Timeline: Automotive
From Graces Guide
This timeline focuses on the vehicles produced after the introduction of the Internal Combustion engine and does not cover the pioneering efforts of people like Richard Trevithick, Walter Hancock, Goldsworthy Gurney, William Alltoft Summers and other early inventors of powered road vehicles.
1880 Harry J. Lawson patented what he claimed was the first British motor car, in which the "force" was supplied by petroleum[1]
1888 Edward Butler builds the Petrol-Cycle
1892 Frederick William Bremer built a car powered by a single-cylinder engine running on paraffin
1892 James D. Roots built a strange two-stroke tricycle which also ran on "heavy oil"
1893 May 26th. The Daimler Motor Syndicate formed to take over the UK Daimler interests. The objective was to fit Daimler engines in to boats and the business was based from Arch No 71, Putney Bridge Railway Station
1894 Charles Santler modified his vehicle to use a combustion engine - formerly 1889 he had built a steam-powered vehicle
1895 Jun. Paris-Bordeaux race first run over 732 miles
1895 Jul 6th. Evelyn Ellis with Frederick Simms drives the first petrol car imported in to Britain
1895 Jul. British Motor Syndicate floated
1895 September 9th. David Salomons imports the second car to Britain
1895 Oct 15th. The Horseless Carriage Exhibition held with five exhibits at Tunbridge Wells
1895 Oct 17th. John Henry Knight caught and prosecuted on October 31st. 'An inventor of a tricycle driven by an oil machine was summoned before Fareham magistrates...'[2][3]
1895 November 2nd. The Autocar commences publication
1895 November Leon L'Hollier imports the third automobile in to Britain
1895 November 22nd. The 1895 Stanley Cycle Show exhibits two automobiles, two motor tricycles and plans for a new automobile.
1895 November 24th. John Adolphus Koosen imports the fourth automobile in to Britain
1895 December. Frederick Simms imports the fifth automobile in to Britain
1895 Dec 10th. Self-Propelled Traffic Association formed
1895 December Henry Hewetson imports the sixth automobile in to the Britain
1895 December 18th. The Daimler Motor Syndicate show an automobile in London. This is a phaeton to carry three persons with the engine beneath the rear seat.
1895 December 27th. T. R. B. Elliot imports the seventh automobile in to Britain.
1895 Year End. There were just seven IC engined automobiles imported in to Britain by the year end. In addition there were a number of 'home-built' machines being experimented with.
1896 Feb 17th. A meeting and exhibition of Horseless Carriages at the Imperial Institute organised by the Motor Car Club.
1896 February 17th. The public were invited to subscribe for shares in the Daimler Motor Company formed to take over from the Daimler Motor Syndicate.
1896 Feb. The Motor Car Club formed
1896 May. The Great Horseless Carriage Co formed
1896 May 9th onward. Motor Show at the Imperial Institute
1896 Sep 24th. Paris to Marseilles race
1896 Roots and Venables commenced producing a small number of motorcars,
1896 Nov 14th. The Locomotives on Highways Act became law
1896 Nov 14th. The first London-Brighton Run held to celebrate the new Act
1897 Mar. 1897 Motor and Cycle Exhibition (Brighton)
1897 Mar. First British made Daimler car delivered
1897 Mar. Petrocar introduced by Roots and Venables
1897 Jul 24th. Paris to Dieppe race
1897 Humber produce first cars
1897 Aug. Laundry Exhibition at Islington showed cars
1897 Aug 10th. The Automobile Club formed
1898 Walter Charles Bersey built his first petrol engined car after several years of electrical vehicles
1898 Jan. Motor Manufacturing Co (MMC) formed
1898 Apr. Easter Tour held over three days
1898 May. Whitsuntide Tour in the eastern counties
1898 May Trials of Motor Vehicles for Heavy Traffic
1899 James and Browne manufacturing cars
1899 Jun 17th. Richmond Show Trial
1900 Apr 23rd. The One Thousand Mile Trial where 65 cars took part and the majority completed the course.
1900 First cars from the Lanchester Motor Co
1900 Nov 23rd. Stanley Motor Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington
1900 Nov 23rd. National Motor Show at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1901 May. The Automobile Club Show
1901 May 2nd. The Dashwood Hill Trial held in May
1901 Jun 6th. Dashwood Hill Trial held in July
1901 June 3-7th. Trials of Motor Vehicles for Heavy Traffic
1901 Sep 2nd. The Glasgow Trials
1901 Nov. Stanley Motor Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington
1901 Nov. National Motor Show at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1902 Jan 11th. 1902 Welbeck Brake Trial
1902 Feb. 1902 Richmond Hill Tests
1902 Feb. 1902 Liverpool Reliability Trials
1902 Feb 14th. Motor Show at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1902 Mar. 1902 Cromer Speed Trials
1902 Apr. 1902 Glasgow to London Trial
1902 Apr. 1902 Crystal Palace Consumption and Hill Climb Trials
1902 Apr. Motor Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington
1902 May 19th. 1902 Bexhill Trials held at Whitsun. Possibly the first British motor race.
1902 May 10th. 1902 Dashwood Hill Trial (May)
1902 Aug 7th. 1902 Welbeck Speed Trials
1902 Sep 1st. 1902 Reliability Trial. 650 mile trial from Crystal Palace held in the first week of the month.
1902 Sep 14th. 1902 Oxford Anniversary Run from London to Oxford to celebrate the anniversary of the Automobile Club
1902 Nov 21st. Stanley Motor Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington
1902 Nov 21st. National Motor Show at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1903 Jan 16th. 1903 Motor Show (Stanley January) at Earl's Court
1903 Jan 30th. 1903 Motor Show (SMMT January) at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1903 Sep. Reliability Trial held over routes in the south-east
1903 Nov 20th. 1903 Motor Show (National) at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
1903 Nov 20th. 1903 Motor Show (Stanley) at the Agricultural Hall, Islington
1904 Jan 29th. 1904 Motor Show (SMMT)
1904 Nov 20th. 1904 Motor Show (National)
1904 Nov 25th. 1904 Motor Show (Stanley)
1905 Sep. 1905 Tourist Trophy Race
1907 Hillman Coatalen Motor Co set up
