Today we are accustomed to the concept of "car", in the minds of each of us lives a certain abstract image of it. However, to answer the question about the appearance of the first car, one must recall a strict definition, it is as follows: a car is a trackless self-propelled vehicle designed for the movement of people and goods by land. That's how!
Strictly speaking, the concept also covers electric vehicles, trolleybuses, steam self-propelled carriages etc. But tanks, tractors, seeders, winnowers and other convenient “devices” are not classified as cars, since their main target function is not even the movement of people and goods. However, the first car was created by order of the military, not the transport department.
It happened back in 1768, let's make a reservation right away that we consider self-propelledness as the main feature! In the modern sense, it was more like a trackless locomotive than a car in the full sense. It was designed by Nicola Joseph Cugno on the order of the French Minister of War, Etienne François. The first car was created as a device for transporting artillery pieces, and therefore dynamic characteristics he had weak ones (the speed was only 4 km / h, but the power ones were very decent: the car could move up to 5 tons of luggage).
Outwardly, the first car also looked more like a cart with a huge steam boiler and two large (thirty-three centimeters in diameter) pistons. Nevertheless, it was this device that opened the era of the automotive industry. True, he opened it for a short time - the project was soon closed, since the prototype of all cars was driving, but it happened and did not want to slow down.
And yet, in the modern sense, a car is a consumer of traditional fuel, that is, a car must consume gasoline in order to be in full meaning car words. But with the championship in the creation of just such a vehicle, not everything is so simple! There are several such machines, and, accordingly, they also had many creators. It is not difficult to explain this, it is not a matter of patent purity or theft of ideas.
A car is a very complex system that did not appear out of thin air. Imagine that we have all the details of the mosaic, however, the picture itself is not yet there, moreover, from individual pieces we can assemble the picture of the car in different ways, more or less successfully! With the creation of the car, it was exactly like this: its appearance was prepared by the entire course of the development of technology, provided by the labor of hundreds of people-inventors who created the necessary details of the mosaic. Therefore, it is not surprising that in different parts of the planet people simultaneously tried to create a complete car. We will not focus on the formal championship - after all, this is not a competition, but simply a tribute to people who, of course, have made a significant contribution to the development of the automotive industry and deserve not to be forgotten.
Around 1870, the Austrian inventor Siegfried Markus assembled an engine internal combustion on a simple cart, this event made him the first person to design a self-propelled vehicle with gasoline engine(i.e. car). This design is known in history as the "first car of Marcus". The fact is that there was also a "second" one, for which Markus invented (a patent of 1883) a low-voltage magneto-type ignition system! Siegfried Markus - clearly one of the first creators of the car.
In 1885 in Mannheim Karl Benz built his first car, which began to be mass-produced already in 1888. Inventor's wife Bertha Benz made a trip in a car designed by her husband from Mannheim to Pforsheim and back in August 1888, as they say, this proved to everyone that "a car is not a luxury, but ..."
Before that, Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler patented a moving car with a large pendulum clock engine (1885). This unit was only formally a car, in fact it was a motorcycle. However, Karl Benz did not stay a monopoly for long: already in 1889 in Stuttgart, Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach designed a completely new vehicle, which was fundamentally conceived differently! It was originally conceived as a car, not horse-drawn carriage with engine. Thus, not just a trolley improved by an engine, but a new phenomenon appeared - a car.
In our time, it is very difficult to imagine existence without a car, how firmly it has entered human life. If half a century ago personal car was considered almost a luxury item, now some families have two or three cars.
But do we know the history of the car, how it was born? In this article, we will take a closer look at how the history of the automotive industry was born, when the first cars appeared in Russia, what fuel they ran on.
Prototypes of the first car
The invention is always attributed to one person, so Karl Benz, who created the first self-propelled cart in 1886, is considered the inventor of the car. But in fact, there were attempts to design a car before, just Karl Benz became the first person to register his invention and receive a patent.
Hearing the name of Leonardo da Vinci, many immediately imagine the great artist. But not everyone knows that the great master of the brush was a talented architect and inventor. Historians have found drawings on which Leonardo da Vinci displayed a prototype of the future car. His ideas were not put into practice at that time, but in 1752 the self-taught mechanic Leonty Shamshurenkov created the first self-propelled carriage, which was set in motion with the help of two people.
The steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1705, followed by the steam engine. automatic machine, it was built in 1765 by Ivan Ivanovich Polzunov, and four years later, on the basis of a steam engine, the very first self-propelled machine was created by the French engineer Nicola Cugno. The tests were unsuccessful - the car turned out to be difficult to drive and crashed into a wall, and Ivan Polzunov himself did not live to this day, dying of consumption in 1766.
What was the first car filled with?
The first prototypes of the future car were powered by steam, but steam engines were bulky and more suitable for steam locomotives. For the engines of self-propelled vehicles, a different fuel was required, and at the beginning of the 19th century, experiments were already being carried out with oil. In particular, in Russia (near Ukhta) at the end of the 18th century, a plant operated, which was engaged in the preliminary purification of oil. Michael Faraday was the first person to obtain real gasoline in 1825.
The invention of cracking (the splitting of hydrocarbons) belongs to the Russian engineer Shukhov, due to this method it was possible to achieve an increase in the volume of gasoline produced from oil with a much better coefficient useful action. It was with such gasoline that the very first car was refueled in the future.
In order for the car to go, a motor was needed. The first internal combustion engine, which was invented by Isaac de Rivaz, ran on hydrogen, its design had the same connecting rod and piston system as the modern one. car motor. The French-Swiss inventor patented his "brainchild" in 1807, and based on the engine he created a wheeled cart (in 1808). But the invention of Francois Isaac de Rivaz was not successful - the efficiency of the motor was very small, the trolley itself did not find application.
The first mass-produced internal combustion engine was patented in 1859 by Jacques Etienne Lenoir, a Belgian engineer. Its motor ran on a gas mixture and was ignited by an electric spark. A spool was installed in the engine, and exhaust gases escaped through it. Efficiency y power plant was only 4%, however, the internal combustion engine was much smaller and quieter than the steam engines that existed at that time. The invention began to be popular, and Lenoir was a success.
Based on the Lenoir engine in 1863, August Otto creates a more advanced two-stroke internal combustion engine, the efficiency of which grows up to 15%. Inspired by success, the German engineer continues to work on the invention, and in 1876 he receives a patent for the invention of the world's first four-stroke engine. The ICE, created by August Otto, is the prototype of all modern engines, which also work on a four-stroke circuit.
Together with August Otto, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach have been working on the development of the engine for some time, but disagreements arise between colleagues, and in 1880 Daimler and Maybach leave Otto and open their workshop. It was Daimler who created a truly workable gasoline ICE, which became the engine for the world's first car.
Gottlieb Daimler - the first who found a variety of uses for gasoline - he created a motorcycle by installing on it small engine. It should be noted that the vehicle was not fast by today's standards, it could only reach speeds of 12 km / h.
Karl Benz received a patent for the invention of the car on January 29, 1886, this very day is considered the date of the invention of the very first car in the world. The first car created by Karl Benz was three-wheeled, and if you look at the photo of this invention, you can be surprised at the primitiveness of a self-propelled cart. For the first time, Benz demonstrated his car to the public at the end of 1885, and in 1888 mass production of cars began.
At the same time, G. Daimler also installed engines on wagons, but K. Benz assembled his car from scratch. Daimler also established its own production - its engines and self-propelled carts were sold all over the world, products were most in demand in France, where Daimler cars gained great popularity. In 1994, the first Paris-Rouen car race (125 km) was organized, and the whole world was convinced of the practicality of cars.
Cars began to be popular with the population, and by 1900, Benz had sold two thousand of his cars, becoming the world's largest automaker. Rich people bought cars, since this “toy” was not cheap. Basically, a car was not bought as a means of transportation - the rich by purchasing such a vehicle asserted their status in society, showed off in front of other people.
The first Benz car had an engine capacity of just under 1 liter, and with such an engine it was impossible even to accelerate. For machines running in mass production, used an internal combustion engine of 1.7 liters, and the transmission was a two-stage gearbox. Benz car developed a maximum speed of up to 19 km / h, in 1893 the first 4-wheeled cars appeared.
In 1897, Emil Jellinek acquired Daimler car Phoenix, and those around the businessman liked the car so much that Emil Jellinek asked Daimler still produce several cars, which he named after his daughter Mercedes. Thus, the name of the well-known trademark Mercedes, and an Austrian businessman with his capital joined the company, later becoming a member of the board of DMG.
But not only Benz and Daimler existed at the dawn of the automobile industry - by 1900 Automotive industry began to develop in Belgium (Vincke), Switzerland (Rudolf Egg), Italy (Fiat), Sweden (Vagnfabrik AB). The first Peugeot car was released in 1889, it worked with steam engine. A year after meeting Gottlieb Daimler, Armand Peugeot decided to install gasoline engine, created under license from Daimler. First Peugeot engine were created in 1896, and they already had their own design.
The first car assembled in Russia was presented at the Nizhny Novgorod art and industrial exhibition; it was manufactured by the Frese factory and the Yakovlev factory. Frese and Yakovlev's car was equipped with:
- single cylinder four stroke engine(2 HP);
- two speed gearbox.
Specifications Russian car the following:
- vehicle length 3200 mm;
- width - 1530 mm;
- height - 1440 mm (with a complex awning);
- front wheel diameter - 680 mm;
- diameter rear wheels- 836 mm;
- wheelbase - 1037 mm;
- car weight - 300 kg.
Such equipment could reach speeds of up to 21 km / h, like all cars of that time, Frese and Yakovlev's car looked like a carriage. At that time, the subframes on cars were made of wooden beams, the same subframe was on Russian cars. Wheel disks those years were very similar to bicycle wheels or carriage wheels - they had wooden spokes, but the tires themselves were still rubber.
The engine on the car was located under the body, and it was installed horizontally, cylinder back. The car was equipped with a carburetor, and air-fuel mixture ignited by a spark in the combustion chamber when the contacts are opened.
Two candle lights were installed in front of the car, there was a signal horn. The car provided for a brake pedal, but the gas control was manual. The carriage (if you can call the interior of the car that way) was equipped with a folding leather top, instead of a steering wheel there was a lever.
The first Russian car could not move backward, since it had only two gears - “forward” and “neutral”. Speeds were switched using levers mounted on the steering column. The car also provided for hand brake that went to the rear wheels. Here you can list the following design features auto:
- engine cooling - water;
- fuel reserve is designed for 214 kilometers;
- the ignition timing was adjusted using a "coin" (as on motorcycles);
- there was a silencer;
- speeds were switched using belts that moved to the corresponding pulleys.
The car was shown to Tsar Nicholas II, but he reacted coolly to the novelty. After the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition, the car was returned to Moscow, where it disappeared from view, only two photos remained of it.
What is a car? This word comes from the Greek "autos" - "self" and the Latin "mobilis" - "mobile", and in one word - "self-propelled". For someone today, he has become a luxury, for someone - a second wife, but the function of the vehicle, originally incorporated into the car by its inventors, has remained a priority today.
And every day, sitting behind the wheel of this vehicle, we don’t even think that if someone hadn’t come up with the idea of his invention one day ... Who is he, this someone?
The first known drawings of a car (with a spring drive) belong to Leonardo da Vinci, but neither a valid copy nor information about its existence has survived to this day. Although not so long ago, experts from the Museum of the History of Science from Florence were able to restore this car according to the drawings, proving the correctness of Leonardo's idea.
In 1770, the French inventor Joseph Cugnot built a three-wheeled tractor with a steam engine to move artillery pieces. He is considered the predecessor of not only the car, but also the steam locomotive. Steam carts for ordinary roads were also built in other countries, but they were heavy and uncomfortable, so they were not widely used.
In 1791, the Russian inventor Ivan Kulibin built a scooter cart driven by a pre-spun flywheel. This car had a brake, gearbox, rolling bearings, etc.
In total, more than four hundred designs are known that claim to be the first car. Long disputes about the priority of certain countries, inventors and designs forced us to develop four necessary and sufficient conditions for determining priority. The first is design development transport vehicle. Second - decoration legal document, patent. The third condition is the construction of a workable prototype and its public trials. And the fourth is the organization of the production of the product.
All these 4 conditions were first formally fulfilled by Karl Benz. On January 29, 1896, for his three-wheeled motor carriage, he receives a patent DRP No. 37435 and starts its production. Therefore, Benz is officially recognized as the inventor of the automobile. Although the car was actually invented by Benz back in 1885, but it had some flaws. Well, about everything in order.
In 1871, Karl, who worked for a bridge-building firm in Mannheim, became engaged to an energetic girl, Bertha Ringent. The motto of the young family was the words: "Faith, hope and struggle." And now many historians quite seriously believe that it was Bertha who brought the automotive industry to big road, because it was she who was involved in the "kidnapping", which became a turning point in the life and career of Benz, therefore, I think, it requires a detailed story.
“My car was stolen from me! There were three of them, they acted in concert and amicably. They were as in love with my car as I was. But they demanded more from him than I did... They wanted to test the stolen car and drive it for 180 kilometers on rough roads. The vagabond company consisted of my wife and both sons.”
In 1885, Karl demonstrated to the burghers of Mannheim his three-wheeled self-propelled carriage with a gasoline engine. However, the novelty caused not so much interest as irritation. When Benz decided to drive through the city, the noise of the engine frightened the butcher's horse. She carried, scattering the load along the way. To hush up the scandal, Carl bought the damaged goods, put the car under a canopy and began to improve it. The car was "hijacked" in the early summer morning of 1888, when its creator was sleeping. The eldest son of Benz, Eugene, got behind the wheel, next to him - his mother, behind him - younger brother. They went to relatives in the small town of Pforzheim. However, it was only a suggestion. There were plenty of adventures and excitement along the way.
At that time, gasoline could only be bought at kerosene shops, where it was sold as a stain remover. Malfunctions had to be fixed with improvised means - Berta used a long hat pin to clean the clogged gas line, and a hat tape to secure the parts of the ignition system. Every time going downhill, the mother was worried about the boys - the wooden brake would suddenly deteriorate. I had to stop more than once and ask the village shoemakers to upholster it with leather again. The rear wheel drive chains stretched out and began to jump off the sprocket teeth. I also had to stop at the forge. But for all their worries and ordeals, travelers were more than rewarded.
The inhabitants of Pforzheim flocked to gawk at the three-wheeled "horseless wagon." All of Germany learned about Bertha's long-distance rally, the press paid serious attention not only to her journey, but also to Karl Benz's car. Since that time, his path to fame and success began.
But before, everything was different. Benz's first car, made in 1885, was a three-wheeled two-seater carriage on tall spoked wheels. On it, Benz put his new four-stroke water-cooled gasoline engine with a capacity of 0.9 l / s.
The cylinder was located horizontally above the axis of the huge rear wheels and set them in motion through one belt and two chain drives. A large, horizontal flywheel was located under the engine. It was connected to the crankshaft by a bevel gear and was used to create uniform rotation and to start the motor. Electric ignition powered by a galvanic battery - it was a more advanced solution than the glow tubes of Gottlieb Daimler, who worked in parallel and independently of Benz. Unlike Daimler's wooden cart, Benz's car had a frame welded from metal tubes. The car developed a ridiculous speed by our standards - 16 km / h, but at that time it was a very progressive design.
Since 1888, Karl began to demonstrate his cars at international car exhibitions, but nevertheless, things went neither shaky nor rolls. Widespread fame came to Benz only after a five-day journey of his wife. By the way, historians consider it the first rally in the world. Like Benz's car, Bertha's journey has also become history. In 1893, Benz created a four-wheeled car by patenting his own pivot steering system. They turned one by one, and not entirely on a common axis - this was another technical victory Benz. Open double carriage on high wheels with a fully enclosed engine compartment, which housed a single-cylinder three-liter engine with a capacity of about three "horses", was Benz's favorite creation. No wonder he called it Viktoria - "victory".
After the creation of Victoria, the business of the company improved. Benz decided to create a series of carriages, adding to the powerful "Victoria" a lightweight model "Velo" (an improved four-wheeled version of the first three-wheeled carriage). Produced since 1894, the Velo was believed to be the first stock car(381 cars were manufactured in three years). "Benz Velo", which appeared in Russia in 1894, became the prototype of the first Russian car, built two years later by E. Yakovlev and P. Frese. But all this is of interest only to specialists.
Of course, Karl's technical talent, his tireless struggle for novelty, thoughtfulness and quality of machines were the foundation on which the company stood. However, Bertha's journey became and will forever remain her finest hour.
Speaking about the history of the invention of the car, one cannot ignore a certain Gottlieb Daimler. And where does Daimler, in fact, - you ask? If we talk about dates, then Gottlieb Daimler actually overtook Benz. However, he did not patent the car. Daimler created and patented his internal combustion engine in 1883, designed for a wide variety of vehicles. In 1885, he tests it on a motorcycle and on August 29, six months earlier than Benz, he receives a DRP patent No. 36423 for the world's first motorcycle. This motorcycle had support wheels on the sides, like on a modern children's bicycle. Why not consider it the first four-wheeled car, especially since the car patented by Benz also did not have a body?
In 1886, Daimler ordered a body from the carriage master, which differed from the carriage only in the absence of shafts. For turns served as a lever, brought up to the driver. And instead of horses, the Daimler engine pulled the carriage, transferring force through belt drive to the rear wheels. Why didn’t Benz also use a ready-made body, but created his own flimsy design on three bicycle wheels?
Most likely, the engine of a foreign design that he had, only improved by Benz, could not pull a heavy car.
And Daimler in 1887 successfully tests his engine on a boat, but also does not patent a boat. In the same year, he tests a railroad trolley and a gasoline-powered fire pump. A year later, a balloon flight took place, propellers which was rotated by a Daimler engine.
Benz and Daimler never met in their lifetime. And the competition of their firms was put to an end by the merger of Deimler Geselschaft and Benz und Co that occurred in 1926. The official emblem of this union was a three-pointed star, once invented by Daimler and symbolizing the success of the brand on land, in water and in the air. The emblem became common for the united concern, and cars began to be supplied to the market under the Mercedes-Benz trademark.
The invention of the automobile and the further development of the automobile industry have become one of the most positive developments in the development of human society. Cars have greatly simplified not only the service sector, but also the very life of people on planet Earth. Today, cars continue to be among the most desired products for families from different countries peace.
Millions of cars roam the planet. The sound of the engine is as familiar as the sun in the sky. But how did the history of the car begin? Today, as part of the Birth of a Legend special project, we will talk about how did cars come about and who created them.
History of the first cars
Today we know that the first cars appeared in 1768. It was then that they appeared steam-powered cars capable of transporting a person (and sometimes two) without the help of horses. Already in 1806 the inventors turned their attention to internal combustion engines. However, the first gasoline engine was destined to appear only in 1885.
The history of the first cars driven by electric motors turned out to be rather tortuous and ambiguous.. The first models appeared at the very beginning of the twentieth century.. At first they made a real sensation, and after two years public interest in them dried up - the speed was small, and the thrust, in comparison with other engines, was insignificant. But, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, everyone was again interested in electric motors, in the calculation to find a safe, low-toxic and environmentally friendly form of energy for the car.
Who invented the car: Pioneers
Something similar to the first car was invented by a simple serf Leonty Shamshurenkov who is alive in Nizhny Novgorod. November 1, 1752 his invention was presented in the capital Russian Empire– St. Petersburg. A self-propelled four-wheeled carriage could accelerate to fifteen kilometers per hour and carry two people. The inventor also presented to the public the first distance meter, the so-called verstometer.
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