Until the 1860s all prototype motor cars were staem driven.Getman inventor Nicolas Otto created an improved internal combustion engine in 1876 and this is still the way cars work today. In 1885, the first car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, was developed by Karl Benz. It was a long time chemist. Famous names such as Rolls Royce and Henry Ford developed the technology Rolls Royce for the rich and Henry Ford for the man in the street