History of the Automobile

Guide Note

The first automobiles were steam powered and began appearing around 1769. After gasoline powered internal combustion engines were developed for automobiles, the industry took off and automobile manufacturers sprung up around the world. Continuing technological advances have given rise to increasingly efficient and complex vehicles.

Fast Facts

1. Nicolas Joseph Cugnot invented a steam powered three wheeled flatbed in 1771
2. Daimler invented the first four-wheeled vehicle in 1885
3. First automobile patent in the United States was granted to Oliver Evans in 1789
4. The first mass produced cars were sold in America In 1901
5. Ford Motor Company sold over 15 million Ford Model-Ts by 1927

1. Late 18th to late 19th century: The Steam Era
2. 1880s to 1905: The Veteran Era
3. 1905 to 1914: The Brass or Edwardian Era
4. 1919 to 1929: The Vintage Era
5. 1930 to 1945: The Pre-War Era
6. 1949 to 1970: The Post-War Era
7. 1970 to present: The Modern Era