Self-moving vehicle
An automobile means a motor vehicle with four wheels. It is a French word. But actually it comes from the ancient Greek word autos - 'self' - and the Latin word mobilis - 'movable'. Automobiles, or cars, are very common today. But they have not been around for long. The earliest automobiles were powered by steam. In 1672, a Jesuit missionary in China built a steam-powered vehicle for the emperor. It could carry only one person, and probably not go very far. Cars took over the world after two things happened - the invention of an engine and the development of petrol.
Benz
Karl Benz (1844-1929) was born in what is now Germany. As a boy, he cycled to school. He dreamed of making a machine that could carry people around without using horses. In his 30s, he developed most of the parts we now use in modern car engines.
The next step was developing a vehicle for his motor. He finally came up with one in 1885. He called it the Benz Motorwagen - a three-wheeler with a 'sofa' and a steering wheel. It was hard to control and it crashed into a wall in its first public demonstration.
But Benz's invention led to the founding of one of the world's most famous car companies - Mercedes-Benz.
