San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25
FIRST MOTOR
CARSALE WAS
MADE IN 1880
The "Victim" Was Sir
Charles Dance Who
Bought From Quincy.
FIRST RACE IN 1894
Motor Car Development
Rapid Since Beginning
of 10th Century.
FIRST RACE IN 1894
BY E. 7. STRONG.
General Sales Manager, Buick Motor
COMPANY.

General Sales Manager, Buick Motor
Company.
Development of the automobile in
dustry Is big story-a story in turn
gradual, then rapid, then compare
lively cyclonic, achievement. The men
who have taken part in it may well
be proud Of their work, for they have
given to the world, not merely q new
means of recreation, but a utility, sec
ond to none. It's benefits to man in
saving time and speeding business
transactions are incalculable.
1t doesn't seem so very long ago
to some of us when William McKin-
ley was elected President of the
United States. Yet at that time
1S96-there were but four automobiles
running in the United States. To-
day there are approximately one mil
lion Bucks alone.
The motor car is not a modern idea.
The first record Of motor-pro-
PEELED road vehicle takes US away back
10 1760 when a steam operated car
was invented by Capt. Nicholas Jo-
seph Cugnot, a Frenchman. In 1867,
Oliver Evans, an American, applied
for a patent on an automobile.
Four years later, Richard Trovitt-
mich, an Englishman, created
Christmas Eve sensation by operat-
ing a steam-driven continuance on
the streets of London. During the
following four years, hundreds of at
tempts were made to produce q prac-
teal automobile.
First Sale In 1880.
In 1926, Thomas Blanchard, of
Springfield, Mass, built the first
American car. People laughed at it.
The same year, Goldsworthy Quincy,
a Britain, built one, and three years
later he made 200-mile trip in it.
The first automobile sale on record
was made by Quincy, in 1880. Sir
Chriles Dance was the victim.
The next ten years of experiment,
so far as the records 60, were con-
fined TO England. One Walter Han
cock figured in several hundred trips
around Strntford, carrying, it is said,
many passengers in his new tangled
notiCn." T. Hills drove 12S miles
over billy country in a single day,
chroniclers declare.
Reaching the year 1874 we hit upon
a trio Of events bearing very i'm
portantly on the evolution and ulti-
mate success Of the motor car. In
that year Chafles Goodyear evolved
a method of vslcanizing rubber. In
lS45 and 1871 a pneumatic tire was
patented by r. W. Thompson, first in
England, then in America. Gasoline
was discovered in 1860. No further
progress was made for twenty years
thereafter, the public-at-large express
ing little interest in the effort other
than to ridicule.
ProfreSs Is Rapid.
In 1879, George B. Selden OF Roch-
ester, n. Y, filed application for a
patent on gas-driven automobile.
In 1885 Carl Benz Of Mannheim. Ger
many, built the first vehicle propelled
by an internal combustion engine. In
1881 the first practical electric car
was designed and built. In 1892 there
was built the first American gaso-
line car that would run.
Progress was rapid from that time
on. Many enthusiasts worked fever
ishly on their pet conceptions. Can't
tai became interested and plans were
made to produce automobiles in guam
tity.., In July Of 1894 the first auto
mobile race was held, the Paris
Rouen run Of so miles.
In 1885, two events Of Importance
occurred. Pneumatic tires were first
used on automobiles and a Chicago
newspaper sponsored the first Ameri-
can automobile race. The first known
sale OF car in America was made in
1898 BY Alexander Winton of Cleye.
land, Robert Allison Of Port Carton.
Pa. being the nmrchnser ,'