When Was the First Car Made? History of Automobiles

The first car was made in 1885, when German engineer Karl Benz built the groundbreaking Benz Patent-Motorwagen. This three-wheeled vehicle, powered by a gasoline internal combustion engine, is widely recognized as the birth of the modern automobile. On January 29, 1886, Benz received the patent (No. 37435), often called the “birth certificate” of the car.

If you’re curious about how today’s sleek EVs and powerful SUVs trace back to humble beginnings, let’s dive into the story.

The Quest for a Horseless Carriage

People dreamed of self-propelled vehicles long before the late 1800s. Early attempts used steam power like Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot’s massive 1769 steam tractor, which could haul artillery but was slow, clunky, and prone to breakdowns.

By the mid-1800s, inventors experimented with internal combustion engines. Étienne Lenoir created a gas-fueled vehicle in the 1860s, and Siegfried Marcus built early gasoline prototypes in the 1870s. These were more curiosities than practical rides.

The real breakthrough came from Karl Benz. Tired of unreliable steam and electric options, he focused on a lightweight, gasoline-powered design that ordinary people could use.

Meet the Benz Patent-Motorwagen: The World’s First Practical Car

Karl Benz completed his creation in 1885. This wasn’t just another experiment it was engineered from the ground up as an automobile.

Key features included:

• A single-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine (about 954 cc)
• Around 0.75 horsepower
• Top speed of roughly 10 mph (16 km/h)
• Three wire-spoked wheels with solid rubber tires
• Tubular steel frame
• Simple belt-drive transmission
• Innovative features like a differential, evaporative carburetor, and rack-and-pinion steering

Weighing about 600 lbs, it looked like a motorized tricycle with a bench seat. Benz publicly demonstrated it in July 1886 in Mannheim, Germany.

The patent in January 1886 made it official. Production began soon after, with around 25 units built by the early 1890s marking the start of series production.

Bertha Benz’s Legendary Drive

In August 1888, Karl’s wife, Bertha Benz, took matters into her own hands. She secretly borrowed the vehicle (No. 3 model) and drove over 65 miles from Mannheim to Pforzheim to visit her mother the first long-distance trip by automobile.

This journey proved the car’s reliability for real-world travel. Bertha even fixed issues on the road, like using her garter as insulation and buying fuel from pharmacies (ligroin, an early gasoline).

Her trip generated huge publicity and led to improvements like better brakes and fuel systems.

Why 1885–1886 Marks the True Beginning

While earlier vehicles existed, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen stands out because:

• It used a practical gasoline internal combustion engine
• It was designed as a complete automobile (not a modified carriage)
• It became commercially available starting in 1888
• It paved the way for the automotive industry

Around the same time, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach developed their own four-wheeled designs, but Benz gets credit for the first practical, patented car.

For more on the full timeline, check out the detailed history on Wikipedia.

How the First Car Shaped Today’s World

That modest 1885 invention sparked everything from Ford’s Model T assembly line to modern luxury cars and electric vehicles. Without Benz’s innovation, we might still rely on horses.

Curious about extremes in today’s automotive world? Explore the fastest car in the world or the most expensive car ever sold.

FAQ

When exactly was the first car made?
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was built in 1885, with its patent granted on January 29, 1886.

Who invented the first modern automobile?
Karl Benz (often spelled Carl Benz) is credited as the inventor of the first practical gasoline-powered car.

What was the first car powered by?
Gasoline (ligroin), via a single-cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine.

Was there a car before Benz’s invention?
Yes steam-powered vehicles like Cugnot’s 1769 tractor and early electric or gas experiments existed, but none were practical or marketable like the 1885 Benz.

Why is the Benz Patent-Motorwagen considered the first car?
It combined key innovations into a drivable, producible vehicle for everyday use, unlike earlier prototypes.

The automobile has come a long way since 1885. If you’re inspired by this history, why not visit a classic car museum or take a test drive in a modern classic? The road started here where will it take you next?