The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-08
22O ANNIVERSARY
Of MOTOR VEHICLE.

Next April win celebrate the
twenty-second anniversary OF the first
sale OF a motor vehicle in the United
States, because it was in April, 1898.
that an American manufacturer made
the sale to an individual which was
the fore-runner Of the sale of 1901
600 motor vehicles during the past
year. The development of this won
derful industry has occurred within
the recollection of the present gene
ration and is manifestation OF the in
domnible perseverance and real pro-
gressiveness of the American people.
according to Charles Clifton, president
national automobile chamber of COM
merce.
The automobile, which was con
ceived in Europe, has found its great
est development in the United States
said Mr. Clifton. Many Of the
American pioneers are still living
and reaping the benefits Of their early
sacrifices. Charles f. Duryea, FL
wood Haynes, The Apperson Broth
ers, r. e. Odds, Alexander winton
and Henry Ford are today national
personages. Their genius. has brought
to millions of their countryrnen I'M
dreamed of pleasures and prosperity.
Fifty years ago, the automobile
was the experiment of a few intrepid
inventors. 1t was classed, by the pub
lie. with the inventions of Jules Verne.
wonderful but impractical. Not even
In their widest fancies did the early
inventors conceive that their inven-
tons would grow to be the third
greatest manufacturing industry in
the country
Surprising as It may seem. the
automobile is the progenitor of the
locomotive. The first automobile was
built and tried fifty years before the
first railroad track was laid
Captain Nicholas Joseph Cugnot lis
accredited with having constructed in
1859, the first motor propelled road
vehicle that actually ran Steam was
the activating force. This machine
was clumsy, overbaianced, and dif-
hcu!t to steer 1t was partly wreck
ed on one OF it's trips and never re-
built 1t was placed I'm the conserva-
tory of arts and trades in Paris where
today IL Is still an object OF much in
terest. In 1857 Oliver Evans. of
Philadelphia built the first American
automobile under a patent granted by
the state OF Maryland. It also was so
awkward and heavy that public opin-
ion vetoed its practicabihty and the
inventor was forced to abandon his
further experiments In 1891 Walter
Hancock an Englishrlan built a steam
car that he called the infant. This
car made regular trips between Lon
don and Stratford and In 1892 the
distance was extended to Brighton.
This vehicle carried eleven passen-
gers and was run at an average speed
of nine miles an hour
About 1874 Gottieb Daimler and
Carl Benz. began their basic expert
ments In the field of internal com
bustion, hydro-carbon motors On
May 8, 1879. George Baldwin Selden.
of Rochester, n Y. fled an applica-
ton for a patent, covering the use of
the gasoline motor as propeIiing
force OF a road vehicle and upon the
vehicle as whole. This application
was the pioneer patent OF the indus
try. Seiden did not build car until
some wears after his patent was grants
ed. While Carl Benz. OF Mannheim,
Germany, built the first internal com
bustion, hydro carbon motor propell-
cd vehicle In 1885. i. was not until
1898 that the automobile practically
as ii is known today was launched
Panhard and T.evaasor. in this year
manufactured SEQ motors. nearly all
OF which were sold
The first road race run I'm 1924,
was known as the Paris-Rouen race
over course OF eighty miles. 1t had
an entry list OF forty-six cars OF
which twelve were steamers The
first prize. $1,000 was awarded to
Panhard and Ecvassor and Peugeot
whose entries were equipped with
three and one-half horse power mo-
tors The Times Herald road race
from Chicago TO waukegan. I'll. and
return on Thanksgiving day 1895 was
the first American road race. Only
two cars were entered II this contest.
I'm America. Charles r., Duryea
and Elwood Haynes were first to build
gasoline vehicles that would run"