In the nascent days of the automobile industry, when the typical horseless carriage really was an old buggy with an engine slapped on the back, the Benz Patent Motorwagen took things to the next level. First driven in 1885 by German mechanical engineer Karl Benz (1844-1929), this innovative vehicle was the first in the world designed and built stem to stern for mechanized transportation via an internal combustion engine.
Benz's auto boasted a tubular steel frame, electric coil ignition, rack and pinion steering, an evaporative cooling system, and differential rear-end gears. Its 1600-cc., ¾ horsepower engine topped out at 8 mph.
Answer: D. automobile
