BR#7 "The Story of Cars"

For hundreds of years, people carried things by to push or pull. As early as the 1400s, an Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for a vehicle that was driven by clock work. Another Italian made a wind-powered tricycle, but this didn’t succeed. People had to wait 400 more years. In the 1700s, steam engines were invented. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot tried using one to power a cart. Thirty years later, Richard Trevithick had an idea that it used a steam engine to pull a wagon along iron track. This idea became the train. His friend, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney designed a steam passenger coach that didn’t need tracks. In 1886, German engineer Karl Benz designed and built the first petrol-driven vehicle. It had three wheels, one seat and a small engine at the back. Then, many people improved the cars. Now, engineers are inventing cars that won’t pollute the air. They might run on energy from sun or give off water instead of nasty fumes. And, the cars used electricity are sold. The cars were formed by the power of many people for the long time.

(185 words)
(Daynes Katie/The story of cars/2005/USBORNE YOUNG READING)