What was the first car invented like?

The first car, depending on how you define "car," wasn't a single invention but a process of evolution. There's no single answer, but we can talk about early self-propelled vehicles and Karl Benz's Patent-Motorwagen of 1886, which is widely considered the first practical automobile.

The Patent-Motorwagen was:

* Three-wheeled: It had a single front wheel and two rear wheels.

* Small and Simple: It was tiny by today's standards, and its design was rudimentary.

* Low Power: Its single-cylinder, four-stroke engine produced only about 0.75 horsepower.

* Slow: It had a top speed of around 10-16 mph.

* Basic Controls: Steering was done via a lever, and it lacked a proper gearbox.

* Open-Air: It had no roof or enclosed cabin.

* Electric Ignition: It used electric ignition rather than a more typical flame or chemical ignition system of the time. This is a notable technological feature for the era.

It looked nothing like the cars we have today, more resembling a motorized tricycle than a modern automobile. Its creation wasn't about sleek design or comfort, but about demonstrating the feasibility of a self-propelled vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. Many earlier steam-powered vehicles existed, but Benz's was the first to use a practical, relatively small gasoline engine. Other inventors like Gottlieb Daimler were working on similar projects at around the same time.