4. First Self Propelled Car In 1769, a French military engineer named Nicholas Cugnot created a steam powered road vehicle. Used a steam engine attached to a three-wheeled cart. According to popular belief it reached walking speed It was used by the French army to haul cannons.
5. Steam Powered Engines Richard Trevithick improved the steam engines’ design by making them smaller and lighter. In 1801 he put one on wheels. It was the 1st horseless carriage that could transport passengers.
6. Internal Combustion Engine Jean Lenoir invented a two-stroke , internal combustion engine car, that was fueled by coal gas and that was triggered by an electric spark-ignition Later Lenoir attached an improved version of the engine to a three-wheeled cart.
7. The “Otto Cycle” In 1876 Nicholas Otto invented a successful four-stroke engine, which came to be known as the “Otto Cycle”. The first successful two-stroke engine was created by Scottish engineer, Sir Dugald Clerk, during the same year.
8. First Driven Internal Combution Engine Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz created the first vehicles driven using an internal combustion engine. The vehicles worked like the cars we use today.
9. Daimler Engine In 1899 Frenchmen Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor set up the first manufacturers. 1n 1890, they built their first car using a Daimler engine The next year Peugeot, another French company was formed.
10. Maybach’s inventions Maybach built the first four-cylinder, four stroke engine in 1890. Three years later he developed the spray-nozzle carburetor. 10 years later a race car was developed also by him. He used lightweight metals, a 35-hp four-cylinder engine and 2 carburetors. It was named the Mercedes.
11. Ford Motor Company In 1903 the Ford Motor Company was formed. Ford became the biggest car manufacturer. By 1927, fifteen million Model T’s had been manufactured. It was made in 93 minutes.
12. Kettering Inventions Charles Kettering invented the starter motor and the electric ignition, which were used to make cars start on their own. He also introduced four-wheel brakes and independent suspension.
13. By 1930 most of the automobile technology we use today had already been invented…
14. Harmful Emissions In 1965 controls on harmful emissions were announced. More safety devices became mandatory.
15. Antilock Braking System In 1978 the first anitlock braking systems were developed for cars. They first appeared in cars and trucks manufactured by Mercedes Benz.
16. Hybrid Engines Gas and electric hybrid cars were developed by Honda and Toyota. They were introduced to America and Europe in 2002.