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Did the ancient Greeks design the first automobile?

GasBuddy Blog -- When did the first 'automobile' come into being? Believe it or not, one historian suggests that the first automobile may be traced as far back as 60 A.D. to the ancient Greeks.

In his column on 'Car History' for Jalopnik.com, Jason Torchinsky reports that he investigated the earliest 'automobile' throughout history by imposing the following criteria:
It has to be motorized in some way (no clockwork or animal power); it has to be at least steerable, or controllable in some way; and, it must be able to carry at least one person.

He found that Hero designed a primitive "vehicle" that was essentially a steam engine on wheels with with a one-man platform.
Torchinsky reports: "To make a Hero engine put out enough...

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Submitted May 19, 2012 By: PD

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MTPokts Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:2,280 Points:776,290 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:08:59 AM Ignore MTPokts Report Abuse And what happened to his idea? Industrial revolutions happen when someone comes up with an idea, shares it and someone else improves something about it. Over and over.
Go_E85 Champion Author Orange County Posts:2,228 Points:174,580 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:07:45 AM Ignore Go_E85 Report Abuse ...
car54BC Champion Author British Columbia Posts:3,327 Points:1,256,755 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:07:42 AM Ignore car54BC Report Abuse Third time for this topic
TBecker1415 Champion Author Missouri Posts:1,665 Points:348,715 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:06:16 AM Ignore TBecker1415 Report Abuse repeat article.
RAKARWOWSKI Champion Author Chicago Posts:4,005 Points:822,000 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:05:47 AM Ignore RAKARWOWSKI Report Abuse Enough!
pitamon Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:4,909 Points:1,827,335 Joined:Sep 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:04:59 AM Ignore pitamon Report Abuse And they want put of tghe Euro zone.
Wes1972 All-Star Author California Posts:650 Points:319,360 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:02:48 AM Ignore Wes1972 Report Abuse Lets get back to the Obama puff pieces and dump this BS article where it belongs!
txkrb Champion Author Texas Posts:1,563 Points:639,640 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:01:32 AM Ignore txkrb Report Abuse After 3 days can we please take this one down
slowpoke63 Champion Author Louisiana Posts:2,742 Points:888,115 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:01:01 AM Ignore slowpoke63 Report Abuse ok
tomok Champion Author Portland Posts:33,039 Points:2,346,485 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:01:00 AM Ignore tomok Report Abuse If a Greek steam driven vehicle was around then, 'Coming out of the closet' Barry would give it a subsidy and keep driving this country into the ground with his 'spending gone wild' addiction. What was the CPM (cord per mile) when traveling from place to place on very poor roads? Wasn't the first vehicle invented and used by Fred Flintstone, the FlintMobile? This vehicle was Unsafe at Any Speed with or without Hero driving! And then there were the pickups, trucks, town trucks, semi trucks & trailers and dump trucks for their delivery and industrial division! And don't start talking about the trains! All made in Detroit, Greece! Greek technology at its best! Whatever the size or shape of the vehicle, Produce and ‘Drive’ vehicles with high MPG, are very reliable, have a ‘reasonable’ cost and a good ‘value’ for the money. Consider using other forms of less expensive transportation to lower your cost, if possible! The price of fuel at the pump is too high! 12/22/2012!
blitzntj Champion Author Jacksonville Posts:4,684 Points:945,055 Joined:Dec 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:00:52 AM Ignore blitzntj Report Abuse no
gumbyrex Champion Author Fresno Posts:3,301 Points:760,040 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:00:13 AM Ignore gumbyrex Report Abuse Haven't I seen this post for the last three days? Someone is really trying to sell us on the Greeks being the first. I stll say they were not the first. The first was Fred Flintstone.
JasonKY Veteran Author Lexington Posts:292 Points:67,795 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:59:57 AM Ignore JasonKY Report Abuse I bet it looked a lot like the old Flintstone car.
olcowboy14 Champion Author Spokane Posts:8,050 Points:1,118,900 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:59:54 AM Ignore olcowboy14 Report Abuse These cars appear to be as popular then as the Volt is now.
olebufnav Champion Author Omaha Posts:3,983 Points:1,024,205 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:58:16 AM Ignore olebufnav Report Abuse Is this a cause of the current financial crisis in greece?? ;-)
seahawks Champion Author Washington Posts:3,232 Points:1,964,720 Joined:Sep 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:57:58 AM Ignore seahawks Report Abuse old posting!!!
Tekkersmom57 Champion Author Syracuse Posts:1,883 Points:701,845 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:57:52 AM Ignore Tekkersmom57 Report Abuse This article has been on GasBuddy all weekend.
Gropitou Veteran Author Montreal Posts:402 Points:1,754,490 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:57:38 AM Ignore Gropitou Report Abuse News as old as Greece...
lonewolfhead Champion Author Texas Posts:1,652 Points:562,810 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:57:20 AM Ignore lonewolfhead Report Abuse old
greenfog Champion Author Illinois Posts:6,490 Points:1,639,020 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:55:22 AM Ignore greenfog Report Abuse whatever!
speedys Champion Author Utah Posts:7,017 Points:2,558,885 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:52:52 AM Ignore speedys Report Abuse Old news.
myambro Champion Author Sacramento Posts:3,204 Points:1,053,675 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:52:35 AM Ignore myambro Report Abuse Maybe. Probably not.
67yenko Champion Author Mississippi Posts:1,165 Points:361,855 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:52:29 AM Ignore 67yenko Report Abuse 10-4....
NanookAK Champion Author Anchorage Posts:7,253 Points:1,441,015 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:52:10 AM Ignore NanookAK Report Abuse Again?
Skipper52 Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:7,418 Points:1,592,935 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:44:46 AM Ignore Skipper52 Report Abuse Still here...
Ready Eddie Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:5,781 Points:1,344,720 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:44:36 AM Ignore Ready Eddie Report Abuse Dreaming.
TravelinMan52 Champion Author Augusta Posts:1,930 Points:963,870 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:44:29 AM Ignore TravelinMan52 Report Abuse I guess the automobile is older than we have thought, all along.
marlita Champion Author Dayton Posts:3,312 Points:785,130 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:44:27 AM Ignore marlita Report Abuse old news
PaulaRed All-Star Author Utah Posts:558 Points:488,900 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:40:11 AM Ignore PaulaRed Report Abuse Huh
rver524 Veteran Author Colorado Posts:298 Points:14,320 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:39:46 AM Ignore rver524 Report Abuse Is there no other news?
CPayZombie Champion Author Phoenix Posts:10,073 Points:1,655,820 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:36:42 AM Ignore CPayZombie Report Abuse Jinkies! This one is hanging around for a long time. How many horse chips per mile for powering the steam engine?
WebGabe Champion Author Pennsylvania Posts:2,374 Points:497,595 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:36:42 AM Ignore WebGabe Report Abuse Think it's time to put this article out to pasture.
Digger52 Champion Author Chicago Posts:2,412 Points:849,910 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:36:12 AM Ignore Digger52 Report Abuse Third time's a charm. . .
bigLtowing Champion Author Columbus Posts:2,839 Points:592,565 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:36:03 AM Ignore bigLtowing Report Abuse old
ramshot412 Champion Author Riverside Posts:20,153 Points:2,466,465 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:35:51 AM Ignore ramshot412 Report Abuse Old news.
Wolfwings Champion Author Delaware Posts:8,745 Points:1,777,440 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:35:18 AM Ignore Wolfwings Report Abuse AGAIN?
Topless2012 Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:2,437 Points:482,040 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:34:26 AM Ignore Topless2012 Report Abuse Time to move on.....
amearly Champion Author Michigan Posts:12,119 Points:2,467,610 Joined:Jan 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:33:38 AM Ignore amearly Report Abuse So I guess there is no other news out there other than 3 day old news articles to repost again and again?
REVLAW Champion Author San Antonio Posts:10,435 Points:2,007,245 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:30:47 AM Ignore REVLAW Report Abuse Hey PD ... perhaps 3 days on the blog is enough. Scrap this one.
TRAIN RIDER Champion Author San Bernardino Posts:9,082 Points:2,757,820 Joined:Oct 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:29:54 AM Ignore TRAIN RIDER Report Abuse This is only the third day this has been posted here.
bbthegun Champion Author San Diego Posts:5,983 Points:1,681,940 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:29:54 AM Ignore bbthegun Report Abuse Good for them. A more interesting and relevant Greek story is how they are bankrupt.
sailormon Champion Author Michigan Posts:3,595 Points:809,210 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:27:59 AM Ignore sailormon Report Abuse Very cool! I like it and would like to build a model of it for the kids to play with. (Well, me actually.)
Chitowner Champion Author Omaha Posts:4,269 Points:1,132,860 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:26:34 AM Ignore Chitowner Report Abuse I would say this is really not interesting to any of us
SteveS2000 Sophomore Author Cincinnati Posts:236 Points:215,695 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:25:31 AM Ignore SteveS2000 Report Abuse Just to get points so I can be a Champion Author too!
ClevelandWheele Veteran Author Florida Posts:308 Points:285,185 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:25:00 AM Ignore ClevelandWheele Report Abuse Blah
TallSteve Champion Author Dayton Posts:5,164 Points:1,057,470 Joined:Nov 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:22:06 AM Ignore TallSteve Report Abuse In 2012 do we really care? Greece is bankrupt. Should we be paying them some sort of royalty for every car produced today?
Emmamae1 Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,059 Points:589,190 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:19:26 AM Ignore Emmamae1 Report Abuse how advanced.
BudsterMO Champion Author Kansas City Posts:3,713 Points:704,115 Joined:Aug 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:19:17 AM Ignore BudsterMO Report Abuse This is an old stupid article.
etop8222 Veteran Author Reading Posts:429 Points:58,330 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:19:13 AM Ignore etop8222 Report Abuse Same answer as befor.
shari128 All-Star Author Iowa Posts:573 Points:860,740 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:19:01 AM Ignore shari128 Report Abuse The Flintstones did!!! Some of the cars on the road today aren't as good as the ones they made.
3mta3 All-Star Author Michigan Posts:830 Points:1,003,365 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:18:56 AM Ignore 3mta3 Report Abuse Deja vu... all over again!
dsaine Champion Author North Carolina Posts:3,002 Points:633,470 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 10:18:42 AM Ignore dsaine Report Abuse Old news.