Millennium Icons

Millennium Icon: Cars

It is hard, if not impossible, to say that one person invented the automobile. Many people contributed to the creation of the horseless carriage. Some innovators' ideas never made it past the experimental stage, but their ideas were "borrowed" and improved on by others. And plenty of early efforts upset lots of people. So strap yourself in and get ready for a bumpy ride.

1589
Steaming Mad
Italian scientist Giovanni Battista Della Porta invents a pump capable of raising water by using steam pressure. He suggests using this mechanism for locomotion. A French student of his tries it, but it alarms the authorities and lands the student in an insane asylum.

1600
Dust in the Wind
The Dutch have a wind-powered carriage, reported to hold several passengers and move as fast as 20 mph. But it never really caught on -- mostly because it could move only if there was a breeze. It likely was the first land vehicle to move under power of something besides people or animals.

1698
Competition Heats Up
English inventor Thomas Savery experiments with a complex machine powered by steam energy. It pumps underground water successfully -- until it explodes. Soon, another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, improves on Savery's steam engine. He comes up with a design for locomotion, but he never builds anything.

Late 1700s
Tricycle Made of Wood
Nicolas Joseph Cugnot, a captain of French artillery, invents a steam vehicle in 1769 that can carry four passengers. It reaches speeds of 2 miles per hour, but it needs many rest stops to build up steam. Cugnot uses it to tow heavy artillery. It has three wheels and is made entirely of wood, except for a large, bulbous boiler anchored to the front wheel. Cugnot dies a complete unknown in 1804.

Roads have been around forever, but, to date, none has been as nice as the "turnpike" built in 1794, stretching 62 miles from Lancaster, Pa., to Philadelphia. It is the first extensive hard-surfaced road, covered with hand-broken stone and gravel. But the demand for better roads like this one doesn't grow until the early 1900s.

Early 1800s
Screeching to a Halt
English engineer Richard Trevithick builds a steam carriage in 1801. He drives it on Christmas Eve to a nearby hotel stable but forgets to extinguish the fire. By morning, both the vehicle and the building are nothing but ashes.

Also in England, between 1834 and 1839, people turn against the new steam buses, one of which crashes on the road with passengers aboard. The bus's boiler explodes, causing gruesome deaths.

In 1839, a steam coach runs over two people at an intersection, triggering public outcry against mechanically propelled road vehicles. Not only are people annoyed, the road beasts scare horses, pollute the air and scatter hot coals. And, of course, not many people care to sit in a vehicle with an open fire and hot steam.

Meanwhile, in the United States, steam engine designer Oliver Evans invents a steam-operated dredging machine. It becomes the first vehicle to travel on land and water. Charles Goodyear invents vulcanized rubber, which is more durable and elastic than its predecessors. It is useful in any weather.

Mid-1800s
Starts & Stops
In 1859, Frenchman Etienne Lenoir patents the gas engine, even though two Italians (Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci) invented the internal combustion engine earlier. All three inventors' engines use the explosion of a mixture of air and gas inside a cylinder in a three-stroke cycle. By 1863, Lenoir's vehicle travels 6 miles in two hours.

In 1865, the English pass the Locomotives Act, which limits the speed of steam vehicles to 4 mph on country roads and 2 mph in towns. Another law, the Red Flag Law, requires vehicles to be preceded by a man carrying a red flag or red lantern. The law is repealed in 1896, but, in the meantime, it puts a chilling effect on automobile inventions in England for more than 30 years.

1885
Daimler & Benz
Working independently, Germans Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz develop successful gas engines. Daimler's engine powers a motorcycle. Benz's powers a three-wheeled vehicle.

1888
That "Useless" Invention
By now, Karl Benz had been testing his car on the road for three years -- at night, to avoid spectators. Finally, in broad daylight, in 1888, Benz's wife, Berta, decides to take the car on its first long journey while Karl is asleep.

She brings their two young sons and drives 62 miles from Mannheim, Germany, to her home in Pforzheim. She is not defeated by mishaps along the way. She clears a fuel line with a hairpin. She uses her garters to correct an electrical short. Her sons help push the car up hills. A helpful blacksmith takes up the slack on the chains. Farmers along the route are awed by this noisy, snorting horseless carriage. She then turns around and makes the journey home.

Pop Quiz!
Question: When going out for a ride in a horseless carriage, which of the following was essential?
Answer: Goggles, hat and rain gear

Quality of roads was not keeping pace with the development of the motorized car. Cars with roofs or doors were a rarity. Driver and passengers were advised to cover up from head to toe because of road dust and exhaust fumes. A well-dressed woman was sure to soil her outfit -- and her femininity, particularly when the tires went flat. It was rare when an auto outing did not include at least one tire change.

Inclement weather meant considerable discomfort, especially if the car had no folding top (that cost extra). Sometimes, people had to pay passers-by to help dig the vehicle out of a muddy hole. Ironically, cars often needed REAL horsepower -- teams of horses from nearby farms.

1889
French Feats
Two French engineers, Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor, enter the motor car business. Within five years, they build a gas-powered vehicle with a twin-cylinder engine, a clutch, a gear change and axles. The transmission is a sprocket and chain. This is considered the first modern car. In 1898, Louis Renault replaces the chain with a drive shaft.

1890s
Sparks from America
Many Americans experiment with gas cars and claim to be the first to build a motor car. Perhaps the most promising American one is the gas-powered car built in Springfield, Ill., in 1893 by brothers Frank and Charles Duryea.

William Morrison of Iowa builds an electric car. Other pioneers build them too, but the car fails to gain popularity. It has limited utility because of inadequate battery power.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Rudolf Diesel invents the diesel engine.

1895
It's a Go!
In France, the Academie Francaise gives its approval to the word "automobile" for inclusion in official French dictionaries. The word's origins are Greek and Latin.

Pop Quiz!
Question: Who said this in 1895? "The horseless vehicle is the coming wonder ..."
Answer: Thomas Edison

Edison is a great American inventor. He patented numerous inventions, including electric light and the phonograph. He was born in Ohio, moved around the country, and spent 11 highly productive years in Menlo Park, N.J. American businessman Henry Ford said Edison's lifetime -- 1847 to 1931 -- should be called the Age of Edison.

When Edison said, "The horseless vehicle is the coming wonder," people took it as a blessing for the automobile's future. "It is only a question of a short time when the carriages and trucks in every large city will be run with motors," he said.

1896
Driving 'Em Crazy
Americans Henry Ford and Charles Brady King drive their first cars in Detroit. Meanwhile, Ransom Eli Olds, who had experimented with steam vehicles, builds his first car in Lansing, Mich. Alexander Winton introduces his gas car in Cleveland.

Cars are such a novelty that they are demonstrated at American circuses, between animal acts.

First American speed contest is held in Cranston, R.I. An electric car called the Riker wins every heat. The race is so boring that spectators start yelling at the also-rans: "Get a horse!"

1898
Women Drivers
Genevra Delphine Mudge drives a Waverly Electric in New York, becoming the nation's first known female motorist. The next year she would become the country's first female racing driver. At the New York race, she skidded into five people standing on the sidelines, knocking them down but not seriously hurting them. She's now just a footnote in automotive history as the first American woman to have a car accident.

Early 1900s
What's in a Name?
An Austrian car salesman, Emile Jellinek, wants to sell the Daimler car but thinks the name is too Germanic and ugly. In 1901, he calls it a Mercedes, named after his beautiful daughter.

Ransom Eli Olds builds 425 gas cars, heralding the beginning of mass production of cars in the United States.

In 1900, Henry Ford is in financial trouble and sells his auto company; the following year, the new owners call their new car a Cadillac. Three years later, Ford launches the Ford Motor Co.

In 1903, the first Rolls-Royce engine is born. Among the creators are Englishmen Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls.

Pop Quiz!
Question: The Cadillac is named for ... ?
Answer: The founder of Detroit

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French explorer of noble origin, founded the city of Detroit in July 1701. Cars have a long history of being named for people, places and things. Here are just a few:

Animal Names
Badger
Barracuda
Beaver
Black Crow
Bobcat
Colt
Cougar
Coyote
Cricket
Crow
Eagle
Falcon
Fox
Golden Eagle
Great Eagle
Hawk
Honey Bee
Hornet
Impala
Kangaroo
Lark
Lion
Lynx
Marlin
Mustang
Panther
Pinto
Rabbit
Road Runner
Silver Hawk
Stingray
Wasp
Whippet
Wildcat
Wolf
Wolverine Astrology Names
Comet
Eclipse
Galaxie
Jetstar
Meteor
Moon
Nova
Satellite
Starfire
Sunset
Vega

Hero and Mythology
Names
Ajax
Apollo
Ariel
Argo
Atlas
Aurora
Ben Hur
Centaur
Cressida Croesus
Diana
Electra
Excalibur
Goethe
Hercules Mercury
Minerva
Nike
Pan
Sphynx
Vulcan

1908
America Gears Up
The first concrete road is laid in Detroit.

Henry Ford introduces the Model T. It is built with vanadium steel, which is stronger yet lighter than normal steel. Its top speed is 40 mph. It drives through mud, pools of water and over rough roads. The selling price starts at $850. In ensuing years, it is reduced to less than $300 -- making the car a possible dream for more Americans. Sales go from 8,000 in 1908 to 250,000 in 1914.

William "Billy" Crapo Durant creates General Motors, bringing into the same company Buick, Cadillac, Oakland, Oldsmobile and other makes of cars. American industrialist Henry Leland introduces interchangeable parts for cars.

1912
No More Cranking!
General Motors introduces the electric starter in the Cadillac.

1913
Giant Stride
Henry Ford installs a moving assembly line in his factory.

Pop Quiz!
Question: How long did it take factory workers to build a Model T in 1914?
Answer: 1 1/2 hours

Saving time cut Ford's production costs. Earlier Model T's took 12 1/2 hours to build. By 1916, Ford sold the Model T for $400 and still made a profit. It was the lowest-priced automobile at the time.

1914
Stronger Engine
Cadillac produces the first practical V-8 engine.

1922
Trial Balloon
Firestone introduces balloon tires. These low-pressure tires dramatically improve riding comfort, and they are less susceptible to blowouts. Within five years, more than half of all tires manufactured in the United States are balloon tires.

The following year, a Dayton, Ohio, service station becomes the first to sell no-knock gasoline, developed by General Motors.

In Hollywood, the automobile becomes an essential motion-picture action prop.

1934
Celebrated Beetle
German dictator Adolf Hitler announces the Third Reich will create a "People's Car," built for the masses, and invites Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche to design it. By 1938, the first Beetle is completed -- just before the outbreak of World War II. The car offers innovative technology, including an air-cooled motor, an atypical shape, no front grill and a rear motor.

Pop Quiz!
Question: What led Volkswagen to halt Beetle manufacturing in the United States in the 1970s?
Answer: Stricter U.S. safety and emissions standards

The United States started increasing auto safety and emissions standards in the 1970s, and the Beetle's 40-year-old design was having a hard time keeping up. The last old Beetle was sold in the United States in 1978. By 1988, Beetles were manufactured and sold only in Mexico. Ten years later, with much fanfare, Volkswagen introduced a newly designed Beetle.

1939
Modern Conveniences
General Motors introduces a fully automatic transmission in the Oldsmobile. Air conditioning arrives. Soon, tubeless tires are invented.

1949
Motor Mag Debut
In September, Motor Trend magazine appears at newstands.

1950s
Sleek & Fast
Post-war America wants style and speed in their cars. A design revolution emphasizes looks, power, convenience and features. Aircraft-inspired tailfins for high-speed stability are a must-have for any cool driver. By 1959, Cadillac tailfins will be almost as tall as the car itself.

Former servicemen smitten with the small, nimble roadsters they saw in Europe during World War II inspire entrepreneurs to import "sports cars" to the United States.

People also start hopping up engines, adding chrome and designing parts to create some pretty wild -- and pretty fast -- custom cars. Some hot-rod builders and drag racers even become famous.

1960s
Making Strides
The Horsepower Race heats up in 1962. The Beach Boys sing, "She's real fine, my 409 ..." to immortalize the Chevy with 409 cubic inches of displacement, 409 horsepower and crossed checkered flags on the front fenders. A pumped-up 1962 Plymouth Fury hits 190 miles per hour -- a new record for its class.

Exhaust system devices that reduce unhealthy exhaust fumes become standard equipment on U.S. cars in 1968.

As Great Britain's position in the world market declines, auto industries in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and West Germany prosper. Car production also thrives in Australia and Japan.

1973
Gas Shortage
United States experiences a severe gasoline shortage because Arab oil producers cut off supplies in protest of U.S. support of Israel during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. The result was high gas prices and long lines at service stations.

The following year, the U.S. government imposes a nationwide maximum speed limit of 55 mph to save gas. New laws in 1975 will push carmakers to create fleets of fuel-efficient economy cars.

1976
High Technology
Chrysler introduces computer-controlled engines.

1978
Diesel Is Back
U.S. auto industry introduces diesel engines in some models.

1984
Safety First
Although safety belts are required, the U.S. Transportation Department orders that all new cars in the United States be equipped with passive restraint systems by the 1990 model year. The deadline is extended for manufacturers who agree to install air bags.

1999
Getting Ready for the New Millennium
Car manufacturers work to develop cars and trucks with sleeker body shapes constructed of lighter materials, numerous cockpit safety and convenience items, as well as major changes in the engine compartment and fuel tank.

Toyota gets ready to introduce the Prius, which goes on sale in the United States in 2000. This hybrid car uses a combination of a small internal combustion engine and an electric motor to deliver a 70- to 80-mpg range with very little pollution.

Future of Cars
Engines & Fuel: The gasoline internal combustion engine is getting ever cleaner and more efficient, which means it will be with us for decades to come. But vehicles using other means of propulsion will start winning the hearts of car buyers. Battery-powered electric vehicles, once thought to be the only viable clean alternative to the gasoline-powered car, will make up just a tiny percentage of new cars unless there is a major breakthrough in battery technology.

Lightweight Materials: The all-steel automobile will eventually be consigned to museums. Composite plastic materials and aluminum alloys will continue to see wider use in cars, from body parts to frames to engine and transmission applications. The lightweight materials will help increase vehicle fuel economy, provide better crash protection through energy-absorbing, honeycomb construction, and make the car of tomorrow nearly 100 percent recyclable.

Styling: The future of autumobile shapes tends to land between the outlandish, like this Ford Synergy 2010 concept car, and the reality of a usable sedan that looks sharp but can accommodate the family and a trunkload of luggage. Designers say that shapes will continue to be more aerodynamic as a way of increasing fuel economy. A sleeker shape tends to present less wind resistance, which means the engine uses less fuel at highway speeds. Even pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles -- which now account for nearly 50 percent of all new vehicles sold -- will be redesigned to lessen wind resistance.

Gas Stations: Picture gas station pumps with a video screen for ordering food and drinks, which are delivered to your car. Your food is prepared while you gas up, so no time or footsteps are wasted. Imagine playing entertaining games or watching TV news while you gas up.

Related Links
Editor's note: These links will take you to Web sites with content we do not control or endorse.

Auto News & Reviews
http://www.auto.com/
All autos, all the time, from Detroit Free Press' Auto.com

Let's Go Racin'
http://www.thatsracin.com/
News, results, profiles, forum, chat and downloadable desktop wallpaper, from Charlotte.com's That's Racin'

Let's Talk Cars
http://cartalk.cars.com/
Lots of cars and attitude, from Tom and Ray Magliozzi's "CarTalk"

This Day in Automotive History
http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/auto.html
Fun historical facts, from The History Channel

Buying or Selling Your Car?
http://www.carhunter.com/
Choose your CarHunter region, from Real Cities' CarHunter

Sources
"History of the Motor Car," by Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.; "100 Years on the Road," by Raymond Flower and Michael Wynn Jones; The Miami Herald/KRT; "The Automobile in America," by Stephen W. Sears; Sherlock Strategies; Autoshop Online

Credits
Producer: Lily Chin/KRT
Designer: Ron Coddington/KRT
Photography: General Motors via KRT; Peter Tobia of The Philadelphia Inquirer/KRT; National Archives; Library of Congress

Copyright
Limitations on use of material in this Web package: This content is owned by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services and contains material that is derived in whole or in part from material supplied by KRT or its contributors. The entire Web package and all material in it are protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit or distribute in any way any material from this Web package, including code and software without our permission.

KRT is a joint venture of Knight Ridder and the Tribune Co.