| 1859 |
Belgian J. J. Étienne Lenoir builds an engine dilated by the combustion of gas,
and used a jump-spark method. A Paris company is formed to develop the engine.
One of his engines, an 18-liter, could develop 2 horsepower ( for the
uninitiated, it refers to having the power equivalent to having 2 horses pull along your carriage ).
This was a significant development in the evolution of cars over the years.
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1879
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Karl Benz ( yep, Mercedes-BENZ ) builds his first two-stroke gasoline engine.
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This 1903 Krieger proves that there is nothing new under the sun. This car
is a front wheel drive electric-gasoline hybrid car and has power steering. A
gasoline engine supplements the battery pack.
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| 1883 |
Gottlieb Daimler experiments with a single-cylinder engine mounted in a bicycle frame.
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| 1886 |
Daimler carries out tests with a gas engine mounted in a converted four-seater phaeton carriage.
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| 1895 |
Benz builds 135 cars (62 were his most popular model, the Velo), including an assortment
of phaetons, landaus and omnibuses. Over 40 Benz cars are driving around in France.
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| 1896 |
Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea together found the U.S. auto industry by building
and selling 13 vehicles based on the same design.
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| 1897 |
The design of an electric motor for wheel hubs by Ferdinand Porsche lays
the foundation for numerous other inventions.
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| 1899 |
Benz builds his 2,000th car.. whoa.
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| 1902 |
Packard patents the "H" shift pattern.
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| 1903 |
Ford Motor Company is incorporated with $28,000 capital, which was a
fortune in those days .
The first Model A runabout is sold.
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| 1908 |
The General Motors Company is incorporated in New Jersey by William Durant. Buick and Oldsmobile become part of it.
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| 1909 |
Cadillac and Oakland join the General Motors Company.
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| 1910 |
Automobile production reaches 181,000 in the United States.
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| 1911 |
Chevrolet Motor Company is organized.
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A 1929 CordL.
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1923 |
As Technical Director at Daimler in Stuttgart, Ferdinand Porsche develops the legendary
supercharged Mercedes-Benz SS and SSK sports cars, among others. |
| 1929 |
Duesenberg announces its new 265-horsepower car (hence the famous phrase, 'it's a Duesy'). |
| 1930 |
The Depression causes a slump in U.S. automotive sales. |
| 1936 |
54% of U.S. families now own cars. Surprised? Ford and his mass production methods made cars cheap
and available even to farmers.
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| 1940 |
The first true automatic transmission is offered by Oldsmobile.
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| 1941 |
Packard is the first to offer air conditioning (air-con! at long last..).
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Go on!
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