In today’s world cars are part of everyday life. Most American households own or lease a vehicle and use it to commute. But just under 150 years ago, cars didn’t even exist. This article, provided by the Northwest Wilmington personal injury attorneys at Schuster Jachetti LLP, covers the history of the modern car, the very first car accident, and auto body shops available in the area for car accident victims.
Who Invented The Car?
There are many opinions about who invented the first car. Technically, in the 1700s, Nicolas Cugnot built a three-wheeled vehicle that was powered by steam and in 1832, Robert Anderson invented an electric carriage. But it was Karl Benz who invented and patented the first gasoline-powered vehicle.
In 1879, Benz obtained a patent for a tw0-stroke gasoline engine. By 1885 he had built his first three-wheeled vehicle that he called the “Motorwagen”. He received a patent for the Motorwagen in 1886 and then made a four-wheeled model a few years later. By the early 1890s, Benz had sold around 25 vehicles.
While Benz was working hard to produce and market gasoline-powered vehicles, his competition was also working on their own versions. In American, the Duryea Motorwagon was patented by the Duryea brothers. Soon, manufacturers were mass-producing car parts so that new models could be built and put onto a sale lot in a short period of time.
This mass production of parts also allowed mechanics to quickly make repairs to any vehicles that were involved in an accident.
James William Lambert: The First Driver To Crash A Car
The cause of the first car accident was a simple tree root. Ohio City resident James William Lambert was behind the wheel of his single-cylinder engine when the tire hit a tree root and he lost control. Lamber and his passenger were thankfully unharmed, however, the car was damaged.
At the time that Lambert had his accident auto mechanics were few and far between. Today, that is not the case. Car owners can seek repairs from both car manufacturers and independent auto body shops.
Auto Body Shops In Northwest Wilmington, DE
Here is a list of auto body shops, provided by the Northwest Wilmington personal injury attorneys at Schuster Jachetti LLP:
Wilmington Collision Center
214 E Lea Blvd,
Wilmington, DE 19802
(302) 764-3520
Executive Auto Body 
702-798 N Van Buren St,
Wilmington, DE 19805
Auto Team Delaware
1606 Pennsylvania Ave,
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302) 656-3100
Union Park Collision Center and Body Shop
2301 W 6th St,
Wilmington, DE 19805
(302) 573-5269
Learn more about local resources in the area by reading this post.