* Early Steam-Powered Vehicles: The earliest self-propelled road vehicles were steam-powered. These were generally large, cumbersome, and unreliable, but they established the fundamental concept of a mechanically powered carriage. People like Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot and Richard Trevithick made significant contributions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
* The Internal Combustion Engine: The development of the internal combustion engine (ICE) was crucial. While inventors experimented with various designs throughout the 19th century, Karl Benz is widely credited with building the first practical gasoline-powered automobile in 1886. His vehicle was a three-wheeled design. Almost simultaneously, Gottlieb Daimler developed a high-speed internal combustion engine that could be used in a variety of vehicles.
* Early Mass Production: Early cars were largely handcrafted, making them expensive and exclusive. Henry Ford's revolutionary assembly line process, beginning around 1913, drastically reduced the cost of production, making cars more affordable and accessible to the masses. This marked a significant turning point in the history of the automobile.
In summary, the "original" car was not a single invention, but rather a culmination of many technological advancements and innovations spanning several decades, primarily focusing on the development of the internal combustion engine and the subsequent mass production techniques.
