The
Automobile
A hand-drawn journey through the invention that changed civilization
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen
Karl Benz files patent DRP-37435 for his “vehicle powered by a gas engine” — the world's first true automobile. His three-wheeled creation featured a 954cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine producing just ⅔ horsepower, yet it would spark a revolution.
Bertha Benz, Karl's wife, proved the vehicle's viability by taking it on a 66-mile journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim — the first long-distance automobile trip in history.
The Ford Model T
“Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black.” Henry Ford's Model T wasn't the first car, but it was the first car for everyone.
At $850 (about $28,000 today), then dropping to $260 by 1925 thanks to assembly line innovation, the “Tin Lizzie” put America on wheels. By 1918, half of all cars in America were Model Ts.
The Moving Assembly Line
At Ford's Highland Park plant, the first moving assembly line began operation. What once took 12 hours and 28 minutes per car now took just 93 minutes.
This single innovation doubled worker wages (to $5/day), halved car prices, and created the middle class as we know it. Mass production was born.
“I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for.”
The Evolution of Form
Full Circle
In 1900, 38% of American cars were electric. Then gasoline won. Now, 138 years after Benz's patent, we're returning to electric — with Tesla, Rivian, and legacy automakers competing for an electrified future.
By 2030, EVs are projected to represent 50%+ of new car sales. The wheel turns full circle — cleaner, smarter, but carrying the same dream of personal mobility that started in Karl Benz's workshop.
Sources & Further Reading
You finished
The Automobile: A Sketch-Style Journey
The Invention of Wine
Browse All Stories