How much did it cost to build the first car?

There's no single answer to how much it cost to build the first car, as it depends on what you define as "the first car" and how you account for costs. The definition of a "car" itself was evolving at the time.

Karl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen from 1886 is often cited as the first practical automobile. The exact cost isn't documented precisely, but estimates, considering the materials and labor of the time, are likely in the hundreds of dollars in 1886 currency. However, it's crucial to remember that this is a highly speculative figure and doesn't account for the cost of research and development that preceded the construction of the vehicle. Those preceding years of experimentation would have involved significant expense.

Therefore, while a rough estimate might exist, a definitive cost for the first car is impossible to pinpoint.