Modern automobiles as we know them have been around for little more than a century now. However, before that, many different designs were thought up and used as early, largely primitive versions of self-propelled transport. Because of this large base of designs and the time and distance between their uses, there have been countless arguments as to which one can actually be seen as the precursor to the modern car.
What we know as the modern automobile was created by Auto industry pioneer Karl Benz, founder of the Mercedes-Benz company in 1886, which became the benchmark (although somewhat loosely) for later designs such as the Ford Model-T, the first recorded mass-produced model. However, as technology progresses, times change and methods are adapted.
The mid-to-late 17th century saw what could possibly have been the predecessor of the engine. Designed by Ferdinand Verbiest in 1672, a cylindrical device capable of pushing steam backwards onto a set of turning wheels. But it is not certain whether or not the device was actually built, and even so, it was only about 2 feet long, which made it more of a toy for the Chinese Emperor it was built for than an actual working car. The idea remains the same though.
The first notable combustion-based engine was designed by Dutch scientist Christian Huygens. In 1673, his work on an engine driven by gunpowder began. By combusting a load of powder inside a cylinder, Huygens was able to create a vacuum, forcing a piston to move up and down, much like they do in modern engines. This can be seen as the earliest working predecessor of the internal combustion engine (because plans have existed for few centuries before this, but were never created), however it was much too primitive and relied too heavily on the use of volatile substances to be of much use.
These two men, while not able to cement their designs in history as well as Benz did, but their work made it possible for later designers and inventors to advance the internal combustion engine over time.
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