The prehistory of automobile started at French Nicholas – Josef Cugnot who let have built about his designs with three driving by steam in Paris. As to this inventor, it should have served to transporting of guns and ammunition. It had two- cylinders steam machine with a rather small kettle and it had to wait after a quarter of hour of running until in the kettle could be enough of steam with the necessary pressure. Nevertheless, this car was much admired and the inventor constructed the other car one year later. This other car went with a speed 3 km per an hour but it was so strong that it could break through a brick wall too. This became fateful as the car so the inventor. While the car was performing only public since, the inventor himself died and was forgotten.

The started work did not finish with his death. Still at the time of his life the coach driven by steam was going in England in 1801 it was constructed by Richard Trevithick. His car had some primitive a gear - box even. This car was excellent at that time but it did not bring happiness to his holder. He leaved a debt after him and for his burial, a collection had to be done.

Much happiness had not either a steam coach of Czech Josef Bozka. This genial mechanic started a construction of a steam car for tree persons after successful testes of a smaller model in his 32 years. Bozek performed it during a public production in Stromovka on 17.th September 1815 but people looked at it like a big toy.

Counting here all following constructions it is not possible. Well there were more than fifty of them in England and every of them had their history. The car of Scotta Russela belonged to these sadder. 29. July 1834 the kettle exploded to him and several people were killed: it was the first catastrophe in the world. The most it served to adherents of railway for renouncing of steam coaches even if it could happen so locomotive in a principal way.

Only in 1873, the reliable and well-mastered steam- car was appeared at that time in France. His constructer was a holder of an iron foundry of bells with name Amedee Bollee. His road locomotive was named,, L` Obeissante ,, - obedient. It had twelve places; the kettle was placed in the front side. When Bollee arrived in Paris 1875 he was invited with great sensation and enthusiasm. After this success the construction of next automobile started, this time it was opened coach ,, La Manchelle ”, which could pride in an unbeliever speed 35 km per an hour at that time. This car was successful too and Bollee decided to start producing of steam cars. He constructed cars for Ministry of War and for enthusiastic and for propagators of driving by cars without horses.

 These enthusiastic couldn’t be accommodating by the steam car however. They had an idea about a light car for a quick road transport. The steam car weighted 3 – 4 tones could never realised their ideas. The solving was a petrol motor [or electrical].

The existence of explosive [petrol] motor is connected with a name of French Etiene Lenoir, who got a patent for the motor working on a base of extending explosive gas in 1859. In September 1863, he constructed a car driven by this motor but it was not very successful for that he gave up others experiments. The merit about the construction of the first applicable explosive motor for motorcars proprieties to Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz who constructed the motor which had the same form as the today’s motor has.

Gottlieb Damler tried his motor on a motorcycle at first. When these tests were satisfied he let the motor construct in a coach in 1886. This first automobile reached a speed 18 km per an hour and it had a gear – box with two speeds and a frictional lever. In the same year, he and his countryman Karl Friedrich Benz constructed a vehicle, which was driven with an explosive motor. His three wheels car reached a speed 15 km per an hour. Contrary to Damler`s motors it had only horizontal arrangement of cylinders. Both competitions later [in 1926] joined and formed the great motor – works Damler – Benz. We can meet with Benz name in a word benzin [petrol] at present and at cars marked Mercedes – Benz [after his daughter – Mercedes]

Renault "coupé" z roku 1899.

Motors were on the world and for it producers of cars started to be more too. In France A. Peugot was it who has been producing cars since 1891 [before it he produced steam three wheels] and brothers Louis and Marcel Renault who constructed a miniature four – wheel small car with a motor in the front side in 1898 and one year later they constructed the first car with the shut coachwork [coupe]. At the same year, [1899] Fiat was founded in the north Italy in Turin [Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino], one from the next biggest syndicates of this kind. The French automobile constructer Ettore Bugatti [originally a sculptor] was Italian original who constructed his first automobile in 1898 and in 1921 founded a factory and cars marked Bugatti. Their fame reached its height in the first and second tens after The First World War when smart small bugatties won all speed races over the whole Europe.

Osmiválec Bugatti 43/44 z roku 1929.

The name Charles Stewart Rolls is connected with the development of car’s industry for ever, he was a car’s racer [his absolute record in 1902 was unbeliever 101,7 km per an hour], he was co- founder] together with F. H. Royce] of the world famous car- factory Rolls – Royce] 1906]. This enthusiastic sportsman constructed after several experiments the double- sits car with all technical equipment of that time. Even if the car was not cheap, it became soon very popular for his reliability. Since 1910, this factory has been constructing especially luxury cars, famous by their quality and durability but also their high price.

Rolls-Royce 1963
(from  http://www.takimage.com/retromobile/ima-retro/rolls-royce.jpg)

The systematic production of automobiles was founded by the farmer son Henry Ford. He was trained if engineering and some time he was working as a watchmaker. However, he did not become the watchmaker. In 1893, he constructed a primitive car with an explosive motor and with two –speed gear – boxes. He travelled in it 1500 km however. Later he constructed other automobiles and he founded the society Ford Motor Company only in 1903.Three years later he started to produce first cheap cars and in 1908 he performed the famous model T - " Iron – plates Lizinka " it cost 825 dollars. Cars were sold very well. They had been producing in more versions in the number of 15 millions until 1927. The society out grew into a mammoth’s factory. The passport production unknown by that time was the speciality of Ford’s factory: cars were moving on a conveyer through a montage hall and each workers made the certain designated operation. Ford could employ cheap forces this way.

The first motor – works in the Czech Republic was Tatra of that time called ” Nesseldorfer Wagenbaufabric ” – Koprivnicka vagonka – The nettle – freight. Its first produced automobile was The President [1894] and it was similar like a coach conspicuously. Even if this car was not any technical miracle not even in the time its construction it ran the journey from Koprivnice to Vienna for 14,5 hours without having a defect. In 1898, the first lorry was constructed there. Since 1906 Koprivnice factory devoted to the construction of four – cylinders cars and in 1910 the six – cylinders one went out from their workshops. In 1914, the car was performed which had all four wheels and it was remarkable news at that time. In 1923 the motor – works started a public cars Tatra 11, where was two – cylinders motor cooled down by air and it was constructed by engineer Hans Ledwinka.

Legendary T 58 in the beginning on their journey about the world [1947]

The Czech factory Laurin and Klement is written in the history of motorising too. It was interested in producing of motorcycle until that time. That year yet the four – cylinder car followed and in 1907 this factory constructed eight – cylinders car with the cylinders in a row it was the first one in Europe. In 1925 Skoda`s factories in Plzen bought this motor – works.

Two – cylinders Laurin and Klement from 1905.

This page doesn’t follow the development cars until present. It wanted only to put attention on names and constructions, which had an important meaning in this development of the first boom of the world motoring. Most improving this is taken, as contrivances of last time but they were known in that time even if it was not established generally. There has been a mention of breaks on all four wheels from the production of Tatra – Koprivnice yet for example. The drive on all four wheels was tested at the lorry ” Panhard – Levassor ” a long time before 1914. The front drive isn’t new too because the race - car ” Christie ” had it in 1905. The automatic clutch and springing with the spiral spring was known yet.

Škoda Favorit (1938) a Škoda Octavia (1959)
(from  http://www.skoda-auto.cz/company/museum/default.asp)