WHO INVENTED THE AUTO, REALLY??

When I was in Kokomo Indiana I was told that Elwood Haynes on July 4 1894 invented the world's first internal combustion powered motorcar!

Hold them horses there! Enter Karl Friedrich Benz (later with Mr. Daimler and Mr. Maybach later on, although these two filed a patent the same day in a different city for the first 4 wheel

car)

patented this 3 wheeled "car" in 1886 that was built in 1885 and that is 9 years before Mr.Haynes!I think it is clear the first car (s) were German. Remember Philip Nadig from Allentown PA? Of course you don't and this is the actual "car" built and driven in 1891

Does it count, he only built one more with a 2 cylinder in 1893 and never considered production? There were many short distance powered trials, but this one was used daily as transport 9 miles each way. Fast forward, kinda, to 1893 and we find brothers Charles and Frank Duryea founded the Duryea Motor Wagon Company in 1893, becoming the first American automobile manufacturing company. There were many first cars built, but lets establish the actual 1st production vehicle Benz/Daimler/Maybach same day, same year and all still in the game today. The Duryea Motor Wagon Company, established in 1895 in Springfield, Massachusetts, was the first American firm to build gasoline automobiles. Founded by Charles Duryea and his brother Frank, they built the Duryea Motor Wagon, a one-cylinder "Ladies Phaeton", first demonstrated on September 21, 1893 in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Taylor Street in Metro Center. It is considered the first successful gas-engine vehicle built in the U.S.They settled in Pennsylvania and have not been forgotten although long gone from the auto maker map! Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles in Boyertown, Pennsylvania hosts an annual Duryea Day Antique and Classic Car Show, which features an extensive collection of automobiles manufactured in southeastern Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. Since 1951, the SCCA has sponsored a biannual "Duryea Hillclimb" race in Reading which traces Charles' original test route.

and later merged with these guys

All gone by 1927. Back to our friend from Kokomo

Elwood Haynes, Kokomo, IN, made plans to build a gasoline engine automobiles in 1894. Working with two brothers, Elmer and Edgar Apperson who owned the Riverside Machine Shop in that city built the car. It took its first test run in July, 1894. The three of them formed a partnership and started the Haynes-Apperson Co. In 1896, The company was named Haynes-Apperson Company. Then the Haynes name was removed

Nope Haynes kept going

Haynes gone by 1925 and Apperson by 1926. Its a close race, but Duryea was established one year before our Kokomo gang and lasted one year longer. Others came and stayed including Henry Ford's 1st was 1896 as an invention before his first 2 failed auto companies and RE Olds 1897, but I think we established Mr. Haynes as an early pioneer, although Kokomo is very proud he did not produce the first automobile, even in the USA! I just wanted to kind of put the Haynes myth to bed. The 3 wheel Benz seems to have out shadowed even Mr Daimler and Mr. Maybach although it happened the same day and had 4 wheels. There are replicas of the Benz car all over the place!