With the development of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1885, the motorcar as we know it today was born. Karl Benz's two-seater, despite having just three wheels and 0.75 horsepower, is commonly known as the first automobile. A 954cc one-cylinder engine was mounted in the back of the vehicle's tubular steel frame, providing power. ¹⁾

Making a few cars is one thing, but what happens when you need to create thousands, or even millions? This is where Henry Ford's revolutionary assembly line manufacturing process was put to use. Ford built 16.5 million Model Ts between 1908 and 1927, accounting for half of all cars on American roads by 1918. Almost every car manufacturer has since introduced the production line. ²⁾

When Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Beetle in 1931 as a “car for everybody,” he should have made his mark on the automobile. The little Beetle took a short detour through history after Adolf Hitler changed the name to People's Car, or Volks Wagen, in 1933. It was liberated by allied forces after WWII and later turned into the quintessential symbol of peace and liberation by the hippy movement. ³⁾