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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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Melinda205 Champion Author Alabama Posts:1,819 Points:355,890 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: May 27, 2012 10:56:10 AM Ignore Melinda205 Report Abuse and the survey says???
VikingWoman Champion Author Washington Posts:1,246 Points:248,640 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: May 25, 2012 10:33:08 PM Ignore VikingWoman Report Abuse I don't watch Mythbusters now that I don't have to (ahh the single life!). Does anyone know if the long-alleged myth that the oil industry paid off the man who had invented the water-fueled engine is true?
caloberg Rookie Author Portland Posts:6 Points:4,380 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 25, 2012 4:31:58 PM Ignore caloberg Report Abuse since when is a cart an automobile? yes, it is a vehicle, but not an auto by any means.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,580 Points:1,605,520 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 23, 2012 8:29:14 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse not quite believable (and many ancient artifacts of great interest have proven to be fakes).
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:2,981 Points:594,810 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 22, 2012 1:29:14 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Old article.
Blismo Champion Author Arizona Posts:2,119 Points:400,235 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 22, 2012 7:53:52 AM Ignore Blismo Report Abuse survey says :
DandyDapple All-Star Author North Dakota Posts:715 Points:307,820 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 11:19:32 PM Ignore DandyDapple Report Abuse ???
jpj23 Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:5,695 Points:1,096,675 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 2:48:55 PM Ignore jpj23 Report Abuse I cannot see how "animal power" qualifies any vehicle as an automobile. The "auto" part pretty much requires that it runs by itself.
19sheldon43 Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:3,979 Points:843,010 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 2:24:45 PM Ignore 19sheldon43 Report Abuse This article is running out of steam, let move on
MVP1 Champion Author New York Posts:1,392 Points:1,510,400 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 2:05:34 PM Ignore MVP1 Report Abuse A lot of knowledge is found and lost only to be found again... By the same token those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. Not all knowledge is good knowledge.
fromdarange Champion Author Minnesota Posts:1,355 Points:404,655 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 2:03:03 PM Ignore fromdarange Report Abuse Couldn't prove it by me. Why did it take so long to surface?
texasvet Champion Author Texas Posts:3,823 Points:360,120 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 2:02:26 PM Ignore texasvet Report Abuse Pure unwarranted conjecture. But one would have to assume that if in fact Hero had invented such a vehicle, that there would have had to be some liberal who would have accused him of polluting the air, causing global warming, and killing people.
jetlagAK Champion Author Anchorage Posts:2,241 Points:633,625 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:59:05 PM Ignore jetlagAK Report Abuse Anyone Else 2012!
Amanstrom Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:1,857 Points:535,180 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:58:54 PM Ignore Amanstrom Report Abuse Interesting
indrix All-Star Author Toronto Posts:582 Points:161,790 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:54:41 PM Ignore indrix Report Abuse Did they really?
carrollcreek Champion Author Minnesota Posts:3,107 Points:873,970 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:54:38 PM Ignore carrollcreek Report Abuse It's interesting. If they had chariots, and they had quite a bit of knowledge about water, it seems plausible. Maybe another venue, rather than Mythbusters, is Brad Meltzer's Decoded?
ace12012 Champion Author Phoenix Posts:1,650 Points:321,810 Joined:Apr 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:51:04 PM Ignore ace12012 Report Abuse sounds familiar.
RAC110 Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:5,949 Points:1,851,545 Joined:Mar 2003	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:50:24 PM Ignore RAC110 Report Abuse that can be a big question
BeaconLite Champion Author Ottawa Posts:1,922 Points:366,250 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:46:49 PM Ignore BeaconLite Report Abuse They certainly did, it was steam powered.
gamalerin Champion Author Tampa Posts:4,732 Points:989,510 Joined:Jul 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:46:30 PM Ignore gamalerin Report Abuse I doubt.
DLgougewatcher All-Star Author North Dakota Posts:831 Points:221,175 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:45:10 PM Ignore DLgougewatcher Report Abuse WOW!!!
preacherboyFL Veteran Author Orlando Posts:444 Points:124,960 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:43:09 PM Ignore preacherboyFL Report Abuse The Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
AcuraTSX Champion Author Ohio Posts:5,472 Points:2,178,130 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:42:41 PM Ignore AcuraTSX Report Abuse Slow news day? Third day running.
OnEmptyMO Champion Author St. Louis Posts:4,974 Points:1,484,675 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:33:58 PM Ignore OnEmptyMO Report Abuse Day THREE, same article.
nascar1411 Champion Author Idaho Posts:1,878 Points:658,315 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:32:10 PM Ignore nascar1411 Report Abuse old
mnbeancounter Champion Author Minnesota Posts:4,706 Points:1,058,815 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:31:53 PM Ignore mnbeancounter Report Abuse old news item
smiles4 Rookie Author Alabama Posts:97 Points:282,560 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:30:45 PM Ignore smiles4 Report Abuse old news
CAD69 Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:3,186 Points:842,240 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:29:10 PM Ignore CAD69 Report Abuse Next
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:2,981 Points:594,810 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:26:22 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Old post.
WilW Champion Author Atlanta Posts:12,202 Points:2,668,880 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:18:08 PM Ignore WilW Report Abuse This article dates back to ancient Greece.
NGEFE Veteran Author Provo Posts:339 Points:464,725 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:16:08 PM Ignore NGEFE Report Abuse It may be old news but still interesting and thought provoking.
Grismer Champion Author Kitchener-Waterloo Posts:8,514 Points:1,720,045 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:15:55 PM Ignore Grismer Report Abuse Encore!
5Golfer8 Champion Author Tucson Posts:2,128 Points:298,600 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:14:22 PM Ignore 5Golfer8 Report Abuse extremely old news.
Blubberpuppy Champion Author Baltimore Posts:18,344 Points:1,900,835 Joined:Dec 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:13:58 PM Ignore Blubberpuppy Report Abuse Even before then. Alexander rode in a staff car as he crushed the Persian Empire.
MikeMotorhead All-Star Author Detroit Posts:744 Points:524,620 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:13:43 PM Ignore MikeMotorhead Report Abuse And the greeks are still messing up gas prices...
2granny Champion Author Michigan Posts:9,555 Points:1,462,255 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:11:33 PM Ignore 2granny Report Abuse old news
RochBear Champion Author Minnesota Posts:10,449 Points:1,738,915 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:11:19 PM Ignore RochBear Report Abuse It's all greek to me.
MarkC08 All-Star Author Worcester Posts:663 Points:585,695 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:10:05 PM Ignore MarkC08 Report Abuse OK
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:34,082 Points:2,368,445 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:09:34 PM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse as likely as fred flintstone
bigmace111 Champion Author Albany Posts:2,703 Points:610,600 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:09:19 PM Ignore bigmace111 Report Abuse Three days in a row? Isn't there any new stories out there?
kosciak Champion Author Hartford Posts:1,106 Points:531,275 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:07:33 PM Ignore kosciak Report Abuse old news
easyjet Rookie Author Billings Posts:3 Points:285 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:04:53 PM Ignore easyjet Report Abuse Sounds like a auto to me?
Lizzylou Champion Author Stockton Posts:8,818 Points:2,357,285 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:03:26 PM Ignore Lizzylou Report Abuse Yesterday's news
q2 Champion Author Alberta Posts:2,019 Points:377,070 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:03:11 PM Ignore q2 Report Abuse old
Wierbe Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:3,732 Points:1,115,115 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:02:42 PM Ignore Wierbe Report Abuse This was interesting several days ago. Let's move on, shall we?
Bubba44612 Champion Author Ohio Posts:7,381 Points:1,874,155 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:02:04 PM Ignore Bubba44612 Report Abuse Third day with this.
kuma2000 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,203 Points:670,150 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:01:24 PM Ignore kuma2000 Report Abuse again
RabunDog Champion Author Georgia Posts:2,995 Points:1,221,560 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:00:26 PM Ignore RabunDog Report Abuse ok
marsbars Champion Author Alaska Posts:2,658 Points:1,179,820 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 1:00:17 PM Ignore marsbars Report Abuse I don't really care.
esorsd Champion Author St. Louis Posts:5,718 Points:1,634,740 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: May 21, 2012 12:57:40 PM Ignore esorsd Report Abuse ok