ever made, and indeed it was specifically designed for competition. In 1900 Tatra decided to make the car then, with the helper named Hans Ledwinka - an Australian car designer, built the Rennzweier in just 5 weeks. When it competed in Central Europe, the car's performance was substantial - the company TATRA configured a 2-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine, and now the motor featured a spark ignition system that produced 12 horsepower - this amount of power was unheard before. In one of the races, this machine was able to pick speeds up to 82 km/h or 51 mp/h - it wasn't only its engine, but also the bodywork, in fact the car basically didn't have a body and were obviously focused on a lightweight and strong chassis. Talking about the chassis, its holding bars were made of steel, which had some degress of flexibility, so absorbing vibrations and shocks was no problem, making it endure exhaustingly lengthy competitions. In 1900, Baron Theodor von Liebieg comissioned the car from Tatra and went racing. He won the La Turbie race that took place in Nice and the second one was the Salzburg-Linz-Vienna race, where he finished second. The first and second podium made this machine really stand out, and lots people go visit the car in the National Technical Museum in Czech Republic, for history purposes and memories.