The car is a significant part of our everyday lives, but have you ever thought about its complex history?
It can be easy to take for granted the attributes we experience in our cars daily, but there was a point when cars seemingly became more modern and easier to live with as time passed.
In this timeline, we’ll have a look at some of the most significant milestones in the history and evolution of the car, some of which you perhaps experience daily, behind the wheel of your car.
Before the first car was created, it was 1860 when the internal combustion engine was created by Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir, while Nicolaus Otto patented the gas engine in 1964, making it commercially successful. George Brayton then went on to invent the first commercially liquid-fuelled engine in 1872.
On January 29th, 1996, Karl (Carl) Benz received his patent for what is considered the world’s first car – the Benz Patent Motorwagen. This is the same chap who went on to create Mercedes-Benz.
You may think electric cars are still fairly new, however Andreas Flocken designed the ‘Flocken Elektrowagen’ in 1888, although Robert Anderson created the first crude electric carriage dating back to 1832/1839.
Ferdinand Porsche unveiled the first ever hybrid car.
That name may be familiar as he went on to create Porsche.
It wasn’t until 1908 that the first mass-produced car was created, in the form of the Ford Model T.
It was 1913 when Henry Ford created the production/assembly line.
Some cars would be rather boring without a radio, so you have the American Galvin Manufacturing Corporation to thank for setting the foundations for music in our cars today.
We have Chrysler to thank for creating the car key, as before this it was just a hand crank – making car theft easy.
Again, the Americans came to the rescue with the invention of power steering, meaning that it was no longer a workout to steer your car.
Toyota were the real trailblazers when it came to hybrid cars.
Yes, the hybrid may have been invented in the 19th century, but it wasn’t exactly brilliant.
Now, you only have to see how many Toyota Prius’ there are worldwide, and all manufacturers now tend to offer hybrid models in their ranges.
The Benz Patent Motorwagen was considered the first car to be made in 1886 by Karl Benz. Picture: www.alamyimages.com
Now you only have to see how many Toyota Prius’ there are worldwide.
Picture:www.goauto.com.au
