Buzz
Automobiles have become a vital part of modern life, with hardly anyone alive today who can recall a time when cars weren't a common sight on the roads. This compilation highlights some of the most intriguing 'firsts' in the world of motoring.
10. First Gasoline-Powered Vehicle
In 1883, Edouard Delamare-Deboutteville, aged 27, constructed the very first automobile powered by gasoline. His goal was to discover a reliable replacement for horse-drawn transportation at his father's cotton mill. Assisted by Charles Malandin, his father's mechanic, they adapted an 8HP stationary gas engine to run on petrol and mounted it onto a four-wheeled hunting-brake. [Image: a miniature replica of the vehicle created by Delamare-Deboutteville and Malandin]
9. First Vehicle Produced on a Large Scale
The first mass-produced gasoline-powered automobile emerged in the United States. This vehicle, known as the curved-dash Olds, marked a significant milestone as it became the first car manufactured at a rate exceeding 10 units per week, debuting in April 1901. By the end of that year, 433 units had been produced, and within just three years, annual production soared to 5,508. Priced at $650, it was considerably more affordable than other vehicles of its era. [Image: 1901 curved-dash Olds]
8. First Automotive Radio
In May 1922, George Frost, an 18-year-old president of the Lane High School Radio Club in Chicago, installed the first car radio on the passenger door of a Ford Model-T. Later that November, the Marconi-phone company showcased the first radio-equipped Daimler limousine at the Olympia Motor Show in London, England. [Image: 1922 Ford Model-T]
7. First Recorded Automobile Theft
The first documented car theft took place in Paris, France, in June 1896, when Baron de Zuylen’s Peugeot was stolen by his mechanic from the repair shop. Fortunately, both the thief and the vehicle were later discovered in the nearby town of Asnieres. [Image: 1896 Peugeot]
6. First License Plates for Vehicles
France pioneered vehicle registration plates under the Paris Police Ordinance of August 14, 1893, issued by the Department of the Seine. The ordinance mandated: 'Every motor vehicle must display a metal plate with the owner’s name, address, and the authorization number in clear writing. This plate must be affixed to the left side of the vehicle and remain visible at all times.' This regulation was later expanded nationwide by a decree on September 30, 1901. [Image: Camille Pissarro’s The Place du Havre, Paris, 1893]
5. First Fatal Automobile Accident
The first recorded motoring fatality occurred on August 17, 1896, at London’s Crystal Palace. Bridget Driscoll of Croydon was struck and fatally injured by a Rogers-Benz vehicle, fracturing her skull. The driver, Arthur Edsell, was offering joyrides on the Crystal Palace terrace when the incident happened. Driscoll, attempting to cross the road, froze in fear as the car approached at 4 mph, leading to the tragic accident, which was later deemed unintentional. [Image: 1896 Benz]
4. First Traffic Signal System
The world’s first traffic lights were erected on a 22-foot cast iron pillar at the intersection of Bridge Street and New Palace Yard near Parliament Square in London. Operational from December 10, 1868, these lights were commissioned by the Metropolitan Police to facilitate smoother access for politicians entering the Houses of Parliament. The system featured a manually operated revolving lantern with red and green signals. Despite its innovative design, the public largely disapproved, with one individual criticizing it as 'another contrivance to trouble poor cab drivers.' It stood as London’s sole traffic light until its removal in 1872, with no replacements appearing for the next five decades. [Image: site of the world’s first traffic light]
3. First Large-Scale Gasoline Refueling Station
The inaugural bulk-storage gasoline station was established by the Automobile Gasoline Co., founded by Harry Grenner and Clem Lessing in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1905. Fuel was dispensed using a garden hose connected to a gravity-fed tank. The first station featuring a forecourt and overhead canopy, a design still prevalent today, was launched by Standard Oil of California in Seattle, Washington, in 1907. [Image: the first gas station – best quality copy available on the internet]
Contributor: Maman
2. First Parking Meter Invention
Carlton Magee, a prominent Oklahoma City newspaper editor, invented the first parking meter. As chairman of a 1933 committee tasked with exploring stricter parking regulations, Magee founded the Dual Parking Meter Company, named for its dual purpose of regulating parking and generating revenue. The initial meters were installed and operational by July 16, 1935. [Image: Magee’s parking meter – the first in the world]
1. First Road Warning Signs
The earliest traffic signs were introduced in Britain in December 1879 by the Bicycle Union. These signs featured a wooden post with an enameled iron plate displaying the caution: 'To cyclists – this hill is dangerous.' By 1901, the first signs aimed specifically at motorists appeared in Gloucester. The first internationally standardized signs, featuring a red triangle enclosing a symbol, were established in 1909 in France. [Image: first motoring traffic sign design, still in use today]
