Here's why:
* Benz's Patent Motorwagen (1886): This three-wheeled vehicle, built by Karl Benz in 1886, is considered the first true automobile. It was self-propelled by a gasoline engine and was designed to be driven on public roads.
* Other Early Inventors: Other inventors, like Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, were also working on self-propelled vehicles around the same time. However, their vehicles were not as practical or commercially successful as Benz's.
Therefore, while the concept of a motorized carriage had been explored before, Karl Benz's Patent Motorwagen is recognized as the first car that met the criteria of being a practical and commercially viable gasoline-powered vehicle.
