Who really invented the automobile: Henry Ford, Elwood Haynes, or someone in Germany?

Question

I am confused since I was taught that Henry Ford invented the automobile, now there's a lady in a museum who says Elwood Haynes did, but Ford mass produced the automobile, and now a Daimler-Chrysler commercial claims the automobile was invented in Germany.

Answer 1

In 1807 Francois Isaac de Rivaz designed the first internal combustion engine. This was subsequently used by him to develop the world’s first vehicle to run on such an engine, one that used a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen to generate energy.

This spawned the birth of a number of designs based on the internal combustion engine in the early nineteenth century with little or no degree of commercial success. In 1860 thereafter, Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir built the first successful two-stroke gas driven engine. In 1862 he again built an experimental vehicle driven by his gas-engine, which ran at a speed of 3 kms/hour. These cars became popular and by 1865 could be frequently espied on the roads.

The next major leap forward occurred in 1885 when the four stroke engine was devised. Gottileb Damlier and Nicolas Otto worked together on the mission till they fell apart. Daimler created his own engines which he used both for cars and for the first four wheel horseless carriage. In the meanwhile, unknown to them, Karl Benz, was in the process of creating his own advanced tri-cycle which proved to be the first true car. This car first saw the light of the day in 1886.

Answer 2

Henry Ford invented the assembly line, and he also invented charcoal, but he didn't invent the automobile. The Daimler commercial was not meant to be taken literally. I believe the answer is Haynes.

Answer 3

Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He brought the concept of the assembly line to the automotive industry. The rest...I dont know.

BTW...I see some poeple are confused. Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line. He witnessed it when he visited a pork processing plant. He realized that they same concept could be applied to cars.

Answer 4

Olds invented the automobile, Ford perfected the assembly line automobile.

Answer 5

Don't know, but Henry Ford never claimed to be the inventor of the automobile...nor does anybody with the sense God gave biscuit dough claim that he is. He just perfected the "mass production" assembly line method that made cars affordable.

Answer 6

I don't personally know who invented the autobile,but I can say it most likely wasn't Henry Ford. All Ford did was create the most successful automobile,therefore day viewed as his creation. Henry Fords story most likely falls in like T. Edisons. Didn't invent the lightbulb but had the first success of all.

Answer 7

Daimler. He also first produced motorcyles. Ford used the assembly line, but interchangable parts were Robt Fulton's baby, I believe.

Answer 8

The first internal-combustion engine horseless carriage, which later became the automobile, was invented by Ransom E. Olds just before the turn of the 20th century. Named after its creator, this is where the Oldsmobile was born.

Answer 9

The first vehicle that looked like a car came from Germany. I think it's a Benz.

Ford took these ideas (even the assembly line was from someone else) and put it all together into a cohesive form.

Answer 10

All I know is that it was not Henry Ford. He just invented the assembly line.