Now Cars - Gottlieb Daimler

[Steve]

--- "Geoff Bannister" <gbannister10 at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "Steve" <bboyminn@> wrote:
> >
> > ...
> > 
> > But it is universally understood by those of us in-the-know,
> > that Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler invented and sold the first
> > automobile.  
> 
> > Hey...I'm just saying.
> > 
> > Steve/bboyminn
> 
> Geoff:
> ...
> 
> Back to the subject. My sources suggest that the honours for 
> the first car go to Karl Benz in 1885 followed very closely
> by Gottlieb Daimler in possibly the following year.
> 
> It seems that the first US cars were produced by the Duryea 
> brothers in 1893.
> 
> Course, we ought to take on board the first mechanically 
> propelled vehicle in which case the prize goes to Nicolas 
> Cugnot who built a steam powered machine in 1769.
> 
> Anyone for a walk?
> :-)
>


bboyminn:

Very interesting, but it depends on how you define 'invent'.
In many cases, things were invented then fell by the wayside
lost in the annuls of history, only to be later invented by
someone who knew what to do with the product and how to
promote it.

For me the Key is that Daimler formed a motor company and
SOLD his first car on the open market.

Though it should be noted from the Library of Congress site
that Benz was issued a patent for his three-wheeled car. 
Since it was a three-wheeled vehicle, I'm sure there are
some who will dispute whether or not it can even be classified
as a 'car'. Today, most three-wheeled vehicles, regardless of
size, are considered motorcycles. 

Still, Benz not only held the first patent on a car, but also
held several patents relating to the design and manufacturing
of petroleum powered engines. And upon reading further on
Wikipedia, which has a nice long bio as well as several 
pictures of various vehicles, I must concede that with 
certainty Benz was first. 

Karl Benz -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Benz

It seems Benz first commercially available vehicle were made
available in 1887, though the company that made them first
started production in 1885. He receive his patent on the
automobile in 1886. Patent DRP-37435: "automobile fueled by
gas".


Thank's for the reminder of the Duryea brothers, I was
aware of them, but it has slipped my mind. 

>From the photos, it looks like the Duryea vehicle was 
literally a horse-carriage without the horse. Still it is
shown out on the road and running.

I guess all this talk makes me wonder who holds the US
Patent on the first 'horseless carriage', and further
whether a separate unique Patent would be issue for the
first petroleum powered carriage?

Upon reading the Library of Congress page, I was please to
see that WAY BACK in 1832, Robert Anderson from Scotland,
has what was probably the first electric powered car. 

In closing, I repeat the link to the US Library of Congress.

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

...who knew?

steve/bboyminn