Inventors And Innovators
In just over a century, automobiles have transformed not only transformation, but society as we know it. While some the names of some automotive pioneers echo throughout history, others have been sadly forgotten. Let's take a look at a few people who revolutionized driving as we know it.
1. Carl Benz
You can't talk about automotive history without mentioning Carl Benz. Called the "father of the car", Benz designed the first true automobile. Though the three-wheeled Benz Patent-Motorwagen bears little resemblance to the cars of today, it paved the way for everything after it.
2. Henry Ford
Not only did Henry Ford revolutionize cars, but he revolutionized automation as we know it. Not only did Ford introduce the Model T, but he also perfected the assembly line, making cars more accessible than ever. This pioneering made Ford one of the wealthiest men in American history.
3. Gottlieb Daimler
Along with Wilhelm Mayback, Gottlieb Daimler set out to revolutionize the budding automotive industry. Daimler and Maybach developed a gasoline-fueled carburetor as well as one of the first high-speed internal-combustion engines. Daimler also developed the world's first motorcycle in 1885.
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4. Enzo Ferrari
Few names embody luxury and speed quite like Enzo Ferrari. Like the drivers who represent his name today, Ferrari got his start as a racer, winning four Grand Prixs. As leader of Scuderia Ferrari, the company won a further 17 championships during his lifetime.
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5. Ferdinand Porsche
As his name suggests, Ferdinand Porsche is best known for co-founding the Porsche automotive group in 1931. However, Porsche's impact didn't end with the brand that bore his name. Prior to founding his eponymous company, Porsche was integral in the development of the VW Beetle!
6. Soichiro Honda
You wouldn't know it from the company's international presence, but Honda began as a wooden shack making bicycle motors. As a teenager without any formal education, Soichiro Honda began an apprenticeship in Tokyo. This apprenticeship eventually lead to the development of Honda Motor Co.
7. Charles Rolls
The co-founder of Rolls-Royce, along with Henry Royce, Charles Rolls wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, despite his noble birth. Rolls was integral in generating initial publicity for his company, particularly the Rolls-Royce's reliability and smoothness. Tragically, Rolls lost his life in an aviation accident, aged just 32.
La Vie au Grand Air et Argent Archer on Wikimedia
8. Émile Levassor
Early automotives drew heavy inspiration from their predecessors: horse-drawn carriages. Émile Levassor developed a new design, which he called "the crab". With a crankshaft for the gears and a front-mounted engine, Levassor essentially invented the modern car.
Touring-Club de France on Wikimedia
9. Rudolf Diesel
The inventor of both diesel engines and diesel fuel, Rudolf Diesel got his engineering start working with refrigeration. Diesel's knowledge of thermodynamics allowed him to design an engine with better efficiency than available steam models. Curiously, Diesel vanished from an ocean liner in the middle of the English Channel.
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10. Ferruccio Lamborghini
Poor customer service at Ferrari lead Ferruccio Lamborghini to develop his own competing brand. At various points in his career, Lamborghini developed tractors, oil burners, and air conditioners. It wasn't until 1963, that Lamborghini developed his now-famous sports car company.
Now that we've covered some auto pioneers everyone knows, let's look at a few forgotten by history.
1. Bertha Benz
While Carl Benz is known internationally, the same cannot be said for Bertha Benz. While Carl may have pioneered automobile design, Bertha was the first person to drive one for a substantial distance. Benz's cross-country trip of 66 miles showed that cars could connect the world.
2. Ransom E. Olds
Did you ever wonder where the name "Oldsmobile" came from? Ransom E. Olds not only established Oldsmobile and REO, Olds developed the concept of the assembly line. Olds used his tech to mass-produce the Oldsmobile Curved Dash in 1901—seven years before the Model T!
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3. Mary Anderson
Early automobiles lacked many safety features that are are non negotiable today, including windshield wipers. In 1903, Mary Anderson was inspired to design the first windshield wiper after a wintry ride on a New York City streetcar. Though Anderson patented her invention, she was never credited for it.
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4. Nils Bohlin
You probably don't know Nils Bohlin's name, but you should thank him every time you get into a car. Using his previous experience developming aircraft ejection seats, Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt. Bohlin's invention saves millions of lives each year.
5. June McCarroll
June McCarroll wasn't an engineer or a designer; she was a nurse who sought to make the world safer. After being run off the road by a ten-ton truck, McCarroll came up with the idea of dividing roads into lane. McCarroll painted the first highway lane herself.
6. Buckminster Fuller
Unlike some of the figures on this list, Buckminster Fuller was famous not for what he did, but what he might have achieved. To the modern eye, Fuller's three-wheeled Dymaxion car looks like a ridiculous submarine on wheels. To the people of the 1930s, it represented a utopian vision of a future that might have been.
Silsbee, Case & Co., Boston (photographer) J. C. Buttre (engraver) on Wikimedia
7. Siegfried Marcus
While Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz are usually named as the founders of the automobile, there is one name that has been all but erased from history: Siegfried Marcus. Marcus developed spark-ignition engines as well as petrol-powered handcarts in 1870s. Being Jewish, his contributions were erased under the Nazi regime.
8. Karl Probst
Can you imagine WWII (or indeed, any war after it) without jeeps? In 1940, Karl Probst was recruited by the American Bantam Car Company to develop a lightweight all-terrain vehicle. Probst developed and built his first Jeep prototype in just over a month.
9. Alice Ramsey
In 1909, cars were the playthings of rich men, and women were not encouraged to sit behind the wheel. While Alice Ramsey's 59-day drive from New York City to San Francisco was intended as a publicity stunt for Maxwell-Briscoe, it encouraged future generations of female drivers. Ramsey was the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
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10. Étienne Lenoir
Half a century before cars were introduced to the general public, Étienne Lenoir developed the internal combustion engine. This engine ran on liquid fuel and made a 6-mile trip in two hours. That's pretty impressive for 1862!
