First internal combustion engine car

This question does not have a straightforward answer. The history of the automobile is very rich and dates back to the 15th century when Leonardo da Vinci was creating designs and models for transport vehicles.

There are many different types of automobiles - steam, electric, and gasoline - as well as countless styles. Exactly who invented the automobile is a matter of opinion. If we had to give credit to one inventor, it would probably be Karl Benz from Germany. Many suggest that he created the first true automobile in 1885/1886.

Below is a table of some automobile firsts, compiled from information in Leonard Bruno's book Science and Technology Firsts (Detroit, c1997) and About.com's History of the Automobile

For more print resources...
Search on "automobiles history or "automobile industry and trade" in the Library of Congress Online Catalog.

An early Benz automobile. Photo courtesy of Vintage Web Classic Cars Picture Archive.

Horseless buggy made by Charles and Frank Duryea, 1893. The first practical gasoline automobile built in the United States. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

De Dion motor carriage #2. c1901. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

First automobile on Pa. Avenue, 1896. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Early steam automobile presented to Smithsonian / Underwood & Underwood, Washington, 1928. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Austro Daimler by A.E.N. Paul Neumann (advertisement for Daimler automobiles), 1918. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.