T he french artillery engineer Joseph Cugnots three-wheeled steam wagon from 1769 is often considered to be the first indication of a car construction. The single front wheel was driven by gradual effect from a piston rod. Maximum speed was 5 km an hour and the vehicle could only be driven one quarter at a time. Control and reliability was thus very limited, but the construction is still considered a forerunner to more advanced running systems. Yet no one had the time to invent a reliable vehicle beside the cart and horse in the 1800th century.

I n 1801 Richard Trevethick put a cart together which could be pushed to speeds around 14 km per hour. Twenty years later certain traffic with omnibuses driven by steam had been developed. As the vechicles were cumbersome and partially difficult to control, despite the fact that speeds could go up to no more than 20 kom per hour, things were inclined for accidents, especially in meetings with old horse-drawn vehicles. In this respect a certain lack of law and order could be discerned, something that was taken care of in 1844. Then a law, the so called locomotive guard, came into force that decreed that each motor vehicle was to be preceded by a man with a red flag. It wasn«t until in 1896 that this law was invalidated.

A crucial factor for the carrying of such vechicles is and was the motor with which the carrying is intended to come from. In 1860 the frenchman Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir patented an internal combustion engine, which was driven by coal gas. The motor was fitted into a working car through an adapted and improved style in 1863. He had tried out a poorly working car, driven by a motor with fluid gas that was gasified at first and then set on fire.

I n 1862 the four cycle engine was patented by a french technician, Alphonse Eugéne Beau de Rochas. Here the fuel was compressed before ignition. The patent came to an end and it wasn«t until the german Nikolaus August Otto and Eugen Lange that the four cycle engine was brought into the history some time around 1878, two years after the renewed motor patent. During the year of 1885 versions of gas engines was introduced from two different directions. One of these names was Daimler, and the other was Carl Benz, of which the latters construction can be considered as the worlds first actual car, while it did not merely imitate the horse carts appearance and foundation, it was constructed with aim towards further development and performance. In 1889 Daimler presented a two cylindrical, 3,5 horsepower motor which drove a car which was equipped with clutch and cog gear. Both this later vehicle and Benz«s earlier construction was equipped with differential pinion.

T he first four-wheeled car model during the the regime of Benz was built in 1893, soon after this his well known Velo came to be. These constructions were relatively light and easy to control and made in an entire number of 135 cars. Two constructors, Renée Panhard and émile Levassor, watched one of Daimlers new and in terms of shape, distinguished car models, that was exhibited in 1889 and decided to adopt the concept in a more carriage like version. They build after a introductory try in 1890, which didn«t come to meet expectations, a car with cog gear and sprocket. The engine was two cylindrical and placed in the front of the car, which made it safer in the curves. As the maximum speed became higher and higher people began to work on alternative control systems to the handle that had been dominating up to now. The steering wheel was introduced in one of the Panhard models in 1898. Solutions regarding the spring system of the wheels, which became individual, as well as the wheels, which was covered with a rubber ring, came to be as well as air filled tires. In 1896, Fredrick Lanchester made a car with a planet gear as well as self carrying coach.

T he flourishing car industry had its high seat in France. Thus, it is only natural that it was in this country the first car races was arranged. The race, which can be considered the first in this respect, was arranged in 1894 by a magazine in Paris, ?Le petit journal?. 21 different vehicle constructions participated. The winning coach was disqalified because of crimes against competition regulations regarding the construction terms. This one was a coach driven by steam. A divided victory was ascribed to the two following cars, one Peugot and one Panhard. They finished simultaneously after a journey of 126 km and 5 hours and 40 minutes.

T he establishment of Mercedes is considered one of the more dubious milestones in the car history. Mercedes is named after the daughter of a successful austrian consul, Emil Jellinek. He held a sales office for the account of Daimler and specialized his production to suit rich customers. The Mercedes cars were often sold in connection with bribes, shady transactions and crooked dealings of all kinds. It was more often than not that the rich fellows who could afford to buy Jellineks cars, had made their money in illegal ways. During the 20th century the cars of the future began with sweeping shapes, Many are those who rightly claim that the actual history of the car was initiated with Henry Ford and his cars. Cars had been made under his rule since 1903 and in october 1908, the T-Ford was brought to the market. This car revolutionized the industry completely through its serial way of manufacturing, its high high reliability, and the thereby associated technical solutions together with the adaption to every man«s wallet. The domination over the american market was to such a degree that every tenth car made and sold was a Ford. In 1919 a T-ford with a coupé was introduced which entirely sold a for that time incredible number of 15 million cars.

   Kåre Andersson