Now Cars - Gottlieb Daimler

[Annemehr]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>
> Recently Geoff posted a joke about an American and a Brit
> discussing variations in Car terminology. At the end the 
> American said (something to the effect), well we invented the
> automobile, to which the Brit replied, well we invented the
> language.
> 
> It is a common misconception that Henry Ford invented the
> automobile. What Ford did was invent the assembly line process
> by which car could be made at an affordable price. 
> 
> But it is universally understood by those of us in-the-know,
> that Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler invented and sold the first
> automobile.  

Interesting.  I knew the Daimler name went way back in the history of 
autos, but hadn't realised it went quite that far back. On the other 
hand, I think more people than not realise that Ford did not invent 
the automobile.

For another point of view, here is a Library of Congress page that 
puts its origins a bit earlier than Daimler, and notes that the 
subject of the first automobile is a bit fuzzy:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/auto.html

It mentions that Da Vinci made some designs for vehicles, and has a 
table that puts a steam-powered vehicle first in terms of actual 
inventions:

-----------------------------------------------------------
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804) 1769

STEAM / Built the first self propelled road vehicle (military 
tractor) for the French army: three wheeled, 2.5 mph. 

France 
------------------------------------------------------------

I like cars.  I'd probably enjoy learning auto mechanics.  Why don't 
I...?

Annemehr