– (Disclosure/Reproduction/Wikimedia Commons)
Like so many other complex machines, it was the result of a long, slow evolution. Still during the Renaissance, in the 15th century, the Italian painter and inventor Leonardo da Vinci designed a rope-powered tricycle, like a watch. The idea, however, never got off the ground and the automobile only started to come to life three centuries later, with the improvement of the steam engine. It was enough for the French engineer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot to create, in 1769, the steam-powered carriage, one of the first versions of what would become the automobile. Cugnot’s invention took a while to become popular, but in 1800 there were already steam buses circulating through the streets of Paris. These vehicles, which worked by burning coal, were heavy, noisy and smelly – so much so that they were banned in England, where trains were already the main means of transport.
The automobile as we know it required a new technological leap, which would be given with the invention of the explosion engine and the discovery that oil could be used as fuel, which occurred from 1850 onwards. Germans, Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, set up two competing factories of automobiles powered by gasoline and, therefore, are considered the pioneers of the modern car. Daimler and Benz would, incidentally, unite in 1926, creating Daimler-Benz, whose cars, under the name Mercedes-Benz, are still sold today. All the first kilometers of the machine’s evolution were covered in Europe. The United States, which until the beginning of the 20th century only copied technological advances, changed that story in 1908, when the industrialist Henry Ford started to produce standardized cars in mass.
From a toy for the rich, the vehicle became an affordable asset: “the family horse”, as Ford said. This popularization led to the construction of roads and paved streets, influencing the evolution of cities and modern life. No wonder, the 20th century was often called “the century of the automobile”.
the first kilometers
The origin of the car dates back to the 18th century
1769 – Pioneer model
It was French engineer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot who built the first steam-powered car. The machine, originally planned to transport artillery pieces for the French army, could carry up to four people – but did not exceed 3 km/h
1850 – Explosive novelty
Belgian inventor Étienne Lenoir created an internal combustion engine that used gas as fuel. This innovation, perfected by the German engineer Nikolaus Otto, would replace the steam engine and would be fundamental for the evolution of the automobile.
1886 – Three or four wheels?
Considered one of the fathers of the modern version of the automobile, the German engineer Karl Benz was the one who patented the first car with an internal combustion engine, powered by gas or oil. But the tricycle was difficult to steer and Benz struggled to control it at public demonstrations.
1893 – Brazil’s turn
Everything indicates that a car like this – a Peugeot Type 3 model – was the first car to be driven in our country. It would have been imported from France by the Dumont family (yes, the Santos Dumont family)
1906 – Still steaming
At the beginning of the 20th century, gasoline cars still coexisted with steam models. In a race in the United States, a steam vehicle manufactured by the Stanley brothers, two American builders, set a new world speed record: 204 km/h
1908 – Industrial Revolution
It was the American Henry Ford who created the assembly line, making vehicles cheaper by standardizing their production. “The Ford T can be had in any color as long as it’s black,” he said. In 1920, half the cars in the world would be Model T Fords.