The first self-propelled car
Horses and mules have much to thank Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot. By inventing the world’s first self-propelled vehicle in 1769, Cugnot started a revolution that would liberate them from the drudgery of pulling carts and carriages.
Cugnot, an engineer, worked with several steam-powered vehicle prototypes to transport cannons and other heavy war materiel for the French army. His first effort was a three-wheeled wagon, powered by a boiler mounted on the front. Two years later, he built an improved model which attained a top-speed of 2mph. While maneuvering the heavy vehicle was easy, it required stops every 10 to 12 minutes to regain steam pressure in the boiler. This same model crashed into a garden’s brick wall - the world’s first recorded automobile accident.
Cugnot’s work was initially supported by the Court of Loius XV. However, the weight and speed of the vehicle made it impractical for military use and further development of the prototype was stopped. The vehicle still exists and is on display at the Conservatoire Nationale des Arts et Metiers in Paris.
