From the Library of Congress
Film recorded by Thomas A. Edison
This may be the first annual automobile parade, held on November 4, 1899 in downtown Manhattan. At least ten different makes and models are seen, including electric and steam powered machines.
Only three years earlier, in 1896, Henry Ford, Charles Brady King, Alexander Winton and Ransom Eli Olds had each introduced their gasoline cars.
In 1900, the first National Auto Show was held at Madison Square Garden and the favorites were the electrics and the steamers. In 1901, new oil fields in Texas made gasoline affordable. That same year, mass production techniques were introduced into car manufacturing.
These two factors would prove to be key developments in the rapid growth of the American automobile industry.
Content for this post excerpted from the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. [Website]
