Cugnot's Steam Wagon

In 1769, the Lorraine-born military engineer Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot presented the Minister of War, the Duke of Choiseul, with a machine designed to haul heavy artillery. His steam-powered fardier is regarded as the first self-propelled road vehicle in history.

The machine stood on three wheels. At the front, a huge copper boiler fed two cylinders that directly drove the front wheel, which was also used for steering. More than seven metres long, it moved barely faster than a man walking, and its boiler had to be refilled after about fifteen minutes. Legend has it that during a trial, lacking effective brakes, it knocked down a wall: this would be the first road accident.

The project was abandoned after Choiseul fell from favour. The second fardier, built in 1770, has nevertheless survived: it is now on display at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, a witness to the moment when the machine began to replace the horse.