On June 22, 1957, Detroit automobile pioneer Charles Brady King died. He was the first person to build and drive an automobile down the streets of Detroit, three months before Henry Ford unveiled his first car. Working as a draftsman for the Michigan Car Company, then later with R.E. Olds as an engineer at Olds Motor Works, King quickly gained the tools necessary to make automotive history.
At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, King took an interest in a self-propelled carriage designed by Gottlieb Daimler and decided to create his own design. On March 6, 1896, King took the wheel and released his invention down Jefferson and Woodward. It was a gas-powered car that could reach speeds up to 7 mph (pictured).
King had a host of other accomplishments, including organizing the first automobile organization in the U.S. — the American Motor League, acquiring the patent to the jackhammer and even acting as Henry Ford’s mentor for the Quadricycle.
