Siegfried Marcus was an Austrian inventor who made significant contributions to the car industry. In 1875, he built the first car using a gasoline engine, despite being overshadowed by other pioneers like Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, and Carl Benz.
Marcus began his career as an apprentice mechanic and later worked as a technician in Vienna. He was known for his talent for inventing and obtained 131 patents in 16 countries throughout his career.
Around 1860, Marcus started building self-propelled vehicles powered by gasoline. He discovered that gasoline could ignite and create explosive energy when dispersed in air, which led him to create the world’s first carburetor in 1864. Marcus continued to refine his designs until he created a vehicle in 1875 equipped with a 4-stroke gasoline engine that could reach speeds of up to 16 km/h.
Despite his early successes, Marcus’s legacy was tarnished by Nazi propaganda, leading to the destruction of his inventions and the removal of his name from educational books. However, some of his work is still preserved and displayed at the Vienna Technical Museum today.
Marcus passed away in 1898 but continues to be recognized for his contributions to the car industry by historians and enthusiasts alike. Although he may not be as well-known as other pioneers, Marcus’s impact on the history of the automobile is undeniable.