The very first car: 1769 Cugnot Steamer
Quick...what was the world's first self-propelled vehicle? Model T? Curved dash Olds? Not even close. Benz Patent-Motorwagen? Duryea? For most reference sources, you'd be a lot closer. But to find the correct answer, you'd have to go back more than 100 years before any of those ever set wheel to road. As Supercars.net tells us, the very first self-propelled vehicle was in fact a steam car designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot in 1769. Yes, you read that right – seventeen-sixty-nine. Seven years before the American Revolution. Amazing.
It was commissioned by the French Minister of War, Etienne-Francois, who probably wanted something more practical than horses for hauling large artillery. Cugnot and another military mechanic, Brezin, assembled the first car at the Paris Arsenal. The biggest challenge was to redirect the lateral motion of a steam engine into forward motion. They placed the engine and boiler above the front wheel and used two pistons to push notched discs on each side of the front wheel. It must have been extremely difficult to steer.
Even the lowliest of electric vehicles from the modern era could best the steamer's 4 km/h top speed or 15 minute range, but the five ton tow capacity was quite respectable and after further development, a 4 passenger version was even introduced. One thing the Cugnot vehicle lacked, however, was brakes. Perhaps an oversight by the team, but it should come as no surprise that besides being the first self-propelled vehicle, it was also the first vehicle to be in an accident. By 1771, the project was mothballed. Although others fiddled with steam powered vehicles in ensuing years, it wasn't until Gottlieb Daimler developed the internal combustion engine 115 years later, that automobiles became viable again. Follow the read link for the full writeup and many more high-res images.
[Source: Supercars.net]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Doug P 4:04PM (10/19/2006)
This is really not true, Leonardo Da Vince created a self propelled vehicle in 1478-80. It is beleived to have been built and used as a robot in theatre.
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DPC car videos 4:22PM (10/19/2006)
I wonder what this is worth?
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Riker 4:25PM (10/19/2006)
Doug P -
Source? I want to know more about this...
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christopher 9:13AM (10/20/2006)
Totally cool... imagine if they had kept developing that thing... we'd have flying cars and robots doing menial chores with all the advances in technology by now. Or... France would rule the world. Scary thought.
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JCWhitless 9:02AM (10/20/2006)
I wonder what it would look like 'Donked
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Doug P 5:34PM (10/19/2006)
http://www.universalleonardo.org/work.php?id=512
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Richard Warren 5:18PM (10/19/2006)
#3 here are a couple of starting points, however, keep in mind, drawing a plan and actually building a vehicle are two very different things.
http://www.crystalinks.com/leonardodevinci.html
http://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/ghoe/leonardo.htm
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Ben 7:54PM (10/19/2006)
Da Vinci drew thousands of sketches for "advanced machines." Most were never created into a working prototype. I think what this article is trying to say is that this is the earliest "car" that actully EXSISTS. Da Vinci may have made some of his cars, but I don't believe that any actully physiclly exsists. This is probably the earliest car that can be 100% verified to be real.
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Nick 9:55PM (10/19/2006)
The 'self propelled' stipulation adds trickiness as well. Da Vinci's cars that I'm familiar with were propelled by spring mechanisms wound by the driver/rider. I guess there's a fine line. Someone has to put the water in the steam machine, too.
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2007 Mustang 11:48PM (10/19/2006)
Can I get DUBS on that?
I'd bet that Jay Leno is knocking down somebody's door trying to get his hands on this unique piece of machinery.
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Andrew 12:23AM (10/20/2006)
does anyone else think that the 2008 Chevy Impala is just a *little* to retro?
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gabork 7:43AM (10/20/2006)
The internal combustion engine was developed by Nikolaus August Otto, Daimler and Benz both put this engine in their respective cars at about the same time.
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tilley 7:50AM (10/20/2006)
The Cugnot Steamer....I believe it. Orville & Wilbur the first in 1903? Highly debatable. In all things like this, it's all a question of point-of-reference.
We should simply be happy we now have cars and airplanes, and enjoy.
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Frank 12:42PM (10/20/2006)
11. What's debatable about the Wright Bros.? Could you elaborate? Thanks.
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