March 4 is the anniversary of the first running of the modern gasoline engine. Invented by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, it was basically a modified horse carriage powered by their Grandfather Clock Engine.
Characteristics of that engine were:
- a single horizontal cylinder
- air cooling
- large cast iron flywheel
- hot tube ignition system
- cam operated exhaust valves, allowing high speed operation
- First carburator
- 1.5 hp
- first four wheeled vehicle to reach 16 km/h (10 mph)
- used the Otto Four stroke Cycle
[source]
Of course at that time, automobiles could be classified as alternative energy, as the main source of transportation at that time were horse drawn carriages.
Originally from Wired
Category: Misc, Automotive
